Data and analytics (D&A) leaders are being told that their biggest AI challenge is no longer technology, but people, as organisations struggle to match human capacity for change with the rapid acceleration of AI.

Speaking at the Gartner Data & Analytics Summit in Florida, Gartner analysts said many enterprises are racing ahead with AI adoption without adequately preparing their workforce for the scale of transformation now underway.

They noted that employees have a limited capacity to adapt to new ways of working, leaving AI readiness to grow much faster than human readiness.

Adam Ronthal, VP analyst at Gartner, said D&A leaders should start focusing on skills with respect to AI.

"D&A leaders will get value from their investments in developing their workforce," Ronthal said in a statement.

"By focusing on skills, mindset, and behavioural change, they can unlock both individual and collective potential. This will increase employee engagement and productivity, making their organisation more adaptive to change. Ultimately, this provides a return on individuals."

According to Gartner, this people-focused pillar of AI transformation requires substantial and deliberate investment in change management.

Analysts said D&A leaders should also prioritise "mindset and skillset over toolset," the creation of "fusion teams" that blend human and artificial intelligence in day-to-day operations, as well as address employee concerns with a skills-development roadmap.

‍Pillars to drive AI value

Empowering employees for AI transformation is one of the three pillars highlighted by Gartner analysts to drive value from AI.

They also said it is important to set AI ambition, where D&A leaders should radically rethink the impact of the technology on data and analytics.

They are urged to set a shared vision and determine their level of AI ambition, take AI leadership, and manage the unpredictable costs of AI early.

"D&A leaders should set their AI-ambition to help them maximise value from the insights their data provides, together with the knowledge and intuition of their team. This provides a return on intelligence," Ronthal said.

D&A leaders are also told to strengthen AI foundations in order to avoid making the technology an "expensive experiment."

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