AI: A Perspective on Exploration & Discovery

There have been many articles, papers and books published on how AI represents a path of evolution - not revolution - for businesses. This has been neatly termed as digital Darwinism. There are many direct references to, and analogies with, the survival of the fittest and adaptation to a changing environment in our increasingly technological world.

All of this is true, and many organisations are adopting AI tools to improve business intelligence, workflows, processes and drive efficiencies through greater and faster automation. Whereas biological evolution has been a slow and fragile process, the rise of AI’s capabilities has grown and developed exponentially. You could be forgiven for feeling a bit behind the curve given the pace of change.

So where do you start? With Charles Darwin still in mind, I think the answer is remembering what the famous voyage of the Beagle was intended for - exploration.

The act of exploration challenges conventional or accepted wisdom, questions assumptions and seeks to discover higher truths. For businesses this is a crucial first step – in objectively asking the key questions relating to both commercial sustainability and business development. How can we leverage new technology? How will it improve our operations, cost efficiency, business performance, intelligence and market penetration? Perhaps most of importantly, is recognising that exploration is the application of constructive reflection and scrutiny on established ways of working, a challenge to the norm, questioning the status quo. Many business leaders will of course recognise this as  the drive for continuous improvement, but in the spirit of discovery, they should do so without fear or prejudice.

In the context of AI, it is easy to make assumptions and become dismissive of both its power and potential. You may already hear the remarks in meetings, in your office or over a coffee with clients…"AI? Nothing but a glorified search engine” or that “it can’t be relied on… it creates hallucinations and provides false information”. Some of these concerns are legitimate, and in some cases are indicative of assumptive over-reliance or lack of diligence in using the platforms available. This speaks to another concern frequently raised, that AI will effectively inform, populate and replace the work we do – and replace us. The argument is not new in the digital age, nor is the answer – that AI is another effective tool to control and direct, not be controlled or directed by.

Perhaps the first question to ask is what do you want AI to do? Although many companies are experimenting with AI’s current core functionalities on an ad-hoc basis, how many are actively benchmarking against established processes or testing results or outputs against actual data for comparison and review? A good experiment should always have controls. This also reiterates the old adage that what goes in, comes out - so how will AI interact and integrate with your business systems, what will be the parameters and context of the questions we ask and which sources will provide a fully contextual answer?

If considering exploration of AI for your business, it may be prudent to chart a provisional course. Pinpoint the areas of operations that are the low hanging fruit, the areas of potential improvement or enhancement. Also consider the latitude and breadth of application: Will it be used for internal or external purposes? Do you need traditional AI for internal data analysis or generative AI to assist in content creation? What approach do you need to consider in managing security, privacy and data – and in applying sufficient scrutiny to check and qualify the outputs?

In summary it is not the case that AI will disrupt and revolutionise the way we live and work. It already is. Understanding AI will be essential in remaining relevant, both in terms of potential benefits, new applications and controlling potential risks in a way that suits your business irrespective of size or complexity. In summary, as revolutionary as the technology is, it is still a tool to master and use in finding better and smarter ways of working. As with other tools, AI requires the skill to be guided by human perspective, discretion, judgement, direction and scrutiny. That is where exploration often leads: to a point of informed discovery.

If you would like to discuss your approach to working with AI, or how you’re shaping your plans to explore the possibilities, please contact me – I’d love to hear your thoughts and perspectives.