This was the question that I was asked some days ago. The person asking wasn’t technical in anyway and we stumbled into the AI discussion when I was explaining how to migrate all their data through to a new phone. I could even see the eye shutters rolling down if I strayed to far over to the “Technical Dark Side”.

Lets look into a few of the jobs that are available for Non Techie’s (NTs). It turns out that there are many opportunities for NTs to work in the AI space, of course some training will be required but they wont need to enroll in core developer classes to get ahead. I have listed a few of them below:

Education and Training: They develop programs for customers and employees to help understand the product so they can use it effectively.

Sales and Marketing: They explain the benefits and applications of AI to potential clients. Creating marketing campaigns and managing social media they will plug the gap between the technical capabilities and the clients. They need to understand AI concepts to be able to communicate the benefits.

Ethics and Policy: As the use of AI expands there are growing concerns about its ethical implications. An AI Ethicist will focus on ethical considerations and the implications of the technology throughout the development and implementation.

Technical Writing and Documentation: This might be perfect for a NT person since they could be the best Ambassador to introduce AI to the masses. If a NT can understand and translate complex concepts into clear and concise language about AI then most people should also be able to grasp the details.

Product Managers: They are responsible for defining the vision and gathering customer requirements. They coordinate with the design and engineering teams on the development and deployment of AI Products. They need to understand the market needs and the AI capabilities in order to define requirements and guide the product development but don’t need deep technical knowledge.

Project Managers: Project Managers oversee AI Projects, they coordinate and manage the delivery. They need to have good Project Management skills as they would need to communicate with stakeholders, manage the development and implementation of AI Projects, ensuring that tasks are delivered on time, within scope and meet business objectives.

Conversation Designer: They focus on creating engaging and natural interactions between users and AI chatbots or virtual assistants. They need to craft dialogues that feel human-like and user-friendly.

There are many other jobs that are not listed here but hopefully it shows that you do not need a background in programing or data science to work in AI.

A while back I wrote an article asking, “Will Artificial Intelligence (AI) replace Humans?” I just came across a post presenting reasons why AI cannot replace humans at work.

The reasons given are listed below.

• AI lacks Emotional Intelligence.
• AI can only work with inputted data.
• AI’s creative process is limited to the data it receives.
• AI dies not have soft skills.
• Humans make AI work.
• AI is meant to complement Humans and not to compete.
• AI needs to be fact checked.

Its a very good read and should help reassure people about AI’s role in the workplace. Please click here for the article from makeuseof for the full details.

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has sparked a wave of concern about its potential impact on the job market. Visions of robots taking over the workforce and going rogue like in Will Smith’s I Robot paints a bleak picture.

However, the reality is far from this. AI is not here to replace us; it’s here to augment us.

What is AI and Why Does it Matter?

AI refers to the development of intelligent systems that can mimic human cognitive functions like learning, problem-solving, and decision-making. AI is rapidly evolving, and its applications are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

Why should this matter? AI has the potential to revolutionize various industries, from automating repetitive tasks to generating creative content and analyzing vast amounts of data. This can lead to increased efficiency, productivity, and innovation across the board.

Addressing Concerns About Job Displacement
While some jobs might be automated, AI is likely to create new opportunities in fields like AI development, data analysis, and cybersecurity. Here’s how to address concerns about job displacement:

• Focus on Reskilling & Upskilling: Invest in training programs to equip your workforce with the skills needed to thrive in an AI-powered workplace.
• Focus on Human-AI Collaboration: The future lies in humans and AI working together. Identify tasks where AI can handle the heavy lifting and focus human expertise on areas like creativity, empathy, and critical thinking.
• Transparency & Communication: Openly communicate your AI strategy and address employee concerns proactively.

Inspiring Your Team to Embrace AI
Here are some ways to inspire your team to see AI as a positive force:

• Focus on the Benefits: Highlight how AI can automate tedious tasks, freeing up time for employees to focus on more strategic and rewarding work.
• Provide Training & Support: Offer training on AI basics and how it can be used to improve work processes.
• Showcase Success Stories: Share real-world examples of how AI is being used to augment human capabilities in different industries.
• Empower Experimentation: Encourage your team to explore how AI can be used to improve their daily work and innovate within their roles.

Remember: The key to navigating the rise of AI is embracing its potential for collaboration and focusing on the unique strengths that humans bring to the table. By fostering a culture of continuous learning and upskilling, we can ensure a future where humans and AI work together to achieve remarkable things.

AI is no longer reserved for the larger institutions. It is accessible to all regardless of the size of your budget.

Here are a number of ways that companies can gain advantage or improve their operations by leveraging AI.

