What are the Obstacles the prevent the Successful Deployment of AI Applications in the World ?
Despite the challenges, positive expectations of AI sector leaders; 70% of participants in the UAE and 77% in KSA expressed confidence in their countries’ ability to lead AI skill development over the next five years.
Those results were released by Qlik, a global leader in data integration, analytics, and artificial intelligence.
According to a study involving 4,200 executives and AI decision-makers, which highlighting the factors hindering the development of AI projects globally and the necessary solutions to address these challenges.
As per Qlik study participants, the main obstacles preventing the successful deployment of AI applications are as below:
- Lack of AI skills
- Governance challenges
- Resource shortages
What Are the Leading Nations in AI Skills ?
The UAE and KSA lead in adopting AI technologies, recognizing the strategic importance of AI.
93% of participants in the UAE and 95% in KSA indicated that AI is essential or very important to achieve institutional success, compared to 87% of global participants.
Organizations in the Gulf region primarily benefit from AI technologies.
The benefits include knowledge sharing, training, empowerment, cost efficiency, improving operations, and forecasting future trends.
Although recognizing the importance of AI, many projects face progress difficulties.
Progress Difficulties
Data showed that about 84% of organizations in the UAE and 85% in KSA have up to 50 projects stuck in planning and scoping stages.
Slightly below the global average of 87%.
However, 16% of organizations in the UAE and 15% in Saudi Arabia revealed that they have more than 51 projects that have not progressed beyond these stages.
Exceeding the global average of 11%.
The study indicated that 72% of companies in the UAE and 64% in Saudi Arabia tend to suspend or cancel up to 50 projects, close to the global average of 68%.
Additionally, 13% of UAE companies and 14% of their Saudi counterparts reported stopping or canceling more than 51 AI projects, exceeding the global average of 8%.
Key Obstacles Facing the UAE and KSA in AI Projects:
According to the study, several factors have slowed down or hindered AI project implementation in companies in the two countries.
In the UAE, the main obstacles are the following:
- Regulatory challenges (24%)
- Lack of skills or resources to support implementation and operation (24%)
- Financial challenges or constraints (21%)
When it comes to Saudi Arabia, the main reasons are as below:
- Unstructured or unreliable data preventing AI from working efficiently (27%)
- Lack of skills or resources needed for implementation and operation (25%)
- Insufficient data available for AI applications (25%)
Building User Trust is Essential
83% of AI leaders in Saudi Arabia and 82% in the UAE recognize the need to build user trust.
Education and training are also considered vital.
As 78% of UAE participants believing that training employees and customers is necessary to build trust in AI, a view shared by 82% of participants in KSA.
The study also revealed that funding and skill development initiatives are critical factors in supporting greater AI adoption.
Decision-makers in Saudi Arabia (82%) and the UAE (72%) believe that the government should provide additional funding and training opportunities in AI.
The UAE has maintained its upward trajectory in global competitiveness reports during 2024, by occupying advanced positions in the most prominent indicators, thanks to the directives of its wise leadership and its future vision in building the human being, who constitutes the… pic.twitter.com/AhNZoFp6cF
— UAE Voice (@uae_voiceeng) December 17, 2024
The UAE and KSA Are Optimistic About their AI Capabilities
Different sectors must also take proactive steps to develop talent in this field.
Supported by the majority of participants in Saudi Arabia (87%) and the UAE (70%).
Despite all these challenges, the UAE and KSA remain optimistic about their AI capabilities.
77% of participants in Saudi Arabia and 70% in the UAE believe that their countries have the potential to lead AI skill development over the next five years, slightly above the global average of 66%.
James Fisher, Chief Strategy Officer at Qlik, said:
“Business leaders recognize the value of AI applications.
But they face many obstacles preventing them from moving from the proof-of-concept stage to deploying these technologies in a way that creates real value.”
