High AI maturity fuels long-term project success and trust: Gartner survey

A new survey conducted by Gartner, Inc. has unveiled a compelling correlation between high AI maturity and the long-term success of AI projects. According to the findings, organizations that demonstrate advanced AI capabilities are significantly more likely to maintain their AI initiatives, with 45% of participants reporting that their projects have been operational for three years or longer. The survey, carried out in the fourth quarter of 2024, gathered insights from 432 respondents across various nations including the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, India, and Japan. Utilizing Gartner's AI Maturity Model, it was found that organizations scoring between 4.2 and 4.5 on a five-point scale are adept at selecting AI projects that align with both business value and technical feasibility. This, in addition to strong governance and engineering practices, is critical for ensuring prolonged success. In stark contrast, organizations with low AI maturity face significant hurdles, with only 20% able to achieve similar project longevity. Birgi Tamersoy, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner, emphasized the importance of trust, stating, "Trust is one of the differentiators between success and failure for an AI or GenAI initiative." The survey revealed that 57% of high-maturity organizations enjoy a high level of trust from business units towards new AI solutions, compared to a mere 14% in their low-maturity counterparts. The establishment of trust in AI and GenAI solutions is crucial for driving adoption, which is the first step toward realizing value, Tamersoy added. The report also highlighted that data availability and quality continue to be significant challenges for AI implementation, affecting 34% of leaders from low-maturity organizations and 29% from high-maturity organizations alike. Additionally, security threats represent a major concern for 48% of high-maturity organizations, while low-maturity organizations often struggle with identifying suitable use cases, a challenge faced by 37%. A noteworthy trend emerging from the data is the prevalence of dedicated AI leadership within high-maturity organizations, with 91% having appointed specific roles focused on promoting AI innovation, infrastructure, team building, and architectural design. Furthermore, around 60% of leaders in high-maturity organizations have centralized their AI strategies, governance, data, and infrastructure capabilities to bolster efficiency and consistency across their initiatives.