How to use AI in companies

The incorporation of AI as a support tool in companies

Much has been said about Large Language Models (LLMs), particularly driven by the popularity of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbot from Open AI, which reached a record-breaking 1 million users within just 5 days of its launch. While the use of AI is a growing trend, and business executives recognize its benefits, many are still unclear about how it can be a supportive tool within the corporate world without jeopardizing job opportunities.

The The Industry 2027 Research, commissioned by CNI, revealed that nearly 60% of companies consider the likelihood of using automated processes with AI support by 2027 to be high or very high. According to the same study, the AI innovation market will generate $60 billion annually worldwide by 2025.

At the same time, many argue that these technologies pose a threat to professionals. A 2021 Statista survey already showed that, on average, 41% of workers in various countries like Portugal, France, the USA, and England had some concerns about their jobs being replaced by AI. If this number was already high in 2021, one can imagine the situation in 2023, following the emergence of new tools like ChatGPT. This is a legitimate concern for some professions, but it should be noted that change is inevitable because the gains generated by technology are substantial. According to data from Brasscom's Jobs and Salaries Monitor, more than 2 million people were hired in the ICT Macrosector (ICT, in-house IT, and Telecom) in 2022.

Evolution of AI

Before delving into the topic of incorporating AI into companies, it's essential to recall the evolution of this technology. From 1950 to 1990, there was an initial phase of conception, popularization, and disillusionment, common stages in emerging technologies (Gartner Hype Cycle). During this period, computer processing power was still low, and it was unclear how to apply the technology in practice.

After 1990, there was a period of increased maturity in technology, with large corporations starting to apply it in situations involving extensive data analysis, assistance or replacement of repetitive processes, pattern recognition, and faster decision-making. The current stage of the technology is marked by an understanding of context and the ability to create more sophisticated outcomes that not only automate processes and/or decisions but also enable the creation or co-creation of other algorithms, texts, artworks, and, most importantly, facilitate access to technology even for those with limited technical skills.

First and foremost, due to its high pattern recognition capability, this technology easily replaces repetitive tasks such as classification, analysis, and some decision-making processes. This changes the way people work, as operators/analysts no longer engage in the entire repetitive process and redirect their efforts to handling exceptions not understood by AI and conducting analyses. Simultaneously, it significantly increases a company's productivity, leading to enhanced competitiveness, cost reduction, and increased profit.

As for using AI to assist in analysis and content creation, the technology should be seen as a supportive tool. As shown in an MIT article, many people are already using AI without even realizing it, such as search engines developed by companies like Google and Microsoft and tools that assist in data extraction and analysis, customer relationship management, and data projection, among others. The use of this tool in the corporate environment is powerful, whether in technical or administrative activities. For instance, it can assist in data analysis and trends crucial for companies.

The trend is towards the migration of repetitive tasks, which can be replaced by AI, to tasks involving analysis, exception handling, or using AI as a support tool. An example is Bradesco's case, which uses AI called BIA. According to an IBM article, BIA is trained in 62 products and answers 283,000 questions per month with a 95% accuracy rate, with only 5% requiring additional assistance calls. In some cases, response times have been reduced from 10 minutes to just a few seconds. As a result, human customer service handles exceptions and already receives relevant information from the customer's request, increasing satisfaction and the productivity of the customer service department.

In the case of consulting firms specializing in understanding market behavior, diagnosing problems, and directing necessary actions for their clients, artificial intelligence can be used to assist in market data analysis, such as segmentation studies, market trend analysis, sector and company comparisons, automation for document and image reading and classification. Technology use brings speed and can help identify small variations that would go unnoticed in a manual analysis. Additionally, AI is a powerful tool for consulting firms that implement projects, as it is used in solutions that require market forecasting, pricing models, operational models, automation, among others.

Regardless of concerns about the impact on jobs, information security, and all other valid concerns, the fact is that AI has been part of our daily lives for years and will intensify at an increasingly rapid pace. The returns on increased company results, security, and productivity are significant. Therefore, companies and workers need to adapt to this trend and understand the gains that technology can offer. This is not only a commitment of workers but also of governments and companies to help and enable the training of these individuals.