Key Takeaways:
- Digital workplace leaders must guide their organization towards an era where AI creates tangible business value and becomes a critical competitive differentiator and industry disruptor.
- The foundation of an AI strategy should focus on vision, drivers, and risks, and be fully aligned with the organization’s business strategy.
- Digital workplace leaders must identify key business and technology trends driving the priority and planning goals set by the AI strategy.
- An AI strategy should not be developed and then frozen, but rather frequently revisited and aligned with the business strategy and other complementary strategies.
- The AI operating model and portfolio are crucial in achieving value realization from AI, and digital workplace leaders must identify strategic value priorities and adoption planning goals to enable timely execution.
Introduction to AI Strategy
The enormous potential business value of artificial intelligence is not going to materialize spontaneously, and digital workplace leaders must guide their organization towards an era where AI creates tangible business value and becomes a critical competitive differentiator and industry disruptor. As Pieter den Hamer, a vice president in Gartner Research, notes, "Digital workplace leaders should have regular discussions with relevant stakeholders, including C-level managers, to identify and formulate a vision that answers the question about the importance of AI to the organization, given its business goals, current market circumstances, and competitor activities." This vision should be fully aligned with the organization’s business strategy and focus on the essence of what the organization wants to achieve with AI.
The Foundation of an AI Strategy
The foundation of an AI strategy is about vision, drivers, and risks. Digital workplace leaders should identify key business and technology trends driving the priority and planning goals set by the AI strategy. As the article states, "Digital workplace leaders must identify what key business and technology trends are driving the priority and planning goals set by the AI strategy. In terms of business trends, they should identify things like how AI will impact society or specific markets that are relevant to the organization." Additionally, digital workplace leaders need to guide the stakeholder group to help identify where strategic risks may lie, including compliance, ethics, security, and reputation, and identify action plans to mitigate those risks.
From Strategy to Execution
An AI strategy is all about setting goals, and to achieve value realization from AI, digital workplace leaders need to put their strategy into action. The AI portfolio and operating model are crucial in achieving this, as they outline the overall priorities, ambition level, and investment in AI. As the article notes, "The AI strategy outlines the overall priorities, ambition level, and how much the organization is willing to invest in AI. The strategy typically mentions a few examples of AI projects to make it more practical. It’s the AI portfolio, not the strategy itself, that keeps track of all the ongoing and planned AI initiatives and use cases." Digital workplace leaders must identify strategic value priorities for the AI portfolio and set adoption planning goals for the AI operating model, taking into account the required maturity of capabilities and the level of ambition.
Frequent Alignment with Other Strategies
An AI strategy should not be developed and then frozen, but rather frequently revisited and aligned with the business strategy and other complementary strategies. As the article states, "AI is evolving rapidly, and any AI strategy needs to be frequently revisited. Moreover, the AI strategy is not to be seen or executed in isolation. Business continuity and competitiveness depend on the active alignment and frequent adaptation of both AI and business strategies." Digital workplace leaders can keep the AI strategy up to date by frequently aligning or realigning it with the business strategy and vice versa, while continuously seeking synergies with complementary strategies such as digital/IT, and data and analytics strategies.
Conclusion
In conclusion, digital workplace leaders must guide their organization towards an era where AI creates tangible business value and becomes a critical competitive differentiator and industry disruptor. By focusing on vision, drivers, and risks, and frequently aligning the AI strategy with the business strategy and other complementary strategies, digital workplace leaders can achieve value realization from AI and stay ahead of the competition. As Pieter den Hamer notes, "Digital workplace leaders can keep the AI strategy up to date by frequently aligning or realigning it with the business strategy and vice versa, while continuously seeking synergies with complementary strategies." By following these guidelines, organizations can unlock the full potential of AI and achieve success in the digital age.
https://siliconangle.com/2026/01/25/pillars-successful-artificial-intelligence-strategy/
