Is IT Slowing Down AI Adoption? Here’s Why—And What to Do

By David Dettmer

January 30, 2025

AI is everywhere, promising to revolutionize marketing, sales, operations, and customer support. Many non-IT departments are eager to deploy AI tools to boost efficiency, personalize customer interactions, and automate tedious tasks. Yet, there’s often a roadblock—IT.

If you’ve ever felt that IT is slowing down or outright rejecting AI initiatives, you’re not alone. But before assuming they’re resistant to innovation, it’s crucial to understand the two major concerns that drive their decision-making: security and governance. These aren’t just IT buzzwords—they are critical safeguards that protect your company, customers, and brand.

In this article, we’ll demystify why security and governance are non-negotiable in enterprise AI adoption, and how these safeguards actually set you up for long-term success.

Security: Protecting AI Systems and Customer Data

AI systems don’t just process data—they thrive on it. Every AI tool you use, from chatbots to predictive analytics, requires vast amounts of customer, product, and operational data to function effectively. That data is an attractive target for cybercriminals, and IT’s primary responsibility is to protect it from breaches, misuse, and legal consequences.

1. AI Systems Are High-Value Targets

The more powerful an AI system, the more sensitive the data it processes. AI tools used in marketing and customer service often handle:

  • Customer emails, purchase history, and support interactions.
  • Payment and personal information.
  • Proprietary sales strategies and internal operational data.

Without proper security protocols, this data can be exposed through cyberattacks, accidental leaks, or vulnerabilities in third-party AI tools. If breached, the company could face lawsuits, reputational damage, and regulatory penalties.

2. Third-Party AI Tools Can Compromise Security

You might be tempted to use a new AI-powered email writer, chatbot, or analytics tool, but do you know where that data is going? Many AI vendors collect and store user data for model training, leaving companies vulnerable to:

  • Unauthorized Data Access
  • Data Leakage
  • Regulatory Violations

3. AI Systems Can Be Manipulated

AI models can be hacked or manipulated through adversarial attacks, where bad actors intentionally feed misleading data to alter the AI’s behavior.

Governance: Establishing Guardrails for Ethical & Responsible AI

Governance is not about bureaucracy—it’s about ensuring AI adoption aligns with business goals, regulatory requirements, and ethical best practices.

1. AI Needs to Follow Company & Legal Policies

Every business has rules around customer privacy, compliance, and ethical conduct. AI systems must follow these rules—just like any human employee.

2. Explainability: AI Shouldn’t Be a “Black Box”

If your AI system makes a decision—such as rejecting a customer’s credit request—can you explain why?

3. AI Needs Continuous Monitoring & Compliance Audits

Unlike traditional software, AI systems learn and evolve, meaning their behavior can change over time.

Why IT Isn’t Holding You Back—They’re Protecting Your Business

For non-IT teams, security and governance measures enforced by IT can feel like barriers to innovation. But in reality, these safeguards are what enable safe, scalable, and responsible AI adoption.

  • IT isn’t rejecting AI tools because they don’t want you to innovate—they’re ensuring these tools don’t expose the company to security risks.
  • Governance isn’t extra red tape—it’s a necessary framework that keeps AI ethical, explainable, and aligned with business goals.

By working with IT rather than around it, marketing, sales, operations, and customer support teams can implement AI solutions that are not only powerful but also secure and sustainable.

How CourtAvenue Can Help

At CourtAvenue, we work alongside IT teams—not against them—to accelerate AI adoption in a way that is secure, compliant, and aligned with enterprise goals.

If your organization is looking to deploy AI responsibly and at scale, we can help bridge the gap between innovation and compliance. Let’s build the future of AI together.