‘Artificial intelligence’ is a buzzword for our times.
Leading tech firms like Google, Apple and Amazon are developing machine learning capability as fast as they can. Think of Facebook (auto-tagging in photos), Netflix (predicting your favourite movies)… even Google Maps are modern-day examples of AI technology.
But what is true artificial intelligence? The concept is often misunderstood within the business world. Here’s an example.
I met with a farmer recently who was using technology to help his processes. He’d programmed a drone to run through a series of events to help him navigate the property. It would wake up at 8.00am, check the fence for any birds, fly around the farm and then land back in its pod, ready for the next day – just like a real farmer.
But the machine couldn’t decide outside of these parameters. If it rained, it didn’t know that it was going to get wet. Or navigate around a pigeon. Or slam into a fence if it moved.
It’s a perfect example of automation. But he was convinced his piece of machinery was an example of artificial intelligence.
Here’s the difference between the two.
How to spot AI
There’s a subtle difference with AI. It’s programming an application to think beyond these set of instructions.
Imagine your office building’s security access system. Employees would scan their card and, if the card was valid, would get let in.
But imagine a world where when you stepped into the foyer, an application recognised who you were and linked it to an HR system. It verified you are contracted to work there – and lets you in.
There’s lots of intelligence at play here. The Google Home is another smart device that is an example of true artificial intelligence.
Driving customer experience
Airlines and many technology businesses use chat boxes as a great piece of artificial intelligence. They figure out common questions their customers would ask, then program their application to respond. Over time, as the system learns more, it makes better decisions.
Automation is about repeatability – processing the same action over and over again to create consistency and quality.
Whether you go down the AI or automation route is due to the context of your business and creating intelligence that gives you quicker decision-making for repeatable tasks.
For you, it could be a virtual assistant. Or a chat box that can quickly analyse and respond to your customers online.
So, to use AI or not?
Reach out to CatalystAi today to discuss whether your business could benefit from AI or automation.
