‘You don’t use chatGBT?’ I got asked at a recent get-together. My AI advocate friend continued to express their love of it. I don’t use it, at least I try to avoid it. ChatGBT, yet another wave from a digital transformation tsunami which promises to answer and re-write questions and statements which you feed it.
I can’t help finding chatGBT slightly offensive as a creative person… Why?
Is it because it makes the hours of effort and pride that I’ve poured into previous projects utterly redundant? Well, when a piece of computer can do the same thing x100 faster and better, yes, you do tend to start feeling a bit useless. There’s a large risk that the digital revolution is eventually going to affect our ideas around purpose and the value that we bring to the table.
Regardless of personal opinions, there’s no denying how much of a profound effect that artificial intelligence and digitisation will have on our working lives.
So here it is: the good, and the bad…
One significant benefit of AI is the ability to automate repetitive tasks (which I’m sure we are all here for). Freeing up valuable time for business owners and employees to focus on more strategic activities. In addition, the cloud and digitisation allows us to work from anywhere in the world, personalising out experiences and opening our world up to all levels of collaboration with different people and businesses.
It’s also good news for SME’s. AI will help small businesses analyse data more efficiently and enable them to make smarter decisions based on insights and trends.
Yet there’s no good and bad outcomes will be relative to perspective…
Larger businesses always get to the ‘honey’ first. Due to a larger resource pot for investment, able to pour money into digital assets like AI creates a huge advantage for any business that can afford it. The risk will be that AI catalyses a greater gap between SME’s and powerhouse corporations.
Despite these challenges, with careful planning and ethical considerations, businesses can harness the power of AI to drive innovation, streamline operations, and enhance customer experiences. By addressing the negatives of AI proactively, businesses can maximise the benefits of this transformative technology while mitigating potential risks.
Recent Digital Transformation: Remote Working
Remote working is a blessing and a curse. It’s not always the miracle answer which digital nomad gurus have made it out to be in tropical Instagram feeds and Bali-inspired TikTok’s.
For the younger generation, it’s stifling in-house development by reducing the chance of collaborating with more experienced members of staff. For more senior members, it has become a realisation that their business model simply just doesn’t support remote working as much as they thought it did in the beginning.
The most obvious set of drawbacks for remote working is obviously isolation and lack of communication.
In terms of collaboration, it can be difficult. Striking a balance is necessary when job tasks require mentorship, timelines, communication of ideas, and management. Isolation from other colleagues then comes to mean that team members aren’t able to bounce ideas off of each other as effectively. Creativity and innovation may become stifled and for tasks that require higher levels of creativity, this becomes detrimental.
For individuals whose company HQ might be more busy and loud remote working will come as a welcome relief, allowing them to concentrate a better on tasks instead of getting distracted by other team members.
Where clear expectations have been set around role and task completion, remote working will boost productivity tenfold. As it reduces burn-out and sick days, the opportunity of working from home makes it easier and more comfortable for individuals to complete tasks that aren’t location specific.
In these circumstances trust and expectation are crucial.
The opportunity to remote work exemplifies trust between management and staff. It means that the company’s values are rooted in mindfulness of the outside lives of their workers, and so employees have the opportunity to better balance their two worlds.
What’s coming?
If you ask AI itself what business will look like by 2050, this is the response:
In 2050, the landscape of business is likely to be vastly different from what we see today. With rapid advancements in technology, artificial intelligence, and automation, businesses will operate more efficiently and effectively. Remote work will likely be the norm, with virtual reality meetings feeling just as real as in-person ones. Sustainability will be a top priority, with companies focusing on reducing their carbon footprint and implementing eco-friendly practices. Collaboration and innovation will be key as businesses work together to solve global challenges. Overall, the business world in 2050 will be dynamic, interconnected, and focused on creating a better future for all.
ChatGBT
I’ve highlighted the last sentence because I think it’s an interesting take away. Is that the summary of a thousand online articles, or is it (and most-likely) pre-programmed by ChatGBT as a company to present neutral answers to complicated questions. Furthermore, it means that these early artificial softwares are going to be biased. Are they then totally reliable?
