Gartner enlisted more than 400 midsized enterprise CIOs and technology leaders to develop a tech adoption roadmap for 2025. Several areas were covered; artificial intelligence was, of course, a key area.

The roadmap indicates that, while AI is touted as a way to reinvent business, about half of the MSE respondents currently see generative AI as a way to immediately improve processes such as content simplification, chatbot performance, and customer support. At the same time, a whopping 76 percent are also looking at how they can implement AI for new product and service offerings as well as to create new business models.

When it comes to tech adoption for the immediate future, this all boils down to the fact that generative AI is at the center of it. Most businesses are seeing it as a two-pronged approach: short-term optimization and long-term transformation.

The consumers they serve have mixed feelings, however. While a Euromonitor survey indicates that more than 40 percent of consumers find generative AI to be trustworthy, that leaves a 60 percent gap in consumer confidence about its implementation.

Linda Lichtmess, research consultant at Euromonitor International, said: “Although undeniably useful, AI has limitations—such as providing outdated data, distorting results, or lacking the necessary context for dealing with complex ideas. This has sparked mixed feelings.

“On one hand, people appreciate practical benefits like personalized ads and streamlined shopping experiences. On the other, people want clarity on whether they’re engaging with human-made or AI-generated content.”