IT teams hit with 'AI brain fry' as workloads rise

New data from SolarWinds reveals that while AI is helping IT teams work faster, it is also creating extra pressure for the people expected to keep it in check.

In a survey of 1,040 global IT professionals, 67% say AI has reduced manual work, showing the technology is already helping with day-to-day operations and freeing up time for higher-value tasks. However, the gains come at a cost. Almost three-quarters (71%) say AI has made their role more demanding, highlighting the growing complexity behind AI adoption.

One big part of the AI adoption challenge, which is adding friction and stress, is that IT teams are still having to keep a close eye on what AI produces. More than seven in 10 (71%) say they need to double-check AI's work, and 62% say they struggle to trust its recommendations. Nearly half (48%) also say AI tools generate too many insights without enough context, making the results harder to interpret and act on.

At the same time, IT teams are taking on new responsibilities as AI becomes more widely embedded across the business. From managing risk to ensuring tools are used correctly, the burden of oversight is increasingly falling on teams that are already stretched thin.

The findings suggest that while AI may be taking some repetitive tasks off IT teams' plates, it is also adding another layer of checking, decision-making, and accountability.

"IT teams are being hit hard with additional cognitive load resulting from AI implementations. While the wider workforce is embracing a growing number of AI tools, IT is left to manage and secure them, as well as extract value from data that often lacks context," said Cullen Childress, Chief Product Officer at SolarWinds.

"Without proper planning, AI can introduce more risk through gaps in security and governance, while adding more fragmentation, reviews, and sanity checks for teams that don't have the capacity to absorb it. However, the right AI tools can change that, helping teams move away from constant reactive work towards more intelligent, automated environments that identify issues earlier and reduce the need for manual oversight."

To learn more about the findings, visit: https://www.solarwinds.com/campaign/it-trends