New Delhi, March 11 Companies keen on adopting AI prefer IT services firms that are "AI-building" companies, offering a new services model defined by designing and building custom, full-stack solutions to deliver enterprise value from Artificial Intelligence, Nasdaq-listed Cognizant said in a statement on Wednesday, citing its new research.
Based on a study of 600 AI decision-makers and interviews with 38 senior executives, the research found that organizations rank custom solutions and flexible engagement models as "the most important factor" when selecting an AI partner, ahead of pricing and time to value, according to Cognizant.
"Cognizant released new research showing that companies pursuing AI adoption overwhelmingly prefer IT services firms – such as 'AI Builder' firms, a new services model defined by designing and building custom, full stack AI solutions – to deliver real enterprise value from AI," Cognizant said in a release.
Enterprises cite generic, off-the-shelf AI solutions as a prime reason to reject an AI provider, along with a lack of industry-specific expertise, inability to integrate into existing technology stacks, and inadequate support and maintenance.
According to the research, the top three challenges organizations face in enterprise AI adoption are regulatory and compliance concerns, difficulty demonstrating return on investment, and a lack of a clear AI strategy and vision.
Ravi Kumar, CEO of Cognizant, noted that AI success is not about deploying isolated models, but about engineering intelligence into the enterprise with purpose-built solutions.
"The most trusted path to an AI future is working with an AI Builder – one that brings deep industry context, systems engineering expertise, and operational accountability. At Cognizant, we focus on building the bridge from AI experimentation to measurable enterprise value," Kumar said.
Enterprises face a "messy middle" in scaling AI, and in this context, AI builders can create the bridge to enterprise value, solving complex, real-world problems, it claimed.
Furthermore, it observed that AI investment is long-term, not experimental. Enterprises are committing sustained capital to AI, signaling long-term infrastructure building rather than speculative investment.
AI, it said, is augmenting human workforces, not replacing them. Enterprise leaders are not forecasting workforce collapse; they are forecasting the redesign of workflows for human-AI collaboration, according to Cognizant.