Erik Wirz in an interview with Netzwoche
Artificial intelligence (AI) is often presented as the answer to every challenge: automation, cost reduction, efficiency gains – these buzzwords dominate headlines and strategy papers. Yet what does reality in companies look like, and what does this mean for leaders making decisions today?
Discussions with board members and top executives in the Swiss economy reveal a nuanced picture: AI is omnipresent, but implementation remains complex. Many projects start with high expectations without considering the profound organisational and cultural changes required, and existing analytics initiatives are often merely extended with AI components – an evolutionary rather than a revolutionary step.
Bain warns of an “implementation gap”: to meet global AI computing demand by 2030, an additional 2 trillion US dollars in annual revenue will be required. Deloitte emphasises that only companies with clear governance achieve significant efficiency gains, and our observations confirm that the real challenges lie less in the technology itself than in organisational structures and behavioural patterns.
Expectations create pressure: reduce costs, increase speed, ensure quality – and seemingly without people. This responsibility cannot be delegated; leaders must understand how technologies impact the business model, and as with Prometheus, it is about harnessing the potential of AI while managing significant risks – from loss of IP and increased cyber risk to threats to business model sovereignty and the need for robust governance to address these issues effectively.
The limitations lie less in the technology than in its application. Lack of knowledge and context-free implementation frequently lead to failure, while ethics, creativity and human judgement remain indispensable – especially in a world increasingly reliant on algorithms.
The key question is: where in your organisation does AI create the greatest leverage – and where do new risks arise? We discuss these issues daily with board members and CEOs in the context of our mandates, and insights from these conversations and international benchmarks show that successful companies take a structured approach, analysing maturity level, business model and market position before investing.
AI is not a cure-all, but a tool that must be deployed strategically. Those who ask the right questions and prepare their organisation create real value.