Implementing AI in business often requires a shift in mindset and a willingness to adapt to new ways of working. According to a recent study by SnapLogic, an overwhelming two-thirds (66%) of respondents like the idea of using AI in their role, either currently or in the future. However, AI skepticism still remains.
For much-needed change to occur in their organisations, IT and business leaders must be understanding of their team’s apprehension to this relatively new technology and have a clear plan in place to address it. To understand more about this hot topic, we turned to Jeremiah Stone, CTO at SnapLogic.
In a candid conversation in the AZK Meets series, Azadeh Williams, Managing Director at AZK Media, chats with Stone, to demystify the buzz around AI. It’s all laid out in the can’t-miss Q&A below.
What are some of the common misconceptions around AI?
The first misperception is that AI is going to put us all out of work as if it were this otherworldly force with consciousness. In reality, this is the progression of work that's been happening for many, many years. It’s very tangible and real — and can deliver a lot of benefit to us all.
What excites you about how AI can be used in business?
What’s most exciting to me about how AI can be used in business is the ability to put the information we already have to work for the business to deliver a lot of value. It can help do the tasks that are quite dull, repetitive and tedious, which then frees up people to be more creative and drive value for their customers and business partners.
What concerns you about how AI is used in business?
At the core of all data and information, we need to be thoughtful about ethics, fairness and bias. These are areas where there’s no easy ‘silver bullet’ to manage. It’s critical that the time and energy people put into these spaces is done properly to ensure we have equity and good outcomes from the application of these technologies.
As more and more businesses embrace AI, what can be done to educate them further about embracing AI to create positive change?
The good news is that once you get past all of the hype and veneer, AI is actually not a super complex technology. What we’re seeing is that leading companies are embracing AI from a leadership perspective. They’re getting invested, understanding the technology itself and then leading by doing. They’re coming to grips with the opportunity and being genuine about the application of the technology from a leadership-first perspective. This approach tends to sort of de-risk and remove anxiety from the technology’s application.
What can businesses do to create more positive change with AI?
You have to lead from the front. There is a lot of material available to help those in leadership roles educate themselves and their teams. They can also attend conferences like the Gartner data analytics show that I’m attending here in Sydney. It’s important to get engaged with the content and dive right in.
Authored by Julie Cooper, Senior Content and Communications Specialist at AZK Media.
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