Artificial Intelligence (AI) is poised to have a transformational impact on the way we live and work. The AI for Business series aims to provide business and IT leaders with the tools and understanding they need to make smarter decisions about AI. For more in this series, check out our articles on the foundations of AI and AI implications for customer experience.
AI has been a development on the radar for a range of organizations for years now. Through the recent rise of generative AI engines like ChatGPT, however, it has flourished in value, and has truly become a mainstream entity that has captured the imagination of the world. For businesses, factoring in new developments in AI to 2024 business models has become a non-negotiable for growth and maintaining a competitive edge.
Today’s organizations have matured their understanding of AI and how it could advance their goals against the tricky tides of everything from changing customers to employee behaviors. The focus has shifted rapidly from a narrow one on chatbots and cost saving to a wider business objective of productivity and success. As businesses continue grappling with ongoing economic uncertainty, SMBs need to make budgets stretch as far as possible. AI can provide a lifeline to IT teams, especially by optimizing IT support to maximize business efficiency and ease workloads.
Thinking pragmatically, AI can be utilized by IT teams to:
- Automate script writing: For time-poor IT workers, tasks such as script writing are integral, but challenging given how time consuming the art of wordsmithery is. By automating script writing for device management, IT teams can reallocate time to addressing different high-value tasks. Furthermore, for less experienced IT workers who have not yet learned how to write specific scripts, AI enables them to write required scripts without knowing the technical details of them, allowing for easier upskilling.
- Reduce repetitive working: IT teams are often faced with many repetitive tasks like resetting passwords, restarting machines, and backing up files. Implementing AI solutions will once again allow for greater IT efficiency and place focus on higher impact tasks by automating these functions to run on a repeated process, rather than needing manual input every time.
- Provide an accurate set of eyes: Finally, AI can proofread activities as they are performed, reducing the likelihood of errors. When needing to complete a range of tasks quickly, accuracy can be compromised as speed is prioritized. AI adds an extra layer of assessment, and ensures quality remains strong during fast turnarounds.
All of these automations aim to assist IT workers, not replace them.
While many headlines continue to spread fear that computers will steal the jobs of technical IT workers, they are overlooking one critical component – the necessity of the human touch coupled with AI. Humans have the innate ability to question when things aren’t quite right. Humans can offer empathy and emotional support to colleagues or customers who are frustrated, helping to build a stronger connection between users and the IT support team. It is only alongside human intuition that AI and advanced machine learning can run effectively.
AI, in its traditional sense, is neutral, machine driven – in essence, a tool. It might be very advanced and very powerful, but a tool nevertheless. By training AI systems and incorporating human feedback, AI can improve its accuracy and responsiveness over time. This will bolster a business’ IT capacities by reducing downtime and operating more efficiently, without replacing the human touch.
AI allows for workers to spend less time on trivial logistics, and more time on the bigger picture. With the human touch at the forefront, it’s time to lean into what AI can bring to the table in terms of maximizing productivity and supporting the new working world.
