Gen AI (artificial intelligence) brings significant opportunities for businesses in nearly every vertical market, but achieving the promised outcomes requires quite a bit of planning and strategy. As with any new technology implementation, it must start with a core business objective, followed by a strategy for how to leverage technology to meet that objective. Businesses must follow an AI roadmap to be hugely successful. For this blog, consider for a moment how this roadmap might look like for your organization.
Here’s a few steps to consider along the journey when implementing gen AI into your organization today, including:
Step 1: Identify a problem and core objective. What is your why? Why are you implementing gen AI? What problem will it help solve? Remember, technology just for technology’s sake is a recipe for disaster. I suspect gen AI might be able to solve a problem in your organization, but you need to identify the problem and your core objective first.
Step 2: Set realistic expectations and goals. You recognize the problem and the solution (gen AI)! Great. Next, you need to set specific goals around the implementation of the technology. What exactly do you hope to achieve with this technology? Write it down. Make sure your goals are specific. This will be your compass that you continually look at to ensure you continue to remain on track with your technology adoption.
Step 3: Identify potential roadblocks or risks. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. New regulations, safety risks, natural disasters, lack of integration, unexpected costs, cyberattacks, financial setbacks. There are so many potential risks that could impact a successful technology rollout. Plan for the unexpected as best as you can.
Step 4: Involve all stakeholders. People, process, technology. The three go together for a reason. We can’t have a successful technology implementation without the right people. Identify a lead person and a team who will guide the implementation of technology. Also, make sure you get buy-in from senior leaders and from all workers who will be using the technology. Resistance to using technology could completely derail a successful tech rollout.
Step 5: Select the right technology and the right partners. There are so many technologies out there that can be used. Some are free. Most are not. Some require complex integrations. Others are standalone. Now is the time to select the right technology. This is when you look back to that goal you set. Remember, use that as your compass when you select your technology.
Step 6: Create a process for how your organization will leverage the technology. Be specific about who does what and when. This is where tech implementations become successful or not. We must identify the how. How exactly will the technology be leveraged across the organization?
Step 7: Constantly reevaluate what is working and what is not. The only way you continue to move forward is by identifying what is working and what is not. If something is not working—if you are not meeting those core goals that you set out at the beginning of this journey—then you need to pivot.
Technology companies are also taking a step in addressing strategy, bias, and advancement that is coming along with the rise of gen AI.
To address this very thing, the EY organization announced the establishment of the EY.ai Global AI Advisory Council to provide the latest insights and guidance. The objective here is to foster innovation, strengthen the AI ecosystem, and responsibly address the societal impact of AI deployment.
This council is focusing on three key domains including:
- Directing AI development and deployment within the EY organization and its affiliated entities across the globe by sharing insights on how the technology is developing, including breakthroughs and emerging risks.
- Helping EY professionals serve their clients’ transformations and how they deploy AI in their organizations, as well as assessing the EY organization on broader AI powered industry transformation and verticalization.
- Working to address global challenges through innovative uses of AI, including climate change, health and wellness, education, the digital divide, or access to tools by marginalized groups and societies, etc., while also working to mitigate risks to people and society.
Certainly, gen AI is here—and it is going to disrupt business. But we have the choice and the means to determine if it is going to disrupt our business for the good. What steps will you take this week as we head into a gen AI future?
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