The hype around artificial intelligence is at an all-time high. Sometimes, in tech, the reality never matches the hype. With AI, though, I do believe it’s warranted.
I view the adoption of AI as similar to the adoption of internet technologies. We talked about the internet, hyped it, created economic reports, and then we stopped talking about it because it became embedded into everything we do. From an adoption perspective, we aren’t quite there yet with AI, but a recent report shows that many organizations already use AI, and it’s on the verge of widespread adoption across most business sectors.
C1, a global technology solution provider focusing on “elevating connected human experiences,” published a report this month showing how quickly and pervasively generative AI is used by businesses. The report “The Era of AI-Powered Connected Human Experience is Underway” examines how organizations use AI to improve automation, develop new products and services, create software and more.
C1 surveyed more than 500 decision-makers from several sectors, including education, finance, healthcare and manufacturing. The findings show the strategic role AI is already playing. Here are some highlights:
- 100% of the organizations surveyed are creating new key performance indicators for monitoring AI applications in their businesses. The chief focus is on improving the quality of interactions.
- 99% have stepped up their AI adoption, and 51% of the leaders surveyed said they are “significantly expediting” AI integration across their operations.
- 80% of respondents said gen AI is “essential for enhancing employee collaboration and the quality of work.”
- On the customer front, 76% of organizations feel AI will be “integral to elevating customer interaction quality and experience.”
Of the data points above, the first is the most notable. The creation of new KPIs will help companies understand how to measure processes in the AI era. For example, with contact centers, a legacy tried and true KPI is “average handle time,” or AHT, to measure how long a customer call takes.
With virtual agents handling mundane tasks, AI-enabled contact centers see AHT increase as live agents do more complex tasks. Early adopters of AI use metrics like upsell opportunities or AI generate CSAT as new metrics. This is something all businesses will have to do and the data shows that’s happening now.
Not a one-trick pony
One of the more interesting aspects of the research is the variety of ways organizations rely on gen AI for critical activities.
- 85% are using gen AI to enhance automation.
- 84% use it to co-develop products and services.
- 84% say gen AI helps them develop code.
- 68% are using it for virtual assistants or copilots.
Given how rapidly gen AI has taken hold in so many businesses, it’s interesting to note that when it comes to its effects on workers, 90% of the company leaders who participated in the survey say AI “enhances the human experience in the workplace.” Examples cited include adopting virtual assistants, automation solutions, and tools to support dynamic workflows.
One interesting dynamic of this is how AI changes work. If AI saves workers time and enables tasks to be completed sooner, should companies change people’s goals? For example, if salespeople are no longer required to put information in customer relationship management services because AI can automate that, should more meetings and closed business be expected? I’ve asked CEOs, heads of human resources and line-of-business managers this, and there is no consensus opinion, but it does appear workers’ goals will need to be adjusted.
Executives not oblivious to gen AI risks
As with any new technology, it can take time to determine with a high degree of certainty whether the innovation is benign and beneficial or potentially dangerous. That process may be moving faster on gen AI than with almost any other technology that has hit the market in decades.
Even as organizations rapidly innovate with gen AI and deploy it widely, the report acknowledges that business leaders “must recognize the potential risks and challenges of adopting generative AI.” The areas where the report states “organizations should exercise caution” include data privacy, intellectual property concerns, and cybersecurity risks. According to survey respondents, the “shortage of skilled professionals” in AI development, deployment, and maintenance is tied to those concerns.
Some 65% of respondents said their organization has “revised its cybersecurity protocols” regarding potential AI-related risks to address these concerns. C1 notes in the report that the caution among early adopters “underscores the importance of strategic AI planning and implementation.”
This is a case where security and compliance must be built into the design of the new AI-infused processes. Often, companies adopt new technologies, and the security issues are looked at post-production. Given the risks with AI are so high, and will be public, making it part of the rollout is prudent.
Early AI adoption tied to first-mover advantages
Survey respondents who reported “high to very high use” of gen AI come from a broad group of industries:
- Utilities: 86%
- Healthcare: 81%
- Manufacturing: 75%
- Finance and insurance: 68%
- Hospitality: 68%
- Education: 65%
What’s notable about the above industries is that the highest adopting ones are typically slow-moving, with processes filled with “human latency.” AI will have a massive payback in these verticals. I recently talked to a hospital administrator who told me every missed appointment costs the organization thousands of dollars because of staffing and equipment costs. AI is being used at that facility to automate patient reach-out and appointment confirmation, leading to a 90% reduction in missed appointments.
C1 cites the “potentially significant” implications of being a first mover in gen AI. “Organizations learning from their generative AI implementations have an advantage over those without generative AI-based capabilities in use. Those gaining experience are doing so at an accelerating rate while those cautiously approaching implementation of generative AI are at risk of falling too far behind.” We saw this play out in the Internet era as companies we had never heard of before disrupted the tried-and-true vendors. Expect to see the same with AI.
The AI era is here and will change every aspect of our lives. I’ve asked business and information technology leaders for recommendations on how their peers should get started with AI if they have not yet. Their advice is to jump and start trying things. There’s an expression that some people make things happen, some people watch things happen, and the rest wonder what happened. You don’t want to be in this last category with AI.
