The world stands on the brink of a productivity revolution as artificial intelligence (AI) creates a new wave of opportunity for businesses of all sizes. Whether it’s using chatbots or more advanced AI, uncovering deeper insights about customer needs, or speeding up product development, no business wants to miss out on the uplift in output offered by AI. For some organisations, the arrival of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Dall-E, which generate content and images, has further boosted the business cases for adopting an AI strategy. But while business leaders are keen to make the most of the technology’s advantages, they’ll also need to understand the wider responsibilities that come with it (for example, considerations around data privacy, unintentional bias, and copyright infringement) and how to make the most of opportunities that are evolving quickly. To help boardroom executives and IT leaders navigate a successful AI strategy, Michael Wignall, director of infrastructure in the Customer Success Unit at Microsoft’s Azure business, sets out the first five steps he believes leaders should take ahead …