[Summary] 10 questions, you always wanted to ask an AI disruptor, but never did!
1. Could you define AI in the simplest terms possible?
AI is that field of study which creates machines that exhibit intelligent behavior.
2. What are the benefits/capabilities of AI?
The benefits of AI include the automation of various functions, the optimization of different processes and the prediction of future events with accuracy, which in most cases, is much better than any human can achieve.
3. What value can it bring to organizations? Are there any disadvantages?
• If the organization is sitting on a pile of data, AI can easily process that data, analyze it, extract patterns and identify problems.
• AI can help automate repetitive tasks which might be too tedious.
• AI system is exact in its work, it does not get boring, suffers no fatigue, can foresee future trends and is capable of handling much more data than a person can ever manage.
Disadvantage
• AI requires an initial capital investment however, once it is up and running, it would need little to no maintenance.
• Affect people working. Some of them might lose their jobs. Others need to be re-skilled in order to learn how to perform different tasks with the assistance of an AI system.
4. There’s been a lot of hype around AI recently, but we know it’s been around for some seven decades already. Can you give some examples of some practical applications that we use in our every day lives?
• AI is a very mature technology. Today, we can find it in almost any device we use.
• Google, Facebook, climate control inside a car, ovens which automatically adjust the cooking temperature, Spam filters in your email client are powered by AI.
• What’s important to keep in mind is that AI is all around us and it is here to stay.
5. To what extent do you predict that AI will be replacing jobs? Has it started happening already?
• AI will not necessarily replace entire jobs but it will definitely take over specific tasks.
• in 5 years' time, automation will account for more than 50% of the tasks in existence.
• Some jobs like caring jobs (nurses, etc.), creative jobs (artists, etc) will not be affected much by AI because AI is still not very good at these tasks.
• Some jobs will become obsolete. These include drivers (because of the rise of self-driving cars), factory workers (because of automation) and many others.
• Some new jobs will be created. These jobs are jobs which we haven’t even invented. It could include jobs like Organ Creator whereby people will be tasked to create new organs (such as a new heart, kidney or liver) which would replace defective ones.
• Most of the jobs will change. They will be augmented with AI technologies. The effect of this will be massive. It might be as small as helping stackers in a supermarket identify expired products using augmented reality, up to assisting a surgeon during an operation.
6. Typically, what is the process to be followed when implementing AI in an organization?
• start educating people about what is AI to all the levels of hierarchy
• AI readiness audit is performed in order to ascertain the state of the organization with regard to adopting AI.
• Identify potential AI case studies that can be implemented based on feasibility, investment, and potential returns.
7. How long would the implementation process take, more or less?
It depends on what data is available, the quality of the data, the volume of data available, which algorithm to use, identifying the best approach to deploy.
8. Do you need in-house talent to implement it and what skill set would be required?
This really depends on the size of the organization
9. How do you think AI will impact the future of work?
• Most of what we do will be augmented with AI.
• Information is now restricted to a screen, in the future, it will roam through surfaces such as a table or a wall.
• Tasks will migrate between services seamlessly thus making work pervasive as well.
• Manipulation of data will become a piece of cake
• Everything will be connected together through the Internet of Things (IoT) devices
• The future is an interconnected one, powered by AI but with people at the center.
10. What recommendations would you give CEOs who haven’t started looking into AI yet?
• Future belongs to those who prepare for it today
• The technology is ripe, we have the processing power and there is finally the political will to embrace the AI revolution.
• Take the first step and learn about AI.
