'AI is no longer just supporting the business — it has become the business model': IBM VP tells us how your business can balance AI excitement with realism as governance becomes more important than ever (www.techradar.com)

At IBM's recent Think EMEA event in London, Senior Vice President Ana Paula Assis highlighted a critical pivot in the integration of AI within businesses: it has evolved from merely supporting operations to becoming a core business model. As AI excitement rises, so too does the urgency for governance, especially in regulated sectors. IBM's research revealed that while 80% of surveyed companies encountered AI-related incidents reported to their boards, only 40% leveraged these incidents to enhance governance or secure new investments. This disparity underscores the challenges organizations face in balancing rapid innovation with necessary oversight and accountability mechanisms. The significance of this shift is profound for the AI/ML community. Assis emphasized that successful companies are not only adopting AI technologies but also rethinking their systems and processes holistically around AI. This evolution demands a focus on security, responsibility, and trust to achieve sustainable AI deployment. With IBM reporting $5.5 billion in savings through improved productivity via AI, the message is clear: organizations must embrace AI as a foundational component of their architecture while prioritizing effective governance to ensure safe scaling and foster client trust in AI-driven strategies.