In-house IT departments are powerful resources of tech knowledge and skill. Many IT specialists have excellent credentials and capabilities across a wide variety of tech spheres, from network architecture to application programming to cybersecurity and more. Some IT generalists have also demonstrated some ability to implement AI effectively — but that might not be enough for organizations looking to capitalize on the power of AI into the future.
The influence of AI is growing, and businesses big and small need to expand their AI solutions for any hope of competing successfully in their markets. Therefore, many business executives are beginning to wonder: Is an in-house AI expert an essential member of the IT team, or can businesses get by without a dedicated AI specialist? For those looking to bridge this gap, exploring options like AI development services can provide the expertise needed without the necessity of having an in-house AI professional.
Advantages of In-house AI Staff
When a business is pivoting its strategy to implement a new technology that has the potential to provide an outstanding competitive advantage, it can be useful to have experts in that technology on hand to provide guidance. Hiring AI specialists onto the IT staff ensures that IT is fully equipped to integrate AI effectively to meet the present and future needs of the organization. Especially if a business has an ambitious AI strategy, having AI staff on the team can be essential to implementing AI with success.
Expertise is the first and most significant reason business leaders might seriously consider hiring AI specialists in-house. Executives can learn more about the benefits of AI in business strategy through high-quality artificial intelligence online courses, but they are unlikely to have the knowledge, skill, tools or time to build and execute AI programs within their digital technology architecture. Thus, business leaders cannot expect to shoulder the burden of developing AI strategy and implementing it on their own; they need to be able to rely on specialists with deeper knowledge and greater capacity to focus on such advanced projects.
While third-party AI firms might have this capability, they lack intimate familiarity with a business’s existing tech infrastructure and its corporate culture. As a result, consultants, contractors and other contingent workers are apt to devise AI solutions that do not perfectly suit the needs and wants of the corporation. In contrast, in-house AI staff come to understand the organization on a deeper level. If leaders listen to their AI specialists, their company will benefit significantly from AI solutions that are precisely tailored to the interests and abilities of the staff as well as the architecture of the existing digital tech.
What’s more, AI is not a one-and-done digital solution; it is an emerging technology that will require consistent upkeep and updates as new strategies and solutions are developed. In-house AI specialists will be able to keep AI tools and techniques up to date, allowing organizations to maintain their competitive advantage. What’s more, AI workers within the IT staff can ensure that any implemented AI systems scale alongside an organization, so AI remains effective as the company grows.
Disadvantages of AI Specialists
Considering the wealth of benefits to hiring AI specialists, many business leaders might already be convinced of the optimal strategy, but there is one significant downside to maintaining dedicated, in-house AI staff: cost. AI workers are in exceedingly high demand, and there is currently not enough trained and experienced AI specialists to go around. As a result, anyone with expertise in fields related to artificial intelligence — to include data science and machine learning — can and will demand a generous compensation package to keep them on the team.
Glassdoor suggests that the average salary for an AI specialist in the United States is about $97,474, but other pay estimation websites place the salary much higher, upwards of $125,000 and perhaps as much as $152,000 — which rivals the income of some executives. Many small and medium-sized businesses cannot afford to keep even a single AI expert on staff, let alone a team of AI workers within an IT department.
Businesses unable to afford an in-house AI specialist might consider investing in the training of generalist IT workers who demonstrate an interest in AI knowledge and skill. Professional development can be more accessible to organizations with limited budgets, and investing in existing staff increases morale and ensures greater loyalty from workers who appreciate the trust and investment offered by business leaders.
Having in-house AI staff is ideal for businesses eager to adopt advanced AI solutions. The sooner leaders can add AI specialists to their IT departments, the sooner they can reap the rewards of AI tech.