Recent data from SolarWinds highlights the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on IT operations, showing both efficiency gains and increased complexity. In a survey of 1,040 global IT professionals, 67% of respondents said AI has reduced manual work, allowing more focus on higher-value tasks.
At the same time, 71% reported that AI has increased the demands of their role, indicating additional layers of complexity associated with its adoption.
One of the main challenges identified is the need for oversight. More than 71% of respondents said they need to verify AI outputs, while 62% reported difficulty trusting AI-generated recommendations. In addition, 48% said that AI tools produce a high volume of insights without sufficient context, making them harder to interpret and apply.
As AI becomes more widely used across organisations, IT teams are taking on additional responsibilities, including managing risk and overseeing how AI tools are deployed and used.
The findings indicate that while AI can reduce repetitive tasks, it also introduces additional requirements around validation, decision-making, and accountability. They also point to the importance of planning in AI adoption, as gaps in security and governance, as well as increased review processes, can add pressure to teams.
The data also suggests that, when implemented effectively, AI tools can support a shift towards more automated environments that help identify issues earlier and reduce reliance on manual processes.
