A common saying in the UK health service is that the NHS has more pilots than British Airways, and while there have been no shortage of pilots and experiments when it comes to artificial intelligence, few organizations have succeeded in scaling these up in order to make lasting change to their ways of working.

That’s the finding of a new study from Accenture, which goes as far as to suggest that around 75% of executives believe if they don’t manage to scale up their AI-related pilots, their very existence is threatened.  Indeed, 84% of executives said they wouldn’t be able to achieve their strategic ambitions without effectively scaling AI.

Despite this, just 16% said they had had any success whatsoever in doing so, which creates a clear and significant divide between those who have managed to scale (and presumably drive their strategic ambitions accordingly), and those who lag behind.

“It’s clear that companies of all sizes, and across all industries, know they need to scale AI not just to grow, but to merely stay relevant today,” Accenture say. “However, the vast majority are still struggling with how to do it successfully, in a way that will generate the most ROI and bolster competitive agility. What we’ve seen with our clients is that it has to start with the basics: the right data, the right strategy and the right people.”

Recipe for success

A number of factors appear to distinguish those who have managed to scale their AI initiatives from the rest, including a strong data foundation, a number of dedicated AI teams, and strong commitment from the C-suite.  These organizations not only create twice as many pilots as their peers, but have much better success in scaling them up.

“This connection between strategy and success might seem like common sense, but the pursuit of AI with intention is what truly sets these top performers apart, who are piloting and scaling with intention,” Accenture continue. “Being specific about the business problem they aim to solve helps inform the most effective way to achieve those goals. For example, we see fewer instances of testing a conversational agent to see if it will work in their specific environment, and a push toward strategic thinking upfront to determine whether that’s even the right AI tool to use in the first place.”

The report goes on to remind us of the importance of talent to effective AI deployment.  Some 92% of the best organizations have managed to embed multi-disciplinary teams throughout the business, with these teams benefiting from diversity of thinking in order to scale up their AI-based projects.

“This landmark study proves the stakes have never been higher for scaling AI — and that the time has come to move beyond AI as a buzzword to a source of new business value and competitive advantage,” Accenture conclude. “Companies that are jumping in and embracing AI across their organizations in new and exciting ways will be the ones that gain massive returns on their investments. By placing a premium on AI initiatives that have potential to transform multiple lines of business and processes — and ensuring key stakeholders across the organization are involved in the AI strategy at the onset — companies will unlock the maximum value of AI.”