What's the most challenging conversation you've had about balancing AI initiatives against foundational IT needs? What resistance did you encounter?

I wouldn’t call it resistance. Moreover, there are a lot of questions from the board and executive team about what AI can do. Demonstrating value through data-driven examples helps address concerns. We may encounter resistance in the future, especially if expectations aren’t met, but currently, it’s about exploring possibilities and showing value. AI is the next big thing, and those who lead, discover, and experiment with it will be successful. Keeping up with AI is a constant challenge, much like cybersecurity. The key is to stay engaged, experiment, and avoid becoming mere order-takers in IT.

As experienced technology practitioners, it is our job to use cost modeling and risk scenarios with stakeholders to help them understand the long-term consequences of deferred foundational work and technology debt accumulation. It is also our duty to counsel against FOMO and balance expectations with realistic outcomes.

This isn’t a new conversation. Technology shifts have always required balancing priorities. The difference now is that IT and business are both involved. The most difficult conversations are with IT architects and security officers, as established frameworks and methodologies are being challenged. On the business side, it’s about having leaders articulate the IT value for their processes, which reverses traditional power structures and can be highly political.

Balancing AI and foundational IT needs often depends on the audience. At the board level, there’s frequent questioning about AI progress and plans. As a private equity-owned company, we’re pushed to show ROI and justify CapEx spending on AI projects. The challenge is demonstrating how AI initiatives, such as implementing a chatbot for HR, impact development cycles and foundational IT support. Using outside resources and focusing on ROI helps navigate these conversations.