Artificial intelligence has become a buzzword within the broadcast industry as well as the world at large, but its meaning and importance can vary depending on the audience. Whether it’s already realized or not, AI is not just hype or a passing fad. Its influence is significant and will continue to grow and impact all people, businesses and workflows as a tool, threat or opportunity.
For many, ChatGPT represents their understanding of AI because of the publicity it has received, the accessibility it provides, and the value it has demonstrated to almost everyone in recent years. But while this may seem like a recent advancement to the general public, the truth is that AI has been around for decades.
Learning Lessons
There are many forms and sources of AI, some of which we commonly implement. Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant are examples of AI that has already become mainstream; however, they have not been able to demonstrate the power, flexibility, and value easily accessible with current AI-based chatbots.
(On your business: technology is not enough)
To provide more clarity, it is important to understand what AI is. According to management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, “AI is the ability of a machine to perform the cognitive functions we associate with the human mind, such as perception, reasoning, learning, interaction with the environment, problem solving and even the exercise of creativity”.
Under the term AI is machine learning, which includes algorithms that process large sets of data or input to make predictions and recommendations without specific instructions. Examples of this are facial recognition, product recommendations, as well as predictive text entry and auto-correction.
Deep learning and then generative AI specialize more in machine learning. Generative AI is what most people refer to when talking about AI because of ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, DALL-E, Claude, and popular tools. (Note: GPT stands for Generative Pretrained Transformer, a model designed to generate human-like text in response to a prompt and the behind-the-scenes driver of many AI tools.)
Harness the power
With so many products, services and purpose-built applications boasting their ability to leverage AI to meet specific needs and solve common problems people face in their work and daily lives, how can audiovisual professionals harness the power of AI within their organizations?
Beyond its impact on advancing product development to include more customer-centric features and benefits, AI offers the opportunity to propel businesses by simplifying routine tasks, reducing effort content creation or coding development and improving efficiency. Each of these elements improves results by saving time and/or increasing productivity.
Using AI may not be a requirement, but it can be a distinct competitive advantage or superpower for those who embrace it.
In today’s business climate, and especially in small businesses, most teams are small, with each member wearing multiple hats and working hard to meet the demands of their primary focus and secondary responsibilities. Having a way to reduce the time spent on any activity would be an advantage, especially for tasks that are time consuming, do not require their expertise, and/or are low paying.
This is where AI can be a valuable tool. Used effectively, AI can amplify productivity, reduce workload and/or streamline processes while providing a cost-effective alternative to increasing expenses or billable hours, outsourcing or canceling tasks . The challenge is understanding how to implement AI effectively, where it can have the greatest impact, and investing the time and money to determine how to apply it.
Choose your task
For a tool like ChatGPT, one must invest time to understand the prompts that will produce the best result in the least amount of time. Let’s also remember that AI is good but far from perfect. Therefore, the work he produces, while very impressive, must be checked for accuracy and must be adjusted for personalization and style to avoid being inauthentic.
(Blueprint for success: steering your future)
When it comes to software applications that leverage AI, it’s essential to refine and prioritize a specific list of tasks and look for a tool that satisfies them, rather than being sold a solution that offers many features that do not meet critical needs. Using multiple applications focused on a specific role can be more effective than finding an all-or-nothing solution.
Where to start ? I suggest you determine the tasks that are tedious or time-consuming, which are not your strong point, or which do not require your involvement. Here are some common responses:
• Taking meeting notes
• Transcription
• Writing code
• Search (alternative to Google)
• Generate content ideas or plans
• Creation of electronic messages
• Creation of publications on social networks
• Making appointments
• Sending reminders and follow-up
Prioritizing this list in order of impact, from most to least impactful, will provide guidance on where to apply AI and how it can deliver the most value.
Competitive advantage
AI is not ready to replace a person or eliminate jobs; however, those who do not adopt AI will be replaced by those who do. This is true for someone in any role. While some may view AI as a way to take shortcuts, cheat, or avoid work, learning to use AI is a skill that will lead to creating leverage and identifying of value, then to the development of mastery which will translate into increased efficiency and better results. Following this formula will result in a clear advantage over those who resist, avoid, or do not invest in AI adoption.
At the moment, the use of AI may not be a requirement, but it can be a distinct competitive advantage or superpower for those who embrace it. Just like when computing and the Internet first arrived on the business landscape, early adopters struggled and initially felt the pains of change. Then, once they harnessed the power of these tools and realized the competitive advantage they provided, they reaped the benefits.
(MAXHUB to create advanced AI solutions with Microsoft Azure Cloud)
AI presents the same opportunity. Imagine what would happen to your business or career if you didn’t embrace the technology you rely on for everyday use, like mobile devices, the cloud, or search engines. The power of AI is akin to these tools, which have become non-negotiable.
Learning how to use and apply AI to your needs will provide value in the short and long term, provided it is properly thought out and used effectively with a hands-on approach. AI won’t do the work for you. But it will help you get more done in less time and with greater efficiency.
