AI in Norwegian businesses - from testing to value creation

Yesterday I participated online in a conference under the auspices of NHO, where Social Economic Analysis presented its recent report on the use of artificial intelligence in Norwegian business.

My main impression is that AI/CI has now seriously become part of everyday life in many businesses. Over half use AI today, a sharp increase in just the last two years. At the same time, it is clear that the use is still largely about testing, support tools and individual efficiency - not about real change in how businesses are run and create value.

The report shows significant potential: AI can free up around 15 percent of working time in the economy. That in itself is startling, especially in light of the labor shortage Norway is facing. But the point that was clearly emphasized is that these gains do not come by themselves. They only arise when AI is integrated into core processes, clearly prioritized by management and directly linked to business goals.

Only around one in five businesses are considered real "frontrunners". It is these who see the greatest productivity and income effects. For the rest, the barriers are less about technology and more about a lack of insight, competence and direction. The question is no longer whether to use AI, but how and why.

At the same time, it is becoming increasingly clear that the battle for these frontrunners – both businesses and people – is underway, and that the ability to combine technological understanding, business and the responsible use of AI is becoming an increasingly important competitive advantage.

My most important takeaway is once again that AI is to a small extent an IT project. It is a management and change project. And precisely here the report hits home with much of what I myself am concerned with: value creation does not happen through tools alone, but through clear choices, priorities and the way we organize our work.

If AI is to become a real competitive advantage, we must move from curious exploration to conscious integration.