AI adoption is accelerating, but is it delivering better channel performance?

As artificial intelligence adoption accelerates across the technology channel, industry leaders are questioning whether greater efficiency is translating into meaningful improvements in partner performance and commercial growth.

That was one of the central themes emerging from the inaugural ‘Insights that Move the Channel’ executive roundtable, organised by Motivforce, a global leader in the design and delivery of channel incentive, loyalty and engagement programs. 

The inaugural debate, ‘The Role of AI in Accelerating Channel Performance’, brought together experienced channel marketing executives with current or former roles at major technology companies including Lenovo, IBM, Equinix and Innovative Networx, to examine the challenges, opportunities and emerging trends shaping the future of channel performance.

Motivforce has now published an interactive e-book capturing the key findings and emerging trends from the discussion, and practical recommendations into how technology vendors can rethink partner strategies, strengthen engagement and turn AI investment into measurable commercial value. It also explores where AI can make the greatest difference to channel performance, the challenges organisations need to address and the critical role of human judgement in an increasingly AI-enabled ecosystem.

Moving beyond AI productivity

While AI is already helping channel organisations automate tasks, streamline operations and improve efficiency, roundtable participants agreed that its real value lies in what those productivity gains enable businesses and their partners to achieve. As one executive observed during the discussion: "I don't want to just create productivity. I want to know how I can leapfrog."

The roundtable identified several emerging trends that could fundamentally reshape the channel landscape. Among the most significant was the potential for AI to change the competitive dynamics between large and small partners. By giving smaller, specialist organisations access to capabilities previously beyond their reach, AI could challenge traditional assumptions about which partners have the greatest growth potential.

Participants also questioned whether conventional partner programmes, often structured around fixed tiers, revenue thresholds and historical performance, will remain fit for purpose as AI creates opportunities for more responsive, personalised partner engagement.

A third theme was the growing importance of partner experience. As AI becomes more widely accessible, the ability to make it easier for partners to do business, access support and respond to customer opportunities could become a more significant competitive differentiator than the technology itself.

A new approach to channel performance

Lincoln Smith, CEO of Motivforce, commented: "AI is already changing how the channel operates, but the real opportunity is to move beyond efficiency and focus on how it can deliver measurable improvements in partner performance. 

“What made this first Executive Insights with Motivforce particularly valuable was the diversity of perspectives from experienced channel leaders. There was broad agreement that AI will create new opportunities, but also recognition that technology alone will not deliver the transformation.

"For vendors, this raises important questions about how they identify and develop partner potential, how they structure incentive and engagement programmes, and how they measure success. The organisations that get this right will be those that combine AI with a much deeper understanding of partner behaviour, motivation and commercial needs."

Bringing channel leaders together 

The ‘Executive Insights with Motivforce’ has been established as a forum for senior industry executives to exchange insights, challenge established thinking and explore the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of channel marketing.

The inaugural session was co-moderated by Lincoln Smith, who has more than 25 years' experience in incentives, loyalty and go-to-market strategy, and Ryan Faithfull, Motivforce's Director, Ecosystem Strategy and Business Development. Faithfull joined Motivforce in 2026 following a 25-year career at IBM, where he led the longstanding Know Your IBM channel incentive programme. Motivforce's PhD-level loyalty marketing specialists also contributed to the discussion.

Motivforce’s new interactive e-book, The Role of AI in Accelerating Channel Performance, is available to download here