IBM Reveals Study Showing Companies Embrace Open-Source AI for Better ROI

Companies Shifting to Open-Source AI Tools

According to a new study commissioned by IBM, a significant number of organizations are investing in artificial intelligence (AI) with a keen focus on leveraging open-source tools to optimize their returns on investment (ROI). Conducted by Morning Consult in collaboration with Lopez Research, the survey revealed insights from over 2,400 IT decision-makers.

Positive Trends in AI Investment

The findings indicate that 85% of IT decision-makers believe they are making headway with their 2024 AI strategies. Impressively, nearly half, or 47%, have already realized positive ROI from their AI initiatives. The correlation between utilizing open-source AIs and achieving financial success was also notable, with 51% of respondents using open-source tools reporting positive ROI, compared to just 41% of those who do not.

2025 Projections and Investment Strategies

Looking ahead, 62% of the surveyed decision-makers plan to boost their AI investments in 2025, with a significant portion, 48%, intending to use open-source ecosystems to enhance their AI implementations. Surprisingly, 40% of those not currently utilizing open-source tools expressed plans to integrate them into their AI strategies next year.

Maribel Lopez from Lopez Research commented, "Organizations are ramping up their AI strategies, with specific success metrics focusing on productivity rather than solely on traditional ROI indicators. Companies are now more adept at defining use cases and optimizing AI projects to drive innovation."

Key Investment Areas

The survey revealed that 89% of organizations plan to either sustain or increase their AI investment in 2025. Among those increasing their budgets, 39% anticipate raising their expenditures by 25-50%. Only 5% foresee reducing their AI budgets, and none by more than 50%.

A major shift in expenditure focus has emerged, with 63% of respondents prioritizing IT operations as their main area for AI investment, followed by data quality management (46%) and product/services innovation (41%). 51% of respondents are embracing managed cloud services, 48% are hiring specialized talent, and another 48% are considering open-source resources for optimizing their AI efforts.

The Growing Importance of Open-Source Tools

The study indicates a marked rise in the use of open-source ecosystems for AI deployment, with 60% of IT decision-makers already leveraging these tools. This trend is expected to continue, with 41% predicting that more of their AI solutions will be reliant on open-source platforms in 2025, up from 37% in 2024. Over 80% of respondents declare at least a quarter of their AI solutions or platforms employ open-source technologies.

Notably, as company scale increases, the reliance on open-source solutions also amplifies. Companies employing open-source ecosystems are finding these resources instrumental in achieving positive ROI, with a 51% success rate compared to just 41% of those not utilizing open-source tools. Furthermore, firms harnessing open-source resources plan to initiate more AI pilots, with 38% intending to launch over 21 AI projects in 2025.

Measuring Success Beyond Traditional Metrics

While progress in AI project execution is evident—85% of IT decision-makers indicate advancements—28% still balance their AI efforts between ROI and innovative endeavors. Interestingly, metrics such as accelerated software development (25%), quickened innovation (23%), and productivity improvements (22%) are becoming crucial indicators of success over traditional dollar savings, which garnered only 15%.

With almost half (47%) achieving positive ROI, the survey also noted that 33% have broken even, while 14% recorded negative returns. On the cusp of achieving positive ROI, 44% of companies not yet in profit expect to realize satisfactory returns within one to two years, and an optimistic 92% believe they will achieve a positive ROI within a three-year timeframe.

Conclusion

The IBM study underscores a significant shift toward open-source AI tools, revealing that as organizations enhance their strategies, reliance on these platforms could be instrumental in maximizing ROI. As more companies pivot towards innovative solutions, the role of open-source in the AI landscape is poised to become even more prominent, guiding enterprises toward sustained growth and success in a competitive market.

For more detailed insights on the study, you can visit IBM's official website.