Do you need help & advice with AI & Automation?
Feeling swamped by all the talk about artificial intelligence? You’re definitely not the only one. It seems like AI is everywhere, and as a business leader, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Whether you’re ignoring it, worrying about it, or already trying things out, there are some practical steps you can take to get a handle on it and keep your sanity.
AI is going to change how we work over the next few years, no matter what. So, instead of burying your head in the sand, let’s look at what you can do.
Get An AI Policy In Place
The very first thing you should do, if you haven’t already, is talk to your team and get an artificial intelligence policy sorted. Don’t make it a massive, complicated legal document that nobody will read. The goal is to have something short and to the point that people will actually use. This policy needs to give your team clear guidance on what they can and can’t do with AI. A big one is making sure people don’t upload confidential company data to places where you don’t know where it’s going.
Appoint An AI Evangelist
Next up, you need to appoint an AI evangelist. This isn’t just your IT manager or an external consultant. This person’s job is to keep an eye on both the risks and the opportunities that AI presents for your business and make sure they’re being explored. They’ll help the whole company get a better grasp of what’s happening with AI, because things are moving incredibly fast. What was possible a couple of weeks ago might be old news now, and it’s hard for even tech experts to keep up.
Key Takeaways
- Have a clear AI policy.
- Appoint someone to champion AI within the business.
- Focus AI efforts on specific, useful areas.
Where AI Is Genuinely Useful Right Now
It’s important to remember that not all AI is ready for prime time. Some companies are trying to jam AI into places where it just doesn’t work yet. For example, I recently called a company and tried to talk to their AI phone agent, and it was a terrible experience. It ended up hanging up on me without solving my problem. So, it’s often best to start with using AI internally.
Here are three areas where AI can be really helpful for businesses right now:
- Capturing Sales Opportunities: There’s a small window of opportunity when someone shows interest in your product or service. If you can get back to them quickly or at least capture their details fast, you’re more likely to make a sale. AI can help speed up this process, not necessarily by responding directly to customers, but by assisting your sales team.
- Cutting Down Busy Work: Think about tasks that are repetitive or time-consuming. If your team is spending a lot of time on ‘busy work’, AI can likely automate a lot of it. This doesn’t mean getting rid of staff. Instead, think of it as giving each employee a ‘digital twin’ that handles the routine tasks. This frees up your skilled employees to focus on the more complex, important parts of their jobs – that last 5% that AI can’t quite manage. It’s about making your team more effective, not necessarily replacing them. New roles will emerge, and jobs that don’t exist today will become important.
- Document Comparison: AI is great at comparing documents. If you’re working on a bid or a proposal, AI can help you see what information might be missing, making you more likely to win contracts. It can also help with spelling and grammar, and generally improve the document. For legal documents, it can highlight potential missing points, but be careful – asking AI to shorten documents can sometimes remove vital information, and accuracy is key, especially with legal matters.
Moving Forward With AI
It’s okay to feel like AI is a lot to take in. The key is to not ignore it. By putting a policy in place, appointing an AI evangelist, and focusing on areas where AI can genuinely help your business right now, you can start to get a handle on it. Things will keep changing fast, but taking these steps will help you stay on top of it.
