The industry buzz around generative AI is hard to ignore, but our latest research reveals that IT leaders are taking a remarkably measured and grounded approach. While most acknowledge the transformative potential of GenAI, they’re clear that meaningful adoption will be evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

Key findings from our study highlight that:

• Only 13% of CIOs see GenAI as “totally world changing” – most (41%) view it as “widely significant” but primarily in an enhancement context
• Early adoption is focused on low-barrier-to-entry solutions, particularly vendor-embedded AI features in existing applications
• Microsoft Copilot experiences are mixed, with many feeling it was rushed to market before being truly enterprise-ready
• Security, data governance and ethics top the list of deployment considerations, ahead of functionality and features
• Most organisations are still figuring out their approach, with experimentation and careful evaluation being the norm

For vendors, this means the “AI washing” of marketing messages isn’t helping. In fact, 88% of IT leaders report encountering questionable or exaggerated AI claims frequently, with 40% saying this makes them more suspicious of vendors generally.

The research suggests a more effective approach is to:

• Focus on specific, proven use cases rather than broad transformational claims
• Be clear and honest about AI capabilities, avoiding ambiguous messaging
• Demonstrate enterprise-readiness, especially around security and governance
• Help customers build skills and experience through practical pilots
• Support experimentation while providing clear deployment guardrails