Many companies are currently working with AI - but often in the form of pilot projects that never leave the testing stage. There is experimentation going on, but without common direction, governance, or integration with business goals. This means that AI ends up as isolated initiatives that do not elevate the organization as a whole.
It is rarely the technology that is the problem. The biggest barriers relate to organization, skills, culture, and management prioritization. Companies are investing massively in AI but forget to update structures, decision-making processes, and forms of collaboration. Without clear ownership, AI cannot evolve from a tool to a strategic engine.
AI needs to be moved from the engine room to the boardroom
AI not only changes how we work — it changes how companies should be managed. When top management takes responsibility, something crucial happens: AI is linked to the decisions that shape the future. The most successful organizations today use AI as part of their strategic management, not as an isolated tech experiment.
Jesper sees this as a necessary development.
“AI should not just be operated - it should be led. It is a discipline that should be on par with strategy, finance, and customers. The companies that manage this will define the future market.” -Jesper Nørding Pedersen
When AI has managerial ownership, the organization gains a common direction. Innovation begins to happen across business, technology, and customer experience. And investments start to create real value.
A wake-up call to Nordic and Northern European companies
Forte Pulse 2025 investigates digital maturity among more than 450 companies in Denmark, Norway, and Germany. The picture is clear: AI plays a significant role in ambitions - but much less in business.
Companies want to work strategically with AI. But structures are lagging. Culture is lagging. Skills are not built up. And organizational anchoring is too weak. Both internal and external transformation require something different: Leadership, direction, and courage.
The winners of the future see AI as a management discipline
The next year will be crucial. Companies are not only faced with implementing AI - they are faced with transforming their way of working and deciding. AI is no longer a tool that lies within IT. It is a strategic driver that must be shaped and prioritized by those who set the direction for the business.
Without managerial ownership, AI will continue to exist as isolated initiatives. But when top management takes responsibility, AI can accelerate innovation, strengthen customer experiences, and create new business areas.
As Jesper puts it:
“The next year will be defining. AI will not become less important — only more strategic. The question is not whether companies should work with AI, but who dares to own the agenda.”
