The global AI market size is anticipated to reach $266.92 billion by 2027.
AI is the superstar in today’s tech scene, and guess what?
Stats prove it’s soaring high! A quick online search reveals myriad statistics, all pointing upwards and underscoring the undeniable prevalence of AI in our new digital era.
For me it is more of a $266.92 Billion Question 🙂
I think we should look at it as more than just a number – it’s about shaping our future.
What we see today is the immediate impact on productivity – 64% of firms say AI enhances customer ties and boosts productivity, and 54% report cost savings.
Current state:
Implementing AI without grasping its full potential and implications
Even though I agree that AI’s immediate impact is on productivity and efficiency, I can’t help but voice a concern: Are we too focused on the present, implementing tools without a strategic, long-term vision?
I believe the answer is yes, and here’s why.
Our limited view sees AI merely as a tool, missing the fact that it’s a disruptive technology.
We’re implementing a tool without grasping its full potential and implications.
In this phase of AI implementation, where we witness the fresh adaptation of a once unfamiliar technology, the immediate improvements are evident.
But we need to ask ourselves:
What’s the next step beyond productivity and efficiency?
How will we design a future when we’re implementing the here and now?
However, my worry stems from a potential oversight—we might be neglecting the crucial aspect of long-term thinking.
Let’s pause and consider, are we fixated on the present without a strategic, long-term vision?
When we look into the challenges, we find that 63% worry about insufficient training, 60% grapple with AI compatibility, and 59% navigate without a clear plan.
It should serve as a wake-up call to shift from quick wins to long-term success.
Source: https://www.godofprompt.ai/blog/how-many-businesses-use-ai
How can we make this shift to long-term success happen?
Let’s rethink how we see AI. Instead of treating it just like a tool, let’s consider AI as a team member—an assistant that’s part of every team that is using Ai. This change in thinking means our AI strategy isn’t just about rules; it’s about embracing the big impact of this tech.
How does this help?
Since we’re not exactly sure how AI will affect us in the future, let’s use what we know from our strategies designed for human workers as a starting point.
This will help us figure out what our new team member needs and evolve with it.
What should we take under consideration when we craft a long term AI strategy?
Job Description:
For AI: Look at the tool you are currently using or thinking about buying and decide if it were an employee, what would you like it to do. From the first step of giving a hand (where we are right now with implementation for productivity and efficiency) to the full vision where you wish to see it grow, evolve, and learn the business.
For Human Team Members: Now that there is a helping hand, what would you like the human team members to do with the time left in their hands? How would you like them to support the new team member that joins the team? How can they contribute to its ongoing success and evaluation? These are just examples of questions that need to be answered and reflected in human job descriptions.
Training:
For AI, ensure it gets the human team members’ time to make sure it is trained properly in the long run. The same applies to its human counterparts: get your human team on the AI express! Regular training keeps everyone sharp as tech keeps evolving. Without this constant training, neither of them will be able to progress.
Change:
An employee is the catalyst for change. I know we call it recommendations, tips, or identifying patterns within our data; they are all different words for changes. We need to make sure our process can identify and execute quickly on a change that did not start with a human. If we don’t do that, we will not be able to have the needed structure to progress and provide the necessary feedback to support the continuous improvement of our AI.
Communication:
Make sure you establish clear communication channels, as our AI doesn’t have a voice. If we are not able to communicate with it directly, it will just be speaking through other people, and we don’t want that. It will create a dependency of our human employees on AI to think for them. The true gift human employees bring to work is their human creativity, and as an organization, we wish to protect that.
Guard Against Bias:
A crucial aspect to always keep in mind is that fostering trust with your team and customers hinges on ensuring fair AI decisions. To elevate your efforts beyond mere productivity and efficiency, a paramount step is to implement a customer voice strategy. This involves attentively listening to your customers through diverse channels such as customer feedback loops, NPS, surveys, likes, and more. Recognizing that the true essence lies in understanding your customers’ inherent human thinking becomes your guiding principle, forming the ultimate defense against biases, including confirmation bias, perception bias, the halo effect, and others. By consistently incorporating the genuine perspectives of your customers into your AI decision-making processes, you establish a gold standard that safeguards against biases, fostering trust and reliability in your AI implementations.
In closing, as we ride the wave of AI’s immediate successes, let’s not lose sight of the horizon. Transitioning from today’s gains to lasting triumphs requires a paradigm shift.
Let’s not view AI as a mere tool but embrace it as a non-human employee, an indispensable team member in every project.
Crafting an AI strategy isn’t about constraints; it’s an invitation to explore the profound possibilities of this technology.
Remember, our strategy must evolve to accommodate a new category of employee—the non-human one.
By defining clear job descriptions, prioritizing ongoing training, embracing change, fostering communication, and guarding against bias, we pave the way for a future where AI seamlessly integrates with human creativity.
Together, as innovators and custodians of ethical AI, we can navigate this transformative journey and harness the true potential of artificial intelligence for sustained success.
My Thoughts:
Amidst the rush to adopt AI, it’s important to understand the responsibility that comes with it.
AI has great potential to improve our lives in ways we might not fully grasp yet. But to make the most of it, we need to use it responsibly.
Like any tool, AI itself isn’t good or bad; it depends on how we use it.
It’s up to us to guide AI towards outcomes that benefit everyone.
