AI is everywhere. Is ChatGPT my only option for taking advantage of AI capabilities?
Short answer: Absolutely not! Longer answer: Let’s unpack that today.
AI has several dimensions to it. ChatGPT is one form of generative AI that allows a person to enter prompts, and in return, they receive images, text, or videos that AI actually creates.
On a foundational level, AI is all about data, recognizing patterns in the data, and using those insights to drive decision-making in a way that a human could. AI is also about processing large amounts of data in ways that humans cannot process.
In movies, we hear about AI aspects that don’t really exist yet, such as when machines have a consciousness and can converse with you with true human insight.
For now, we are still at the elementary levels of AI to drive automation of repetitive tasks, analyze data, and provide insights and recommendations for better decision-making.
Let’s consider some of the practical applications of AI that we already see in our daily lives and how these ideas are changing how we work.
Several common use cases:
- Using AI to gain new enlightenment regarding customer behavior. AI has made providing tailored recommendations for products and services easier. This has allowed a business to pitch its product offerings based on the data collected about a customer’s buying behavior. This has led to providing special offers and customized marketing content to drive revenue growth.
- Using AI for predictive analytics, based on machine learning algorithms to predict future business outcomes in forecasting or for helping to drive other business decisions.
- Using AI for personalization has impacted our shopping experiences. We are seeing how AI models can learn from data and create a more personalized experience. At the grocery self-check station, when some fruit is placed on the scale, the shopper is presented with the most frequently purchased fruit options for selection. This was made possible by accessing historical buying patterns collected through a frequent shopper’s card. The impact of this personalization is that time is saved from screen scrolling or extra typing.
- Using AI to autonomously carry out the task of categorizing and interpreting email attachments. This can reduce time spent saving .pdf files to a shared folder or receiving and forwarding documents for further review as part of administrative tasks.
These are just a few of the practical applications available today. Other examples include sales order automation, workflow intelligence, and intercompany reconciliation process improvement opportunities.
Remember that data quality is essential for accurate AI Insights.
As you plan your journey to integrate new AI based applications to address efficiency, automation, personalization, and predictive analytics, keep in mind that clean data is at the core of any AI initiative. AI predictive outcomes are only as good as the data provided to the model. Data quality can directly impact the performance, accuracy, and reliability of AI models. High-quality data allows models to make better predictions and produce more reliable results. Reliable results build confidence and trust within the user community.
As leaders, we want to embrace change pragmatically, focusing on value attainment for the organization, not just adopting the next big thing. With all of the discussions on AI and AI embedded in the SAP software applications, we see customers taking advantage of these capabilities to facilitate the deployment of new process models. The good news is that many won’t even realize how these capabilities are seamlessly integrated into the software applications they use daily.
When business users and customers can view AI tools as accelerators, it creates a culture that positively views this enabling technology.
Kimberley Reid is VP of Digital Enterprise, SAP Solutions for Hitachi Vantara. She continues her people focused commentaries for ASUG Executive Exchange. Reid draws on everyday technology, project, people, and leadership experiences of her career. She plans a forthcoming book based on these experiences and reflections.