Technology readiness and the organizational journey towards AI adoption: An empirical study

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is viewed as having potential for significant economic and social impact. However, its history of boom and bust cycles can make potential adopters wary. A cross-sectional, qualitative study was carried out, with a purposive sample of AI experts from research, development and business functions, to gain a deeper understanding of the adoption process. Technology Readiness Levels were used as a benchmark against which the experts could align their experiences. A model of AI adoption is proposed which embeds an extended version of the People, Processes, Technology lens, incorporating Data. The model suggests that people, process and data readiness are required in addition to technology readiness to achieve long term operational success with AI. The findings further indicate that innovative organizations should build bridges between technical and business functions.