The possibilities arising from the use of text, image, audio, or video robots are currently a major concern for executives worldwide. In a survey conducted by the consulting firm Accenture among 2,207 C-level managers from 13 countries, almost all of them, 97%, agreed that generative artificial intelligence (AI) will transform their companies and respective industries. Nearly as many are hoping to gain a larger market share by integrating the technology into their businesses, as stated in the "Pulse of Change" report by the consulting firm. The survey was conducted in September.

It has been revealed that there is currently no other topic that worries decision-makers as much as artificial intelligence. Handling recent technological advancements, especially in the AI field, is a top concern for companies looking ahead to 2024, according to Accenture – only after that subjects such as IT security vulnerabilities, shifts in consumer behavior, climate change, the shortage of skilled workers, economic uncertainty, and geopolitical tensions are significant concerns.

Managers are already quite intensively engaging with the programs available to them. As stated by the survey, almost nine out of ten executives use generative AI tools in their professional lives at least once a week. A quarter of the respondents do so daily.

The experiences seem to be slowly but surely convincing the survey participants. While the majority (64%) currently invests in generative AI to a moderate extent, 99% and thus nearly all companies plan to increase their spending in this area in the next two years. The key areas within companies where such investments are planned include customer service, marketing, finance, and procurement/supply chain.

In this context, 58% of decision-makers anticipate an increase in the number of employees. However, many fear that AI-driven innovations in their companies could be implemented slowly. The main cause (45%) cited for this is the time it takes to learn how to use these tools. Just under a third of executives also believe that their employees fear that they will be replaced by artificial intelligence and will lose their jobs. Finally, there are also concerns among the workforce regarding the quality of content generated by AI.

Companies are trying to address their employees' concerns by implementing mentorship programs, discussion platforms, as well as an open dialogue on AI strategy, and by involving them in key decisions.