Part 5: So, if this sounds like a lot, can I just ignore AI for now?

One of our customers asked if they could just create a “No AI Allowed” policy and thereby avoid the AI challenges until everything is settled. Unfortunately, that could be quite hard to implement. Microsoft and LinkedIn published the results of their study on AI in the workplace in May 2024. Below is the Infographic.  In general, AI is used by 75% of workers worldwide. AI at Work Is Here. Now Comes the Hard Part (microsoft.com)

How could that be? Someone recently shared with me a list of over 1,000 programs available with AI. How common is AI? Even very common tools like Google search and Edge Bing use AI as do Word, Excel, QuickBooks and more. It is unlikely a no-AI policy is possible at this stage.

 

And so, from here? Now what?

How do we proceed with our business in a universe that includes not only AI-trained models but also foundational models with probabilistic responses to our prompts?

Changes in thought and understanding can rattle more than our cage. It can shift the ground beneath our feet and upset our understanding of the world order. Does it change that order? Or just our understanding of it? Either way, how do we plan for a future that appears to be such a deviation from the past that we can feel like we are on a completely different planet?

I do not believe the answer to that question is known. We don’t have a finite scenario we can test to ensure an accurate outcome. But we deal with similar scenarios in our business every day. Each interaction with an employee, customer, client, or board member requires decisions that are probabilistic, not certain.

In this situation, like those, we gather the facts of the situation, arm our team with the tools we can, and make our best guess, then tacking and adjusting as needed to drive forward.

Gather the facts of the situation.

Like other Macro Trends, understanding the fundamental principles of AI is essential. Identify a trusted advisor, preferably a few who can provide perspective.

Prepare your team.

Ensure your team has critical thinking skills. Provide them training on what AI is. Ensure they know if they are working with Classical Machine Learning or Deep Learning models. Are they asking questions for answers or providing prompts for responses?They need to know what to ask. As Alfred Lanning told Will Smith’s character “Del Spooner” in iRobot, “That, Detective, is the right question.”

Setup the necessary technical platform

Data Governance: AI eases decision-making. However, it requires a vast amount of data to do it well. Ensure you have a data governance platform in place.

Make your best guess.

Consider AI in your business, your industry, among your customers, and in your community. What will change? How will it change? Consider 3 outcomes and prepare a rough plan should they arise. Revisit this plan as you would any other business plan, only with the fast rate of change, a monthly or quarterly revisit may be required rather than annual.

Track and Adjust

More than traditional software, AI models are constantly evolving, as are our adaptation to a world with AI. To understand where we are, we need to know where we have been. Identifying measures for performance and risk and continually monitoring those to respond is needed. Additionally, create feedback loops from your team to ensure you benefit from the variety of perspectives and experiences as quickly as possible. There are many tools available. A good start is Microsoft’s RAI Impact assessment template: Microsoft-RAI-Impact-Assessment-Template.pdf

Don’t Go It Alone: Some ways TechHouse can help

  • Free Webinars to stay aware: Contact us for our upcoming webinars.
  • Check out Kathy’s AI panel on Bright Talk June 21st, 2024, at 1pm eastern.
  • Our CoPilot AwareTM Solution contains curated assessments, sample policies,communications, and guides for your AI Adoption journey.
  • Training and mentoring for you and your team: from Cybersecurity to Critical thinking workshops, our team is dedicated to transferring skills to help your team thrive in this new world.
  • Technical Preparedness and Tools: Engage us for an AI preparation, Data Governance, cybersecurity, or CoPilot/AI rollout in your organization.