A Note From Entech’s CRO, David Spire: The AI Revolution

The Growing Use of AI in the Business Sector: A Revolution in Efficiency, Decision-Making, and Customer Experience

Maybe it’s just because of the industry we are in, but it seems as though I can’t turn on a podcast, kick on a LiveStream, catch a minute of the news, scroll through a social media feed, or hit a dinner party without seeing or hearing about Artificial Intelligence (AI). It’s pervasive!

Just last week we were in Chicago meeting with our Board of Directors and the topic hit the agenda focused on how we were currently using tools that leverage AI to help solve problems faster and more complete for our client-partners. One of the statements I made was, “…most of the time, technology isn’t the limiting factor, it’s our inability to dream big or creative enough to push the technology (AI in this case) to truly benefit us in a new and meaningful way”.

So, it felt only fitting to tease out the topic here and share some early reads on the subject and how it might just help you and your organization.

Let’s first start with what it is…

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in business, revolutionizing industries and reshaping the way organizations operate. Businesses are increasingly embracing AI technologies to gain a competitive edge, enhance efficiency, improve decision-making processes, and deliver personalized customer experiences. Let’s explore the profound impact of AI and delve into its applications across various industries.

According to a report by Gartner, by 2025, AI is expected to create $15.7 trillion in economic value.

One of the key advantages of AI is its ability to enhance efficiency and productivity.

AI-powered automation systems can tackle repetitive and mundane tasks, such as data entry, customer support, and inventory management, freeing up human resources to focus on more complex and creative endeavors. Intelligent algorithms and machine learning models have proven to be exceptionally effective in streamlining processes, reducing errors, and accelerating workflow. For example, AI-driven chatbots and virtual assistants.

Here are some of the ways that AI is being used in the today:

• Customer service: AI-powered chatbots are becoming increasingly common in customer service. These chatbots can answer customer questions, resolve issues, and even upsell products 24/7, providing immediate responses to queries and resolving issues promptly. For example, Amazon's Alexa and Google's Assistant are both AI-powered chatbots that can be used to interact with customers. (Link to Article)

• Marketing: AI is being used to personalize marketing campaigns and target customers with relevant offers. For example, Facebook uses AI to power its "Lookalike Audiences" feature, which allows businesses to target people who are similar to their existing customers.

• Operations: AI is being used to automate tasks in the workplace, such as scheduling appointments, processing orders, and managing inventory. For example, Walmart uses AI to manage its inventory and optimize its supply chain. 

• Risk management: AI is being used to identify and mitigate risks, such as fraud and cybercrime. For example, banks use AI to detect fraudulent transactions. 

• Product development: AI is being used to develop new products and services. For example, Google uses AI to develop new features for its search engine.

• Research and development: AI is being used to accelerate research and development. For example, pharmaceutical companies use AI to discover new drugs.

AI technologies have revolutionized decision-making processes in businesses that choose to embrace it.

By leveraging advanced analytics, predictive modeling, and data mining techniques, AI systems can analyze vast volumes of data in real-time and extract valuable insights. These insights empower businesses to identify trends, anticipate customer preferences, and optimize operations. For example, AI-driven algorithms can evaluate complex scenarios, assess risks, and recommend the most viable strategies.

Furthermore, AI can assist businesses in strategic decision-making by simulating and predicting outcomes based on various factors. For instance, in the retail industry, AI algorithms can analyze customer data, market trends, and competitor strategies to recommend pricing strategies, product assortments, and marketing campaigns. 

Here are some of the benefits of using AI in business:

• Increased efficiency: AI can automate tasks that are currently done by humans, freeing up employees to focus on more strategic work.
• Personalized customer experiences: AI can be used to personalize customer experiences, making them more relevant and engaging.
• Reduced costs: AI can help businesses reduce costs by automating tasks, improving efficiency, and making better decisions.

Of course, there are also some challenges associated with using AI in business:

• Data privacy: AI systems need access to large amounts of data in order to learn and make predictions. This raises concerns about data privacy and security.
• Bias: AI systems can be biased, reflecting the biases that are present in the data that they are trained on. This can lead to unfair or discriminatory outcomes.
• Interpretability: It can be difficult to understand how AI systems make decisions. This can make it difficult to trust these systems and to explain their decisions to customers.

Despite these challenges, the potential benefits of using AI in business are significant. As AI technology continues to develop, we can expect to see even more businesses adopting AI and reaping the rewards.

Here are some tips if you are considering using AI:

• Start small: Don't try to implement AI across your entire business all at once. Start with a small project and learn from your experience.
• Focus on the right problems: Don't just use AI because it's cool. Use it to solve real problems that will improve your business.
• Get the right data: AI systems need good data in order to learn and make predictions. Make sure that you have the right data before you start using AI.
• Monitor and evaluate: It's important to monitor and evaluate the performance of your AI systems. This will help you to identify any problems and to make sure that the systems are performing as expected.

Without a doubt, the growing use of AI in the business community has ushered in a new era of efficiency, decision-making, and customer experience. By automating routine tasks, improving decision-making processes, and delivering personalized experiences, AI is transforming industries across the board. The businesses that choose to embrace AI technology gain a significant competitive advantage, unlocking opportunities for innovation, growth, and customer satisfaction.

In full disclosure, much of the above was aided by AI, both ChatGPT and Bard. I’m pretty sure you’d be disappointed with me if I didn’t use a little AI in an article about AI.

If this is a topic you’d like to learn more about, drop me a note via email or the form on this page, and if the interest is there, we’d be happy to do more education on the topic.

David Spire

CRO