Cognizant Research Shows Plug-and-Play AI is a Myth

Core Insights - Cognizant's research indicates that the notion of plug-and-play AI is a myth, with companies favoring IT services firms for custom AI solutions that deliver real enterprise value [1] AI Adoption Preferences - Organizations prioritize custom solutions and flexible engagement models over pricing and time to value when selecting AI partners [1] - Generic, off-the-shelf AI solutions are a primary reason for rejecting AI providers, alongside lack of industry-specific expertise and inadequate support [1] Challenges in AI Adoption - The top three challenges faced by organizations in AI adoption include regulatory and compliance concerns (33%), difficulty demonstrating ROI (31%), and inadequate data readiness (27%) [1] - Enterprises are committing long-term capital to AI, with 52% investing $10 million or more annually and 91% expecting AI budgets to grow in the next two years [1] Workforce Impact - AI is seen as augmenting human workforces rather than replacing them, with only 9% of leaders believing customer service workflows will be fully automated [1] - Across 13 enterprise functions, the highest expected level of full automation is only 20% in sales [1] Shift in Enterprise Expectations - There is a clear shift from experimenting with AI tools to partnering with AI Builders that can design, build, integrate, and operate AI systems at scale [1] - IT services firms are rated highest in their ability to assist with AI adoption, with a 23% trust advantage over management consultancies [1]