Artificial Intelligence (AI) is all around us. Do you see it? Do you know when you’re experiencing it? From your friend suggestions to your thermostat, from chat bots to Google searches, AI is ever-present and always learning. With enough power to help during a global health crisis and enough specificity to help resolve your personal banking dispute, the use cases for AI are truly endless – with opportunities spanning across industries. Three experts, consultant Nia Christian, researcher Peter van der Putten, and CEO and Founder of NewVantage Partners Randy Bean discuss what AI is and where to look for the data that’s used to power it.

Key Takeaways:

[2:58] What is artificial intelligence, and why should it matter to your organization? AI is already very much immersed in our lives, from social media friend suggestions to driving a Tesla, predictive text, even passport, and ID scanners. AI is everything from Roombas to full-scale robotic, back down to Zoom calls and banking apps.

[4:47] AI is an ever-changing definition, but one constant is that the processes require loads of data to build intelligence. AI data processing can save lives if we know what data to look at.

[5:41] As a Big Data and AI thought leader, Randy has some important examples of how AI helped in the time of COVID, to accelerate vaccines and help us learn from data.

[6:30] For Peter, he is most excited about the impact technology will have on society. He discusses an example of how the Commonwealth Bank of Australia not only used customer data to deliver better customer empathy through AI but built its AI systems around delivering financial well-being.

[9:15] Randy explains how organizations must optimize first hand, with an example of working with the US Department of Defense to help them learn how to use their data more effectively in case of a drone strike.

[11:48] What data matters, and how can you tell the difference between useful data and excess? Randy explains that it is synergistic, and your digital system must interact with your real-world system, not seek to replace it. We also must plan for how it will affect everyone from our vendors to our customers, employees, and CEOs.

[14:49] It will be up to us to take control of how we apply our technology if we want to make sure that our AI programs do not harm anyone.

[17:49] The key principle will be to make sure our AI accounts for mistakes and biases, and that it is empathetic and accessible to everyone.

[19:08] AI already responds to user values based on clicks and engagement, especially in social media. How does this translate into us holding AI responsible for its “intelligence” and decision-making? Peter suggests that AI is a reflection of our values and our actions, and it’s possible we can use that information to foster human connection and support.

[22:00] Developing useful and ethical AI means putting in the work ourselves and knowing what your organization or mission stands for.

Quotes:

• [6:30] “I think what I’m most excited for is all of the people that the technology is going to impact.” - Peter
• [10:40] “Organizations are drowning in a sea of data, essential data, that could be used more effectively towards their goals, which could have small and large scale implications.” - Jo
• [12:08] You need to be laser-focused in terms of understanding what data is most important and what data is most crucial.” - Randy
• [13:39] Whenever new technologies are brought into an organization, people effectively have to change their behaviors. These are things that can take years, and in some instances, even decades.” - Randy
• [17:23] If we want computers to learn values we aspire to, we must first be clear about what those values are.” - Jo
• [22:08] “Eliminating biases and implementing AI programs that treat customers and clients the way you’d like to be treated seems to be at the heart of successful data transformation.” - Jo

Continue on your journey:

pega.com/podcast

Mentioned:

• Nia Christian
• Digital Fastforward
• Peter van der Putten
• Randy Bean
• Fail Fast, Learn Faster