AI adoption starts with a clear vision

AI adoption is accelerating rapidly across organizations, but often unevenly, and it routinely falls to IT leaders to ensure success. In this process, they face complex challenges around governance, cultural change, and establishing realistic expectations for what AI can accomplish.

Sriram Iyer, vice president of product management at Freshworks, says IT leaders are best positioned to bring the vision, governance, and cultural shifts needed for successful AI adoption. Iyer will share his five-part framework for AI adoption at Refresh Europe 2025 and the Refresh Virtual Summit 2025 (reserve your spot today). We spoke with him about the steps IT leaders can take to get started. 

Lots of research, including our own global AI workplace survey, finds that IT is leading employee adoption of AI. But what's the first step for most successful companies—and why do they need to start there?

There are actually five steps in this process. The most important early step is establishing your “north star,” a clear vision for where you want AI to take your organization. Without a realistic vision and measurable business impact goals, it's easy to get lost in technical complexity or chase the latest AI trends without purpose.

If you think of IT leaders as captains navigating their organizations through transformation, they need a compass and a map before starting. We’ve put together a five-part framework to help IT leaders along the AI journey. It’s the compass and the map: First, assess your current AI maturity—where are you today? Second, establish your vision for what you want to achieve. Third, implement the right solutions. Fourth, establish governance plans that address data policies and compliance. Finally, execute and measure results to create a flywheel of continuous improvement.

Can you talk more about governance plans—why are they an important step in adoption, and what are some of the pitfalls?

Data governance is absolutely critical and often the biggest stumbling block for AI initiatives. Organizations need to navigate complex requirements around how customer data is handled, what privacy laws apply, and how data can be used within their existing contracts and policies. Many companies underestimate how these governance requirements will impact their AI rollout timeline and capabilities.

The challenge becomes even more complex when you're working with multiple technology vendors. You might have your primary platform provider and then specialized AI tools, each with their own data handling requirements and legal frameworks. Suddenly, you're coordinating between multiple legal entities and compliance requirements just to get a single AI solution operational. It's not just about having great technology—it's about removing the complexity from these governance layers.

What role does culture play in AI adoption?

Culture is fundamental to AI success. As the adage goes, "culture eats strategy for breakfast." Every organization going through AI transformation faces a significant cultural shift, reimagining how work gets done. But there may be a big cultural chasm that they have to cross because they have to make sure that employees believe in that vision.

What's fascinating is how IT's role has evolved in this transformation. IT is no longer just at the back seat; it's at the front end of this change. C-level executives are turning to IT for guidance. CHROs are asking CIOs to help transform service delivery for HR. And CFOs want help modernizing finance operations. The CIO has become a catalyst of change for the entire organization, and people are looking to IT to navigate not just the technology but the entire organizational transformation that AI represents.

Hear from Sriram Iyer and more experts at the Refresh Virtual Summit on June 12, 2025: Reserve your spot today!