There is a significant opportunity for business leaders to turn their AI vision into action by communicating it to both internal and external stakeholders, according to the India-specific findings from WE Communications’ (WE) latest ‘Brands in Motion’ (BIM) global study, “Bridging the AI Expectation Gap.” This new research, released in Bengaluru, reveals data and insights from the Indian market. The BIM study surveyed over 2,900 business executives across the globe - including India, Australia, Singapore, China, Germany, Singapore, the UK, and the USA - to gain insight into how AI is impacting organisational culture, trust, and business communications. Of the 2900 executives surveyed 500 were from India.Neha Mehrotra, Managing Director Avian WE, stated: “AI is not just a technological advancement; it is a transformative force reshaping business operations and customer engagement. For businesses, the crucial question is not whether to adopt AI, but how swiftly and effectively they can leverage this transformative power. While enthusiasm for AI is high, the implementation gap is concerning. This report highlights the critical need for strategic communication to bridge the AI expectation gap and provides a comprehensive roadmap for organizations to harness AI's full potential.”There was broad recognition of the opportunity for AI to drive impact across business functions. The leaders polled identified product development, customer service, and marketing and communications as the top three areas that would benefit most from greater adoption of AI.The study recommended four strategies to turn AI vision into action:  1. Build an AI Employee Engagement Strategy: Audit employee sentiment and optimize to address gaps and areas of interest in the build-out and implementation of the organization’s AI content and engagement strategy. 2. Link to the Company’s Transformation Journey: Modernize the company narrative and messaging to show how AI is advancing the overall transformational journey, demonstrating its potential to drive growth, change, and innovation. 3. Employ Executive Communications and Thought Leadership: C-level and company leadership messaging need to spotlight consistent AI progress updates and the specific behaviors and change management needed to fully harness AI. 4. Update Crisis and Issues Preparedness Plans: Conduct risk assessments and scenario planning on potential AI-related issues, incorporating these into overall preparedness plans.To achieve these goals, the study recommended greater transparency across stakeholders as a cornerstone for AI efforts: 84% of the study’s Indian participants believed their organization should be more or equally transparent about its use of AI compared with their vendors, partner businesses, and customers.“Although transparency is crucial for AI integration, our study showed only 39% of Indian organizations practiced it, and just 31% prioritized employee feedback. Leaders must commit to open communication to bridge the gap between AI vision and implementation. We hope the recommended strategies help businesses navigate tech transformations and leverage innovation for growth,” Mehrotra concluded.(Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay)