Gen AI can help sustainability efforts: Study

Bengaluru: About 63 per cent of Indian enterprises believe that generative AI will be important for their efforts towards sustainability, according to a new study.

Theglobal study conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) is based on a survey of 5,000 C-suite executives across 22 industries and 22 countries.

It stresses the need for companies to embed sustainability into all facets of business operations, instead of just “treating it as an optional addition.”

The study revealed that 63 per cent of Indian business leaders agreed that generative AI is necessary to strive for sustainability, while 76 per cent said they plan to increase investment in generative AI for sustainability.

“In today’s business world, sustainability has evolved from being optional to indispensable. With AI reshaping industries, integrating sustainability into core business practices add to the long-term value creation,” said Sandip Patel, Managing Director, IBM India, in a statement.

“The commitment of businesses to invest in Gen AI for sustainability signals a promising move towards a greener, more prosperous future,” he added.

Further, 78 per cent of Indian executives found that sustainability can help get better business, and 68 per cent agree that sustainability is key to their business strategy. However, funding, skilling and operations were found as a challenge. While high-quality data and transparency (86 per cent) were touted as necessary to achieve sustainability outcomes, the lack of requisite skills was identified as the major hindrance to sustainability progress (44 per cent).

“This study not only underscores the environmental responsibility of enterprises but also highlights their readiness to leverage cutting-edge technology for lasting impact and competitiveness,” Patel said.