AI is poised to solve the tech overload problem

Editor’s note: Read Fortune CEO Alan Murray’s column that covers the following Freshworks research on AI trends in IT.

If there’s one team in any business that understands the power (and limitations) of artificial intelligence, it’s IT. And if a new global survey is any indication, AI—and generative AI, in particular—may soon provide major relief to IT teams that critically need it.

According to a Freshworks survey conducted with 2,000 IT professionals, nearly all (95%) see benefits to employees using generative AI for work, as it frees up teams from mundane, repetitive tasks to focus on more strategic responsibilities. The adoption of generative AI, in fact, is rapidly underway: 86% of IT pros report that their organizations are already using it, while 51% say their companies actively encourage using AI for work.

The enthusiastic embrace of generative AI follows a positive foundation built on more conventional AI tools tailored for IT called AIOps. According to the survey, 71% of IT workers already use AI tools in some form to boost personal productivity, with 39% reporting that those tools free up time to focus on higher-level tasks.

Slowing the bloat

There’s a huge opportunity for AI within organizations’ IT departments – which often are struggling with software bloat – to better manage the out of control number of business software apps and systems that seem to expand in complexity every year and drag down productivity, budgets, and morale.

Managing an overgrown tech stack has become a Sisyphean adventure in IT: As the survey notes, the number of apps available to IT teams has jumped 71% since 2022, yet those teams use less than a third of the available technology. Those apps are often unused because they don’t yield any business value, wasting money and upkeep time for IT.

Small wonder, then, why IT leaders are welcoming relief from AI. The potential financial benefits are substantial, the survey suggests: Globally, IT pros estimate that they could save more than five hours per week by using AI to complete repetitive tasks. In the U.S., that equates to $15,122 worth of time per IT worker annually, or roughly $183 billion each year across the entire IT sector.

Proceeding with caution

As with any new technology, of course, AI presents new risks, some of which are reflected in the survey: 87% of IT pros said they have concerns with employees using generative AI, with 73% citing potential privacy issues and 59% citing worries about rude or inaccurate communication.

Despite the potential productivity gains that AI promises, some IT workers aren’t so eager to be full adopters: 34% of IT pros, the survey notes, don’t want AI to help them complete their workload, even though 45% estimate that AI could easily handle half of their overall duties.

To address those concerns as well as cybersecurity requirements, CIOs should set up their own guardrails for implementing AI and follow industry best practices.

“As a CIO, it’s a scary time because fraudsters already have tools to penetrate companies,” says Prasad Ramakrishnan, CIO of Freshworks. “Now these tools can get more potent with technology like generative AI. My advice to other CIOs is not to take this lightly.”

Prasad recommends a two-part approach: First is “continuously training the employees to be aware,” he says. “Humans are always my first and the best lines of defense.” Second, companies should “invest in enterprise-grade security products that will soon emerge to solve for the post-generative-AI era.”

Curious to learn more about generative AI? Here’s a sneak peek into the latest on Freddy Copilot and how you can enable faster, more intuitive app development. Freshworks’ 2023 report on tech overload in IT will be released later this year. Last year’s report can be found here.