Not an either-or proposition

CIOs may miss out on AI’s potential if they focus on incremental initiatives instead of transformational projects, but they don’t have to choose one or the other. In fact, many IT leaders, such as Ed Keisling, chief AI officer at Progress Software, believe the key to advancing the organization is using AI for both.

“I believe they go hand in hand,” he says. “The incremental improvements allow organizations to begin to explore the art of the possible with AI, and in some instances, can compound across an entire workflow to bring transformational results.”

The company is using AI agents, for example, to synthesize updates from its workplace collaboration, project management, and knowledge management systems to generate updates for leadership. Its sales organization also uses agents to synthesize data from the company’s CRM, data platforms, and customer systems to generate quotes more quickly and accurately, he says.