Improved Decision-Making:

AI can analyze large volumes of data and generate insights by identifying patterns and trends that we as humans might miss. This would lead to better decision-making. AI algorithms can help companies make data-driven decisions faster and more accurately.

• AI can help optimize pricing by maximizing profits by taking competitor pricing and customer demand into consideration.
• It could help to identify customers that are at risk of leaving allowing the business to develop a retention strategy
• AI can predict demand and help to optimize stock levels allowing better inventory management

Better Customer Experiences:

AI can allow companies to personalize customer experiences by analyzing data and preferences. This can lead to improved customer satisfaction, loyalty, and a competitive advantage in the market.

Process Automation and Efficiency:

AI can be used to automate repetitive tasks, streamline processes and optimize resource allocation. This would allow employees to focus on more strategic and creative work which can result in increased operational efficiency, reduced costs, and improved productivity.

Innovation and New Product Development:

AI can help companies identify new market opportunities, develop innovative products or services. Leveraging AI companies can create unique offerings that set them apart from their competitors.

Risk Management and Compliance:

Using AI to analyze large data volumes can allow them to detect unusual patterns or activities that may indicate fraud or security breaches.

Risk Mitigation:

AI can assist in identifying and mitigating risks by analyzing data for potential fraud, cybersecurity threats, or compliance issues. A proactive approach to risk management can give companies a competitive advantage by minimizing potential disruptions.

Supply Chain Improvements:

AI can be used to optimize supply chain operations by predicting demand, optimizing inventory levels, and improving logistics. This can result in cost savings, faster delivery times, and improve customer satisfaction.

In order to develop the right AI for your business you need to start by identifying the problems that you want to solve with the help of an AI specialist that would also help to implement the solution.

With the increasing use of AI, I wanted to look at the risks and challenges associated with AI Algorithms that organizations need to be aware of.

What is an Algorithm?

It can be described as a set of instructions or rules designed to perform tasks or solve problems. Algorithms can break down complex problems into manageable chunks in order to achieve the desired outcome. One example of where algorithms are used daily by a large portion of the worlds population is with GPS navigation apps. GPS apps use routing algorithms to determine the most efficient, cheapest (fuel wise) and quickest routes.

There are many different types of algorithms that can be applied depending on functions or use cases.

Now that we know what an algorithms is, we can list some of the benefits as:

• Helps Increase Efficiency and Productivity
• Improves Decision Making
• Pushes Advancements in Healthcare
• Helps with Predictive Analysis
• Can Drive Innovation and Creativity
• Improves Safety and Risk Reduction
• Allows for Enhanced Data Analysis

We know that Al Algorithms have many benefits but they also come with inherent risks and challenges.

Here are the Risks and Challenges:

• Bias and Fairness or Discrimination: As the Algorithms rely on training data provided by people, these can sometimes lead to discriminatory outcomes and can cause ethical concerns, reinforcing social inequalities.
• Deepfakes and Misinformation: They can create very realistic “fake” images, audio and videos which could spread misinformation.
• Lack of Transparency: Some models can be difficult to interpret, which raises concerns about how decisions are made.
• Job Displacement: It could lead to job losses which would impact livelihoods.
• Ethical Use: Poorly implemented systems could have repercussions in areas like healthcare, justice or employment. Some obvious concern areas are surveillance, facial recognition and autonomous weapons.
• Reliability and Robustness: Systems may fail to perform in conditions they were not trained for which would lead to unreliable behavior.
• Over Relying on AI: This could lead to lack of critical thinking which would have wide ranging implications.
• Implementation: They can be complex and require significant investments in infrastructure, organizational change management and talent.

What could be done to mitigate these risks and challenges?

• Public Education and Awareness: Awareness of the capabilities and limitations of AI could help manage expectations and build trust.
• Increasing Human AI Collaboration and User feedback: This will help identify issues and improve trust in the system.
• Careful Planning: Implementation requires extensive planning in order to maximize benefits.
• Upskilling and Reskilling of Workers: Investment in retraining will help workers adapt to new opportunities. AI should augment humans, not replace them.
• Algorithm Explainability: To ensure transparent and trustworthy systems
• Oversight and Regulation: Clear regulation and ethical guidelines.
• Data Privacy: Ensure best practices for data collation, secure storage and data access which would help ensure compliance.
• Data Auditing and Cleansing: Work to ensure the data is fair, representative and without discriminatory patterns to avoid biases.

In summary, organizations need to implement robust governance frameworks, promote transparency and explainability, ensure diverse and representative data sets and establish mechanisms for ongoing monitoring and evaluation.

