AI Fluency: Lessons From Early Adopters

Last Published: Jan 28, 2025 |
David Gaffaney
David Gaffaney

Advisory Services - Senior Principal

Deploying AI can be challenging for large organizations due to cultural and technical obstacles. To overcome these and fully leverage the potential of artificial intelligence technologies for driving progress and innovation, having a skilled data team is essential.

Investing in AI fluency — understanding and using AI effectively — can empower employees to develop AI models, make informed decisions and create business value. Building a community of AI-savvy professionals is critical to gaining a competitive edge, yet many organizations are still playing catchup against the first movers in their industry.

Consider this recent analysis by Wharton:

"There is a need for organization-wide literacy and fluency in data and analytics. AI fluency must also be a part of change management because it strengthens the knowledge base within an organization, and brings the ability to redefine processes."

In my work, I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with early adopters and capturing lessons from successful AI initiatives. I’m pleased to consolidate my learnings here and share six key considerations for driving AI adoption.

Get an Early Start

Start your AI fluency program as early as possible. While some training will be product-specific and wait for a selection process, most things can start right away. Get the data professionals in your organization — analysts, architects, developers and executives — excited about their new role as champions of your AI program and initiatives. Identify learning opportunities or certifications and start bringing various teams and individuals up to speed now, regardless of their role.

Lock in Executive Sponsorship

Commitment from leadership is vital to marshal the budget and resources, such as staff time, necessary for implementing an AI fluency program. Fortunately, many leaders already understand the significance of AI skills. In a recent survey conducted by CDO Magazine, 60% of participants already recognized limited skills and resources as a barrier to AI success.1 According to Data Camp’s 2024 Literacy Study, 60% of leaders would pay a higher premium for employees with high AI literacy, with the average salary premium in the 20-30% range.2 Prepare a clear presentation of expected business value, and the resources needed to achieve it, to lock in the support of executives.

Address Ethical Concerns

Ethical considerations around the use of AI are abundant and broad-reaching, encompassing issues such as hallucination, bias, privacy, transparency and accountability. Orient your AI program to protect the privacy of data used in AI systems and provide transparency on how that data is collected, stored and used. Design and train AI models in ways that avoid perpetuating or amplifying biases, which can lead to unfair or discriminatory outcomes. When AI supports business decisions, you may need the ability to trace back through AI algorithms to explain your workings to users, auditors or industry watchdogs.

The steps to implement ethical AI initiatives have many parallels in data governance and regulatory compliance. In fact, legislators around the globe are already considering how to regulate the use of AI. A strong and empowered governance team with a culture of transparency will enable you to navigate ethical considerations, including those that become law. 

Turn Resistance into Enthusiasm 

The advent of adaptive LLMs like ChatGPT has seen more pronounced cultural resistance towards AI projects than with earlier technologies like expert systems and neural networks. The very individuals you think are most useful to your program might see AI as a threat to their jobs and longer-term career prospects. Make it clear that embracing AI will only cement their roles as value drivers and thought leaders in the enterprise. They will have a strong perspective on applying human intelligence to AI models and will likely have the highest productivity gains going forward.

Lean into Technology

Ensuring your data is primed — with a focus on quality, completeness, governance and privacy — is the first step towards effective AI utilization. AI models rely on the applications that bring together data sources from the cloud and on-premises. Much of this is new territory for businesses. Flexibility and adaptability are important as you onboard new technology. Connected data management is critical to integrate, tune and maintain data for AI from multiple key systems and data sources.

Champions who embrace new tools and technical skills will develop AI fluency quickly and ensure their involvement in the most significant and cutting-edge projects. Your teams should feel encouraged that AI skills are good for their career development and put them at the center of your strategy.  

Close the Skill Gap

Addressing AI skill gaps in your organization may require significant investment in training and development programs. You’ll get some training from the technology vendors you select for specific capabilities, but the way it comes together in your environment will be unique. Consider how you can increase skill levels quickly. For example, if you have headcount available, recruiting experienced talent from outside your organization may give you a leg up.

Our recent eBook, AI Fluency: Turning Data Professionals into Value-Driving AI Champions, details the methods for addressing AI skill gaps and highlights the innovative approaches Informatica’s Advisory Services team has developed to guide our customers.

Ready for AI?

Improving AI fluency across your organization will be a continuous exercise. New advances in AI technology emerge frequently, so you’ll need a flexible curriculum to help skillsets adapt and expand over time.

Download the eBook today to explore the importance of AI fluency and learn how to transform data professionals — analysts, architects, developers and executives — into AI experts who develop trusted AI models that ensure reliable business outcomes.

What have you learned on your journey to AI fluency?

Reach out to us to share your story and visit www.informatica.com.ai to learn more about what Informatica’s doing to bring your data and AI to life! 

First Published: Jan 27, 2025