Across the world, business leaders continue to seek ways to improve business outcomes with AI. A top priority for many of them is the ability to make timely and effective business decisions, powered by the data their organizations sit on. Sadly, that’s often not the case. A report from McKinsey revealed that business leaders often struggle to make timely decisions, with many failing to achieve the desired outcomes.
While there could be several reasons behind that reality, one major factor is the lack of complete insight into the data within their business architectures. Many businesses swim in vast oceans of data — including data from interactions among employees, partners and customers across multiple platforms — that they often cannot contextualize or extract value from.
Dima Gutzeit, founder and CEO of LeapXpert — a visionary in Gartner’s recent magic quadrant for digital communications governance and archiving solutions — says AI can solve this decision-making problem in the C-Suite, with what he describes as “AI-powered communications intelligence.” But how exactly does this happen and how can leaders get the best value from the daily interactions within their businesses?
AI-Powered Communications Intelligence
Most businesses today suffer from fragmented communication ecosystems. Business conversations happen across email, Slack, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, and SMS, creating silos that hinder collaboration and make compliance difficult. Gutzeit calls this “communication chaos.”
But once communication data is structured and governed, business leaders can begin to use AI for extracting actionable intelligence. However, there’s a right way to do this, according to Gutzeit. “AI is only as powerful as the data it can access. If businesses don’t tap into channels where important conversations take places, they will miss out on critical insights that could drive smarter, faster decisions,” he said in a recent interview.
Without a centralized communications system that unifies all communication channels, Gutzeit added, companies cannot ensure valuable insights do not remain isolated within individual chats. Ensuring digital communications and governance isn’t just for business leaders to gain comprehensive insights into their organization, it’s also to shield them from compliance risks.
As Gartner notes in a report, “the quantity and scope of communication tools, such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom and WhatsApp, makes it more complex for organizations to enforce corporate governance and regulatory compliance use policies.”
But it’s not a problem without a fix.
“By using AI-powered platforms that consolidate and govern communication channels, businesses gain a unified, searchable and auditable record of discussions, all while ensuring compliance and enhancing decision-making. AI empowers employees by surfacing insights they wouldn’t otherwise catch — turning individual interactions into collective intelligence,” Gutzeit noted.
For example, tools like the LeapXpert Communication Platform are helping businesses to do that, enabling employees to engage with clients across multiple communications channels – WhatsApp, iMessage, SMS, Telegram, WeChat, Signal, Line in controlled and compliant frameworks. The company’s Maxen add-on also uses AI to provide real-time insights into client interactions and enable better customer engagement.
Growing Concerns
As businesses race to adopt AI worldwide, concerns around regulations continue to grow. These concerns are particularly pressing for industries where regulatory oversight is stringent. In the financial sector, for example, record-keeping is non-negotiable. Indeed, over the last three years, the SEC and CFTC have fined dozens of firms, including some of the largest banks in the world, a total of over $3.5 billion dollars for off-channel communications.
There are also worries on whether AI-driven communications platforms are being deployed responsibly. The European Union’s AI Act and the White House’s Executive Order on AI emphasize the need for ethical AI usage, particularly regarding privacy, security and bias mitigation.
Then, there is also the concern that over-reliance on AI-powered business communications could lead to more impersonal interactions. To this concern, Gutzeit said businesses must note that AI should enhance — not replace — human communication. “AI should amplify human interactions. Relationship managers thrive on trust and personal connections — AI-powered tools enhance their ability to engage by surfacing key insights, streamlining workflows and ensuring they focus on what matters most: building strong, authentic relationships.”
For businesses adopting AI-powered communications, Gutzeit noted that the key is to build compliance into the system from the ground up. Financial services firms, for instance, must capture and archive digital communications to meet SEC regulations. Healthcare organizations handling sensitive patient data must ensure encrypted and secure storage to comply with HIPAA. Companies operating under GDPR and CCPA mandates must also maintain auditable records of customer interactions to ensure transparency and accountability.
“A well-governed AI-powered communication platform ensures compliance without burdening employees with manual oversight. Companies must also recognize that responsible AI starts with rigorous security controls, making data protection a top priority,” Gutzeit explained.
He added that AI-powered communication platforms need to be more than just tools. “They need to be trusted business partners,” he said.
“The ideal AI-powered communication solution should unify existing communication tools without disrupting workflows. Governance controls must be in place to ensure that AI-driven insights are auditable, verifiable and secure. AI solutions must also be tailored to the unique challenges and operational needs of each organization.”
“The Backbone”
As AI moves beyond experimentation to mainstream adoption, the time to implement AI-powered communications and governance is now. Businesses that fail to harness AI-driven communication will not only risk falling behind in operational efficiency, but may also struggle to meet increasing compliance demands.
As Gutzeit noted, “Effective communication channels are the backbone of modern business operations. For the C-suite, it’s not just about enabling communication — it’s about creating a governed and efficient ecosystem that aligns with enterprise goals. Properly designed channels ensure regulatory compliance, mitigate risks and improve customer experience by meeting clients where they are.”