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Key Insights from ZDNET
- Professionals are skeptical about AI’s effectiveness.
- Many organizations deal with an overwhelming array of tools.
- Emphasis on robust use cases is essential for achieving value.
A striking 91% of employees believe their organizations are not fully leveraging the potential benefits of artificial intelligence, according to the 2026 Future of Professionals Report, published by Thomson Reuters, a global leader in content and technology. This survey encompassed 1,800 professionals from various sectors, revealing a growing disparity between the ambition surrounding AI and its practical outcomes, a concern voiced by Kirsty Roth, COO of Thomson Reuters, in a conversation with ZDNET.
Previously, employees were eager to engage with AI technologies, a sentiment that was supported by management. However, the narrative has shifted as professionals increasingly rely on AI, leading to concerns over rising IT costs.
Notably, research from MIT indicates that a staggering 95% of AI initiatives fail to realize their intended value, which has contributed to hesitancy among companies in pursuing AI projects.
The Fragmentation of AI Technologies
Roth highlighted that as organizations grapple with the costs of AI technologies, many are struggling to see tangible benefits. This has sparked discussions around change management, particularly regarding how companies can effectively integrate these tools into their workflows.
Emerging technologies, including various types of AI models, are proliferating within the industry. Boomi CEO Steve Lucas noted that the current landscape of AI is characterized by significant fragmentation, with professionals encountering a plethora of terms and frameworks that have emerged rapidly.
Roth’s insights underscore the necessity for businesses to concentrate on two key areas to harness AI effectively: grounded explorations and concrete production use cases.
Encouraging Grounded Exploration
Responses from professionals indicated critical requirements for AI tools, including the need to ensure data confidentiality (96%), base outputs on credible sources (94%), and provide clear, defensible reasoning (90%). Despite this, 41% of users reported lacking access to high-quality AI tools.
Furthermore, the report indicates a mismatch between AI strategies and their implementation, with only 35% of professionals in organizations with defined AI strategies stating that these strategies are evident in their daily functions.
Roth pointed to a phenomenon she terms “tool blast,” wherein organizations inundate staff with numerous AI tools without clear directives, making it challenging for users to discern how to leverage these resources effectively.
According to ZDNET, research from Gartner forecasts that by 2027, 40% of enterprises may choose to reduce or eliminate autonomous AI agents, driven by concerns regarding their effectiveness.
Roth emphasized that effective leaders should foster environments that allow professionals to explore AI solutions to pressing challenges while managing risks appropriately.
At Thomson Reuters, they adopted a flexible approach to generative AI, permitting teams in marketing, sales, or coding to experiment with innovative tools.
Instead of establishing strict cost targets, the organization encourages exploration to identify more efficient workflows.
Roth emphasized the importance of providing clarity on which tools yield benefits and discontinuing those that do not.
This strategy has involved initial six-week trials of various AI tools, assessing their performance before deciding whether to implement them more broadly across teams.
Establishing Effective Production Use Cases
Roth observed that the most successful companies in AI are those that translate exploratory efforts into operational tools, contrasting with those that remain stagnant in their approaches.
Effective organizations are beginning to adopt specific tools and adjust their business processes accordingly, leading to noticeable improvements and efficiencies.
At Thomson Reuters, AI applications are focused on five primary areas: engineering, customer support, marketing, editorial operations, and core technology functions.
Currently, 87% of employees at Thomson Reuters engage with AI tools in their daily roles, illustrating the integration of AI into their work culture.
In the realm of customer support, staff utilize the internal AI platform, Open Arena, alongside the frontier model Claude to streamline their operations, drastically reducing the time spent gathering information.
Roth illustrated the efficiency gained by stating that AI can quickly generate summaries and identify key opportunities or risks related to accounts, significantly enhancing meeting preparedness.
As the organization continues to embed AI within its operational framework, Roth highlighted the importance of addressing employee apprehensions about technology. By demystifying AI and encouraging hands-on experience, they are moving toward a more mature integration of AI into daily practices.
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