Every year, companies spend six figures on artificial intelligence (AI) tools, but a significant portion of employees are unaware of the costs. According to a Zapier survey of 715 U.S. professionals, 91% of managers and above believe their AI tools are worth the cost, while 86% plan to increase their AI investment over the next 12 months.

Disconnect Between Leadership and Employees

Nearly 37% of individual contributors either don’t think about the cost of AI usage or don’t know it has a price tag at all. This disconnect between leadership and employees can lead to inefficient use of AI tools, as employees may not be using them in ways that justify the investment.

The survey found that 52% of organizations spend over $100,000 per month on AI tools, and 40% have allocated more than half of their total software budget to AI. Despite the significant investment, many companies are still struggling to get the most out of their AI tools due to security, compliance, and governance concerns.

Challenges and Priorities

Security and governance concerns top the list of challenges, cited by 39% of respondents. Data readiness issues and lack of tool integration are also significant challenges. To address these issues, companies are prioritizing employee training, AI automation, and software licenses in their future AI investments.

The survey highlights the need for companies to strike a balance between investing in AI tools and ensuring that employees are using them effectively. By providing proper training and addressing security and governance concerns, companies can maximize the benefits of their AI investments.

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.