AI tools are regularly not meeting security standards at Australian finance and health organisations. Picture: iStock
Almost 20 per cent of AI ideas floated at Australian businesses are knocked back over security concerns, a new survey has found.
The data arm of tech giant Adobe polled hundreds of executives at $100m-plus revenue companies who make AI decisions, across Australia and New Zealand.
The survey found for every 100 AI ideas Australian and NZ business look at, 18 per cent are rejected for security reasons – a rate which nearly doubles in finance and healthcare.
Ten per cent of the companies have halted their first rollout of AI for security reasons after the tech passed an initial IT check.
The survey was aimed at assessing how companies can expand their use of AI and what business structures are holding them back. A tick over one-third of AI proposals cannot proceed because the company does not have the required data or systems set ups.
An Adobe survey found 18 per cent of AI ideas pursued by Australian companies have been pulled over security issues. Picture: iStock
“What we found was that companies often lack pre-approved pathways that help move initiatives into production, including approved integration patterns, standardised security reviews, and established budget categories,” Adobe Asia Pacific digital strategy director, Jeremy Willmott said.
“Without these mechanisms, proposals must navigate a new or different process, significantly reducing their chances of success.
“The same applies to employees, roles and skills, with the latter remaining the biggest barrier to scaling AI. This remains a widespread and stubborn challenge, with 80 per cent of businesses saying the skills shortfall remained unchanged or worsened over the past 12 months,” Mr Willmott said.
The survey polled 465 Australian and NZ businesses, finding 78 per cent are increasing AI investment year-on-year, and nearly 66 per cent think they are still underinvesting.
The survey extended across 12 industries, 11 countries, and 5633 executives, at companies which turn over at least $100m a year, though 60 per cent had $1bn-plus revenue.
The survey also found only 10 per cent of companies “comprehensively” measure return on AI investment.
A new survey finds 10 per cent of Australian businesses have cancelled the use of an AI tool because of security issues. Picture: NewsWire
A separate survey, from consultant EY Parthenon, says 58 per cent of Australian chief executives think they can “confidently” assess return on AI investment.
That survey says 37 per cent of Australian chief executives think AI-enabled tools are among the leading contributors to productivity gains in the past year, compared to 50 per cent globally.
Both surveys point to the importance of businesses investing in AI assessment, training and employee support as key to driving returns on investment.
EY chief economist Cherelle Murphy told the ABC on Monday their survey pointed to an investment-return lag.