Latest news with #Cathy Mauzaize
Gulf Business
28-07-2025
- Business
- Gulf Business
New report reveals 10-point drop in AI readiness in EMEA
Image: Pexels ServiceNow, the AI platform for business transformation, has released the latest edition of its The study evaluates enterprise readiness across five critical components: leadership and strategy, workflows, talent, governance, and investment. These indicators collectively assess how well-prepared organisations are to scale AI effectively. Now in its second year, the global report surveyed nearly 4,500 respondents worldwide, including 1,950 from nine markets in Europe and the Middle East — including the UAE and Saudi Arabia. While emerging technologies such as agentic AI are driving experimentation and delivering early results, the region's AI maturity score dropped from 44 to just 34 out of 100. This decline reflects growing challenges in turning innovation into structured, large-scale deployments. Cathy Mauzaize, president, EMEA at ServiceNow 'Organisations across Europe and the Middle East are accelerating their AI projects, but many are still in the early stages of their journey,' said Cathy Mauzaize, president, EMEA at ServiceNow. 'They recognise the potential and now is the time to build on that energy. To keep moving forward, organisations are exploring how to lay the right foundations to make the data work for them, and give their people the skills to use AI with confidence. According to IDC, European spending on artificial intelligence will reach $144.6bn in 2028. The opportunity is huge, but only if we focus on getting the basics right today.' Key findings from the report AI growth is outpacing enterprise readiness Nearly half (47 per cent) of companies in Europe and the Middle East reported launching more than 100 AI use cases in the past year. In the UAE, 49 per cent of organisations reported similar activity. However, most are still in early implementation phases. Just 6 per cent of organisations in the region have reached the most advanced AI stage — augmentation. In the UAE, 9 per cent have reached that milestone, and the country shares the highest AI maturity score (35) in the region with the UK. Agentic AI is an emerging opportunity, with a knowledge gap Agentic AI — which enables autonomous actions — is beginning to reshape automation strategies across the enterprise. Yet understanding remains low. Only 15 per cent of organisations in Europe and the Middle East are currently using agentic AI, and 42 per cent expect to implement it within the next year. However, just one in five organisations are 'very familiar' with the technology, highlighting a knowledge gap. Still, the potential is evident: among early adopters, 58 per cent saw improved gross margins, 59 per cent gained greater efficiency and productivity, and 60 per cent reported enhanced user experiences. Read: Governance remains a weak link As adoption increases, so do risks tied to privacy, cybersecurity, and regulation. In the UAE, organisations making 'significant strides' in AI data governance rose modestly from 42 per cent in 2024 to 45 per cent in 2025. Yet data security continues to be the top concern blocking AI progress. To address these issues, the report stresses that AI governance should be embedded from the outset. Platforms need to integrate oversight, accountability, and strategy — particularly when exploring advanced technologies like agentic AI.
Zawya
28-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
ServiceNow Index: Whilst AI investment is rising, AI maturity falls across Europe and the Middle East
Dubai, United Arab Emirates – ServiceNow, the AI platform for business transformation, has released its latest Enterprise AI Maturity Index in partnership with Oxford Economics. The findings reveal a surprising trend in Europe and the Middle East: although AI investment continues to grow, the average AI maturity score across the region has dropped by 10 points year over year. As enterprises struggle to keep pace with rapid innovation, many are finding it difficult to translate AI ambition into scalable, effective execution. The index examines five key components: leadership and strategy, workflows, talent, governance, and investment. Together they provide a comprehensive view of how prepared organisations are to scale AI successfully; their AI maturity level. Now in its second year, the global report draws on insights from almost 4,500 respondents globally, including 1,950 across nine markets in Europe and the Middle East including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia. It shows that emerging technologies such as agentic AI are fuelling experimentation and delivering early returns across the region. However, the pace of change is moving faster than organisations' ability to scale AI in a structured, governed way. To this end, the region's average AI maturity score has dropped 10 points year on year, from 44 to just 34 out of 100. Cathy Mauzaize, President, EMEA at ServiceNow, says 'Organisations across Europe and the Middle East are accelerating their AI projects, but many are still in the early stages of their journey. They recognise the potential and now is the time to build on that energy. To keep moving forward, organisations are exploring how to lay the right foundations to make the data work for them, and give their people the skills to use AI with confidence. According to IDC, European spending on artificial intelligence will reach $144.6 billion in 2028 [1]. The opportunity is huge, but only if we focus on getting the basics right today.' The report also outlines three major trends shaping the region's AI journey and what's needed to turn early success into lasting transformation. AI is outpacing organisations' capacity to harness it There is a clear appetite for innovation, with nearly half (47%) of organisations in Europe and the Middle East launching more than 100 AI use cases in the past year. UAE-based organisations are showing similar AI activity (49%), reflecting growing interest in large-scale experimentation. Still, most remain in the early stages of implementation, as reflected in this year's overall European AI maturity score of just 34. The majority of the region's organisations are focused on experimentation and expansion, with only 6% reaching the augmentation stage, which is the most advanced stage identified in the survey. In the UAE, the AI maturity score stands at 35 which is the highest in Europe and the Middle East, tied with the UK with 9% of organisations progressing to the most advanced stage. Agentic AI presents a clear opportunity Agentic AI, the AI that can act autonomously, is positioned to reshape enterprise automation. However, awareness varies widely across the region. While 15% of organisations in Europe and the Middle East are already using agentic AI and 42% plan to implement it within 12 months, familiarity is still in its early days. Only one in five organisations are very family with agentic AI, revealing a significant knowledge gap. The opportunity is clear, with over half of early adopters in Europe reporting improved gross margins (58%), greater efficiency and productivity (59%), and better experiences (60%). Governance is the missing link Rising adoption brings rising risk. AI at scale introduces serious challenges around cybersecurity, privacy, and regulatory compliance. And while the number of UAE organisations that have made significant strides in AI data governance rose slightly from 42% in 2024 to 45% in 2025, there is a need for a greater focus on managing AI risk effectively. This is particularly true given that data security is cited by UAE organisations as the top barrier to realizing AI value. To scale AI safely and effectively, governance must be foundational — not an afterthought. That means embedding policy, oversight, and accountability into platforms from the outset and approaching new technologies like agentic AI with a clear strategy in place. Read the full report at to learn more. Methodology ServiceNow paired again with Oxford Economics to survey just under 4,500 executives from 16 countries and 11 industries to measure organisational performance across five pillars of AI maturity: AI strategy and leadership, workflow integration, talent and workforce, AI governance, and AI investment. Based on responses, ServiceNow assigned each organisation an overall AI maturity score between 0 and 100. About ServiceNow ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) is putting AI to work for people. We move with the pace of innovation to help customers transform organizations across every industry while upholding a trustworthy, human centered approach to deploying our products and services at scale. Our AI platform for business transformation connects people, processes, data, and devices to increase productivity and maximize business outcomes. For more information, visit:
