Siloed data is hindering IT operations and ambitions for artificial intelligence, according to a recent report by Ivanti, which surveyed over 1,200 IT and cybersecurity professionals. The report highlights that more than half of the respondents indicated that data from security and IT departments is isolated within their organizations, leading to inefficiencies and a lack of collaboration. The survey found that data silos are responsible for slow security responses for over 60% of respondents, while nearly 30% of IT professionals reported that data deficiencies obstruct their ability to utilize AI tools effectively. With increasing pressure to implement AI projects, experts stress the need for a comprehensive data strategy that incorporates governance, quality, and performance, to avoid hindering innovation.
And how about some impact on two fields.
Radiologists are not facing extinction as previously predicted; instead, their field is experiencing significant growth, largely aided by advancements in artificial intelligence. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the United States could face a shortage of up to 42,000 radiologists and other physician specialists by 2033. In a recent article by The New York Times, it was noted that rather than replacing radiologists, AI has become an essential tool for them, enabling rapid measurements of organs, automatic flagging of abnormalities, and early disease detection. At the Mayo Clinic, the radiology department has expanded by 55% since the initial doomsday predictions, now employing a dedicated team of 40 AI specialists who have developed over 250 AI models to enhance diagnostic capabilities.
Public relations professionals are increasingly recognizing that engaging with journalists is crucial for influencing artificial intelligence chatbots. As the public relations industry adapts to the rise of AI, firms have found that authoritative journalism significantly impacts how chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude generate responses about companies, often more so than social media campaigns. Carreen Winters, head of reputation practice at MikeWorldWide, emphasizes that while earned media remains important, its influence is often underestimated. Firms such as Edelman report that earned media and owned content are primary drivers for how AI platforms describe brands and products. According to Brian Buchwald of Edelman, the content and campaign choices made by companies can rapidly alter their reputation in AI outputs. This comes as the digital transformation in communication is overshadowing traditional media engagement.
Why do we care?
For MSPs and IT services firms aiming to leverage AI for automation, predictive maintenance, or security posture improvement for themselves and for customers, fragmented data environments create a fundamental roadblock. IT providers need to lead with data strategy before AI strategy. Push clients toward unified telemetry, shared event correlation, and tight governance if they want to get meaningful outcomes from AI implementations.
Radiologists were once the poster child for jobs “at risk” due to AI—now they’re a case study in how AI can enhance, not eliminate. The Mayo Clinic’s use of 250+ AI models and a 55% expansion in staffing underscores that automation isn’t eliminating expertise—it’s scaling it. Like radiologists spending less time on routine reads, MSP techs can offload ticket triage, patch scheduling, or alert prioritization to AI and focus on strategic client work. AI doesn’t automatically mean headcount reduction. It means retooling roles and expanding capability. IT firms should communicate this shift to staff and clients alike: “AI doesn’t take jobs—it upgrades them.”
MSPs and vendors need to consider AI discoverability as part of brand strategy. That means engaging with journalists, contributing thought leadership, and publishing with credibility.
AI isn’t magic—it’s math powered by data. If your data is siloed, your AI strategy is already compromised. Radiology shows that AI can augment professionals rather than replace them, but it requires infrastructure and investment. And if AI models are scraping the internet to form your brand story, it’s time to think of PR not as a vanity play, but a data integrity move.