Want to explore the possibilities of AI? AI is now impacting every department and changing how organizations operate, compete, and grow. The question is no longer whether to adopt AI, but how to do so in a targeted and responsible way. In this blog, you’ll learn how to make rapid progress with this transformative technology without building your foundation on quicksand.
Virtual assistance is one of the promises of Artificial Intelligence (AI). But didn’t we already have Google, Siri, and Alexa? The applications of AI are almost too numerous to count, given the rapid developments in this field. How do you determine which applications are right for your business operations?
Since the breakthrough of generative AI, everyone seems captivated by these developments. And rightly so, because the technology will have an even more profound impact than we can currently imagine. The claim that every company will become a technology company was made decades ago, but AI is ensuring that this is now truly the case.
Take, for example, a factory that takes employee safety seriously by integrating AI with its existing camera system. The system automatically learns where dangerous situations might arise in the factory, allowing management to take appropriate measures. AI can also help blind and visually impaired people, with an app that can tell them in a store that they’re currently holding a jar of peanut butter—not jam.
These are relatively simple applications that can already be put to use. Consider also the automotive industry, where self-driving technology has made great strides in a short time and is gradually changing the role of the driver—if, indeed, a driver will even be needed at all in the end.
It’s high time to dive deeper into the subject of AI. The technology is now ubiquitous. We are at the beginning of a period in which companies are coming up with targeted solutions. When scientists say that developments are moving quickly, they are referring primarily to the self-learning capabilities of AI systems. Our human intuition tells us that we need to feed data into the system, but these systems are often already self-learning. Each new generation of language models is barely comparable to the previous one, and these generations are following one another at breakneck speed. There are systems that play chess or Go, and with every game they play—up to 40,000 games in an hour—they get better. We tend to discuss developments in terms of decades, but these days we’re talking more in terms of months and years.
But where do you start? After all, AI isn’t limited to the IT department—it can be applied in every conceivable department of the company. It’s important to be aware of the possibilities of AI and how this technology can be used to improve and grow your organization. These steps will help you get started.
The first thing to investigate is where AI can be applied. This might involve looking at what competitors are doing with AI and what opportunities exist to optimize processes and reduce costs, but it’s better to put the customer first. What solution would your customer most like to see from you right now? How can you help them in a way that builds their trust in your use of AI? Also, go back to the basics, because AI makes solutions possible that weren’t feasible before. This makes it a good time to start from the beginning and sketch out your ideal scenario, always keeping your customer’s wishes in mind.
To use AI effectively, collecting data is crucial. Invest in the right tools and systems to collect and store data so it can be analyzed and used to train AI systems. AI is all about connecting and combining information. You probably already have many datasets, but what happens when you merge them? What new insights do you gain from that?
Organizations can experiment with AI by setting up small projects and exploring how AI can be used to optimize business processes. For example, consider how AI can be used to automate repetitive tasks, predict trends and customer behavior, and optimize business processes. Think big, but experiment on a small scale. If an experiment is successful, you can scale up quickly; if the results are disappointing, the damage will be limited.
Once you know how you want to use AI, it’s important to invest in the right AI tools and systems. Look into AI software and platforms, hardware, and cloud services that can be used to develop and implement AI solutions. On a platform like Microsoft Foundry (formerly Azure AI Foundry), you can build your own models and AI agents, allowing you to get started quickly. Don’t forget about staffing. Partner with external consultants, hire AI specialists, or set up an in-house AI department.
Using AI responsibly now also means complying with laws and regulations. The EU AI Act has established a concrete, phased framework that defines what is and isn’t permitted, so incorporate governance from the very beginning. This doesn’t have to slow you down. By exploring how AI can be applied in your industry, conducting small-scale experiments, collaborating with specialists, and investing in the right tools, you can fully benefit from the many advantages AI offers—with peace of mind.
The possibilities of AI are endless, but the first step is knowing where you stand now and where the greatest opportunities lie. With our free AI Maturity Assessment, you can assess how mature your organization is in its use of AI and determine what the logical next step is. Find out where you stand through the AI Value Program and get started with the AI Maturity Assessment.