{
  "id": 16095847,
  "title": "The Biggest Barriers to AI Transformation Are Inside the Business",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/the-biggest-barriers-to-ai-transformation-are-inside-the-business",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-22T19:44:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/ai-transformation-barriers-yahoo-microsoft-qualcomm-ey-webinar-recap-12602680"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant failed to gain traction among its sales team, who found it unhelpful in their daily tasks. In response, Microsoft sent engineers to observe the sales representatives and create more specialized tools, such as Sales Chat, to improve the experience. Similar challenges arose at Yahoo, where teams tried AI on side projects but struggled when attempting to integrate it into core software development. Yahoo conducted pilots to test if retooling development tools would boost productivity, leading to a more gradual expansion. Durga Malladi, from Qualcomm, emphasized the need for a solid foundation in technology infrastructure before applying AI across various aspects of business operations. Rodrigo Madanes from EY highlighted the importance of regulatory considerations and data sovereignty when expanding AI initiatives internationally. The research conducted by Cognizant showed that only 32% of surveyed companies observed tangible improvements in productivity after investing in AI, with many organizations pausing or discontinuing their AI deployments. Microsoft's experience with AI in cloud data centers and internal auditing revealed that AI's strategic value lies in proactive risk assessment rather than just productivity gains. To ensure successful AI implementation, businesses should prioritize clear specifications, reusable expertise, and defined boundaries for AI agents while focusing on key business goals rather than broad, untargeted investments.",
  "summary": "Leaders from Yahoo, Qualcomm, Microsoft and EY explain how businesses can turn AI investments into lasting results.",
  "key_points": [
    "Microsoft's Copilot AI assistant failed to gain traction among sales team",
    "Yahoo struggled to integrate AI into core software development",
    "Only 32% of surveyed companies observed tangible productivity improvements after AI investment"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}