Event Moment: Dona Sarkar on Why So Many AI Initiatives Fail

In this moment, excerpted from her keynote, Dona Sarkar, Chief Troublemaker, Enterprise AI Advocacy at Microsoft, explained why many organizations struggle to generate meaningful results from AI.

Key Takeaways

• Most Companies Start with AI Instead of the Problem: Organizations often launch AI initiatives because leadership says, “We need to do AI,” without first defining the business problem they are trying to solve. Without a clear objective, AI projects can quickly become disconnected from real outcomes.
• Poor Data Quality Remains the Biggest Obstacle: According to Sarkar, many companies underestimate the importance of data readiness. AI can only be as effective as the information it relies on, making data governance, organization, and maintenance foundational requirements for successful adoption.
• AI Amplifies Existing Information Chaos: AI does not automatically distinguish between good and bad information. If organizations have duplicate files, inconsistent records, or poorly managed content, AI can surface the wrong data just as efficiently as the right data, creating new risks rather than solving old problems.