AI as a generator of ideas for everyone
First, there was crowdsourcing — the idea that everyone has something to contribute to the organization or problem at hand. Can generative AI refine this concept and make it more feasible?
The concept of “democratized” innovation came to the forefront with online crowdsourcing and its siblings, idea competitions, which have been widely used from product testing to developing applications to run. NASA spacecraft.
At the same time, although it is most often used to solve simple problems such as choosing a company logo, crowdsourcing suffers from a “lack of confidence in the intellectual power of crowds and in their ability to solve complex problems,” reports Eugene Ivanov of CRDF Global. in a analysis at HeroX. Another challenge is confusion between crowdsourcing and “other problem-solving tools, such as brainstorming.”
Enter AI-driven generative innovation, which has the potential to be the next step beyond crowdsourcing, helping to synthesize ideas from many sources and solve complex problems, according to a Harvard Business Review. article written by Tojin Eapen, Senior Fellow at The Conference Board and Daniel Finkenstadt of Wolf Stake Consulting. Generative AI can help promote divergent thinking, challenge expertise bias, aid in idea evaluation, support idea refinement, and facilitate collaboration among users.
Other industry leaders agree with the HBR authors’ analysis. Consistent with previous efforts to democratize innovation, “it’s not about making final decisions, it’s about leveraging AI to ask better questions,” says Chris Gibson, co-founder and CEO of Recursion. “For example, in our drug discovery business, we build our own AI-based tools, but we also use tools like those that power ChatGPT to reduce a significant amount of human effort in a variety of everyday tasks than our scientists. and drug developers would otherwise spend a lot of time on it.
The key to unlocking the power of AI “is to apply it in an iterative loop of learning and experimentation until you find a path that works for you,” adds Gibson. “And don’t be afraid to revisit this exploratory process every few months as the technology improves.”
Key to this formula is AI’s emerging role as an assistant to – not a replacement for – human idea creation. “Humans will always have the advantage when it comes to ideas, which “serve as the limitless foundation for all innovation and progress,” he says. Nick Gausling, retail consultant and managing director of Romy Group LLC. “Thinkers, philosophers, and creatives have struggled to monetize their work over the past few generations, but ultimately these skills will be among the most necessary to use AI effectively.”
The past year has been marked by numerous experiments on the potential of AI as a driver of innovation. Now is the time to face reality, says Bob Brauer, founder and CEO of Interzoid. And as with any reality check, some things won’t go as planned. “The 2024 market tests will likely lead to many failures, ranging from underperformance to delayed entries. Maintaining agility will be vital, as not all businesses will thrive, even with concerted efforts.
We are only beginning to understand the power of AI as a force democratizing innovation, says Gausling. “But the changes have already started gradually and the smartest innovators are ahead of the trend.”
One thing that is becoming evident is AI’s “ability to see beyond human blind spots,” Gausling points out. He recommends “wrestling” with AI to discover new perspectives. “Explain your ideas to the AI as you would a potential investor, provide it with all relevant data and technical information, and ask it to critique and improve the idea. It’s very possible that AI will identify things that never occurred to you.
It’s not just about democratizing innovation, but also scaling it, says Gibson. “My advice is to build teams and cultures that harness the power of these tools with a mindset focused on speed of change. Having the right mindset is a deciding factor in the impact of these technologies on individuals and organizations.
If adopted with a positive, forward-looking mindset, AI will “create a renaissance of creativity,” Gibson adds. “This will increase productivity. The leaders and teams who will be best positioned to leverage these rapidly evolving tools are those who intentionally push themselves to experiment and explore.