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, often feels like something out of a science fiction movie. But in reality, it’s all around us and has been in a some sort of form for a few decades. It touches our everyday lives in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. In this post, I will try to demystify AI and explore what it really is, how it works, and why it matters to you.

What is AI?
AI is about creating machines or software that can perform a range of tasks typically requiring human intelligence. These tasks might include understanding language, recognizing patterns, making decisions, or learning from experience.

Types of AI
AI comes in various flavors, but I will focus on two main types:

• Narrow AI: This is AI designed for a specific task. Here we can think of virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa, or recommendation algorithms on Netflix or Spotify, or even the software that powers self-driving cars like Tesla. It’s very good at what it does but can’t do anything else.
• General AI: This is the kind of AI that you see in movies – a system that can understand and perform any number of intellectual tasks as good as a human can.

How does AI work?
AI uses techniques from fields like computer science, mathematics, and neuroscience. Here’s a simple way to think about it:

• Data: AI systems need a an enormous amount of data to learn from. This data can come from text, images, videos, or other sources.
• Algorithms: These are the rules or steps that tell the AI how to process the data provided. One common type is machine learning, where the AI system “learns” patterns from data to make predictions or decisions.
• Training and Testing: AI systems are trained on a portion of the data to understand patterns. Then they are tested with new data to see how well they perform. This process helps improve their accuracy.

Why does AI matter?
AI is much more than just a cool tech trend as it has real-world implications. It can help doctors diagnose diseases, make cars safer, personalize education, and even help to combat climate change. At the same time, AI raises questions about privacy, job displacement, and ethical use. As AI becomes more integrated into our lives, it is crucial to understand its impact.

What is next for AI?
Even with all the recent developments, the future of AI holds very exciting possibilities.
We will see more advanced AI in healthcare, personalized experiences in entertainment and gaming, and smarter systems in our cities. But it’s also a future that requires careful thought and responsible development to ensure AI benefits everyone.

In short, AI is a powerful tool with the potential to change our world. By understanding what it is and how it works, you can better navigate the AI-driven future ahead.

There has been a lot of buzz and hype about Artificial Intelligence (AI), but what exactly is it and is it really all that it is made out to be.

Lets start by looking into what AI actually is. Artificial intelligence is a simulation of human intelligence in machines that are specially programmed to think like humans and even mimic their actions. The AI term may also be used to describe a machine that displays human like traits such as learning and problem-solving.

There are three basic AI concepts: machine learning, deep learning, and neural networks and AI is currently being used in a number of areas such as.

• Maps and Navigation. For voice assistants and self-driving cars
• Facial Detection and Recognition for security related situations
• Text Editors or Autocorrect.
• Search and Recommendation Algorithms.
• Chatbots.
• Digital Assistants.
• Social Media.
• E-Payments.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) could help to do the following.

• Promote creativity.
• Help disease diagnosis
• Achieve general intelligence.
• Encourage social Intelligence.
• Develop problem-solving ability.
• Incorporate knowledge representation.
• Promote synergy between humans and AI.
• Facilitate planning.
• Allow and improve continuous learning.

Is AI good or bad? This is one of the questions being asked. This article from Forbes tries to address this.

Another question addressed here is what will be the impact of AI on society?

I will be delving deeper into the topic of whether AI will replace humans in my next post.

There is a lot of discussion now about how or when AI will replace Humans. Well if we take a step back and review the chain of events over the decades, we will remember that Technology replacing certain humans in jobs is nothing new.

First let us review the history.

Industrial Revolution – 1760

This was when technology started replacing manual human labour. Machines started replacing some tasks in agriculture, manufacturing and skilled crafts like hand weaving.

Office Automation and Computers – Mid 1900s

Advancements of mainframe and personal computers in offices started automating clerical and repetitive tasks.

Post World War 2 – 1945 to 1980

Major developments in farm technologies replaced manual human labour with significant agricultural changes.

Modern Robotics and Automation – 1950s to Present Day

Starting with the first programmable arms, followed by advancements in AI and computer technology then the rise of machine learning.

With advancements come changes and these changes should be seen as progress. Just like with the Internet, we should all embrace AI and the changes that come with it. This article from 2016 looked at where machines could and couldn’t replace humans.

AI will be perfect for the repetitive tasks which would free people to work on strategic problem solving activities. Just like Doctors experienced with voice dictation helping to reduce reporting time.

Another article, this time from HBR describes how we should see it. AI should be seen as augmenting not replacing humans. There are many things that AI cannot do, well currently anyway. AI lacks social skills and adaptability to be able to replace humans in areas requiring empathy or interaction.

We should all pay attention to AI developments and see how we can “adjust and retrain” accordingly to the new world.