That gap can be attributed to the confusion between “real AI” and “TV/movie AI” as cited by 44% of UAE respondents — higher than the global average of just 30%. And those organizations that have successfully navigated this potential stumbling block are held back by resource constraints; 40% of UAE organizations claim to lack the in-house skills to facilitate adoption.
Given these challenges, it isn’t surprising that 98% of UAE businesses concede that their organization has work to do if it is to get the most out of AI.
However, UAE organizations are keen to overcome the challenges around adopting AI. The majority say that failing to get on-board with AI now will cost their organization for the next decade and because of this worry around being left behind on AI, nearly half of UAE organizations (46%) want to adopt more solutions integrating AI-based technologies.
Just 25% of UAE businesses have a fully implemented AI strategy, according to the research, with the remainder still weighing up use cases. With customer experience more important than ever before, Alzubaidi suggests focusing on those applications of AI that can have a measurable positive impact on the customer journey as the best place to start. This means integrating AI into the contact center.
UAE businesses agree on this point; 92% of UAE respondents said that effective AI can transform the performance of their contact center. Indeed, over half (51%) are at least half-way through their strategy for rolling out AI in the contact center.
As AI becomes more prominent, 87% of UAE organizations say they’ll need to look for more third-party support. Recognizing this, Avaya has in recent years evolved its product portfolio and partner ecosystem to offer its customers the easiest path to implementing AI into their business.
Acknowledging that AI has the potential to give regional businesses a competitive advantage and enhance the happiness and well-being of citizens, the UAE government aspires to establish the country as a global hub for AI innovation and investment as is evidenced by the UAE AI Strategy 2031.