• by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, July 12, 2017

Many business leaders are interested in tapping artificial intelligence for their company, but most are not yet using it in any form.

One of the main challenges expected is how easily AI can be utilized in their business, based on a new study.

While most business leaders are interested or even welcoming of AI into their business, the majority (69%) of companies are not using. An additional 17% are unsure, while only 13% of companies said they are currently using AI.

However, AI is on the horizon for many, with 43% of business leaders saying their organization likley will implement any type of artificial intelligence in the next three to five years.

The study comprised a survey of 200 business leaders and 200 employees from four industries: media/publishing, financial services/insurance, telecommunications/IT and corporate retail. The survey was conducted by KRC Research, a unit of the Interpublic Group, in partnership with WorkMarket.

There also are difference in viewpoints between business leaders and employees.

For example, while 46% of business leaders expect that artificial intelligence could be easily utilized in their industry or jobs, only 18% of employees felt the same way.

Business leaders also see plenty of upsides to implementing AI. Here’s are some examples of what business leaders expect regarding AI:

• 68% -- Will enable business to determine correct cost of a specific job
• 63% -- Be widely adopted following increases in the minimum wage
• 60% -- Help business build effective teams
• 57% -- Will help business make better decisions about talent
• 51% -- Minimize the need for HR staff and hiring managers
• 39% -- Able to select workers for jobs better than humans

In all of those cases, more business leaders than employees had such expectations.

Even more significantly, business leaders expect AI will have an impact across their industry and the economy. Here’s that breakdown of AI expectations by business leaders:

• 72% -- Will allow me and other employees to spend more time on what matters most
• 71% -- Can help predict the spikes and slumps of customer demand
• 67% -- Will propel my company into the future
• 66% -- Will decrease labor cost through better utilization of current employees
• 64% -- Will increase productivity levels for all
• 61% -- Create a positive ripple effect across the entire global economy
• 61% -- Give my organization an edge over our competition

The number of business leaders agreeing with those statements is significantly greater than the number of employees.

The most significant gap in AI deployment may be in what business leaders think compared to expectations of employees in those same organizations. And AI alone won’t close that divide.