Swiss companies are acting more cautiously than international competitors

AI programs such as ChatGPT have become indispensable everyday companions overnight. The majority of people now use generative artificial intelligence (AI) to simplify tasks. However, companies need more time to integrate the technology into their processes. The latest edition of the AI study by the auditing and consulting firm Deloitte shows that the introduction is taking longer than initially expected. The euphoria expressed in earlier surveys has given way to a healthy realism.

In an international comparison, Swiss companies are particularly cautious in their assessment of developments. Half of the management board members surveyed expect that fundamental changes in their industry as a result of generative AI will take between one and three years. Just under a third (30%) even expect it to take more than three years. Only 8 percent assume that generative AI has already transformed the market environment. In the USA, on the other hand, 22% are of this opinion.

Switzerland brings up the rear

US companies are also pushing ahead with AI integration faster than Swiss companies: Almost half (45%) have already prepared their technical infrastructure well or very well for the introduction. In Switzerland, this is only the case for just under a third (32%). European companies are even further ahead. They are clearly ahead of the USA and Switzerland when it comes to preparing their strategy, developing employees' skills and managing data.

"Swiss companies are still reluctant to introduce generative AI. We also observe this in our work with customers. However, we are already seeing a promising use of generative AI in IT and marketing," says Marc Beierschoder, Head of AI & Data at Deloitte Switzerland. As the survey highlights, projects in the areas of IT and cyber security as well as marketing, sales and customer service are the most advanced. In contrast, most companies are only in the evaluation phase when it comes to AI tools for the legal department or HR and finance.

Low investment and little know-how

The survey provides a number of explanations for why Switzerland is lagging behind other countries. Firstly, Swiss companies invest relatively little in generative AI: half of those surveyed do not even allocate 20 percent of their total AI budget to the technology. Investments are significantly higher in the USA and Europe. Secondly, Swiss companies lack specialist knowledge. Almost a quarter (24%) of companies admit that they have little expertise in dealing with the technology. In Europe, this is only the case for 13 percent and in the USA for 7 percent. Management interest in generative AI is also rather low in Switzerland. The majority of respondents agree that the topic needs to be given more attention internally.

Pressure on Swiss companies is growing

The lack of skills and specialists is therefore also one of the three biggest hurdles for Swiss companies when integrating technology, alongside managing risks and the complex legal requirements. In an international comparison, it is also noticeable that Swiss companies observe stronger cultural resistance among employees.

"Internal resistance must be overcome and more investment made in order to exploit the great potential of the technology on a broad basis. Time is of the essence, as the pressure on companies is increasing," says Marc Beierschoder from Deloitte. Compared to the survey a year ago, almost twice as many Swiss companies feel a strong need for action internally when it comes to the introduction of generative AI tools: while the figure was only 18% last year, it is now already 34%. The pressure from external sources, such as competitors or shareholders, is even higher. Within the space of a year, this figure has risen significantly - from 18% to 46%.

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