Eric Johnson is the Chief Executive Officer at SurveyMonkey, a global leader in online surveys and forms.
Artificial intelligence (AI) may be dominating the news as the latest cutting-edge innovation, but humans have been dreaming about and developing the technology for decades. The mathematical possibility of AI was first examined by famous computer science pioneer Alan Turing in his 1950 paper, Computing Machinery and Intelligence.
What’s new about AI today is that it’s accessible—and it is transforming the workplace as we know it in a revolutionary way. The common promise in most AI-driven applications is speed. While getting work done faster is critical in today’s environment, moving quickly in the wrong direction doesn’t help anyone. As AI matures and continues to evolve, we are beginning to see it move from hype-cycle hysteria to hyper-practical.
I’m actively thinking about how my team and I can learn to use AI alongside the messy, wonderfully unpredictable nature of humanity. The very nature of human beings means that no matter how evolved AI becomes, it will never be able to mimic the spontaneity of people. We’ll still need the “other” AI, authentic input, for its practical use.
This need for humanity alongside machinery is not a new one: Machines and tools of some form have played a crucial role in our lives since the dawn of humans. I can only imagine the level of hype around the invention of the wheel—it must have been off the charts (“It’s round and it rolls?!”). This is how I see it: 2023 was the year of AI hype when dreams of what AI could accomplish ran wild. 2024 must be the year of AI practicality when those AI dreams prove their worth alongside the obvious potential of the technology.
A recent headline that caught my attention read “A Chevy for $1?” Like many businesses in 2023, auto dealers hopped on the AI bandwagon and hoped for the best. In this example, a dealer quickly deployed a ChatGPT-powered conversational chatbot that showed the potential peril of using AI for customer service, especially when your customers happen to be humans with a little persistence and creativity. These customers were able to goad certain chatbots into revealing a range of entertaining answers by probing for responses. One—as the headline read—even got a bot to agree to give a customer a new car for $1 (a $58,000 discount with no “takesies-backsies”). At least they have a sense of humor, but oof.
Conversational AI has massive potential with a long list of benefits. But even the best AI today—with massive datasets—can’t match up to a human with a few decades of training in just being a human. These nascent AI capabilities open the door for viral jokes, awkward interactions or worse.
Of course, there are things machines can just do better. When the human is in the loop, AI has the power to be transformative. Every day, I read about the quite extraordinary uses of AI shaping our future. The most successful of these necessitate collaborative (human!) efforts alongside various stakeholders. Mercedes-Benz did this successfully.
Years back, executives at the luxury car company were struggling to meet the growing demand for car customization. Traditional car manufacturing is highly structured with consistent, automated steps done by regular, non-AI robots. To see if AI could make customization more scalable, the company replaced some robots with AI-powered collaborative robots (called cobots). These cobots did not replace human workers, but instead became an extension of them. Humans guided the cobots to handle heavy equipment, and because the cobots are easily reprogrammable, workers could use them to respond to unique choices made by customers designing their dream cars.
With this implementation, the human-machine teams at Mercedes have since performed and produced at a rate that wasn’t possible before. This agility has led to a more efficient assembly line and an overall better business model.
Moving beyond the hype requires this kind of strategic and considered approach. To implement AI thoughtfully (and practically!) you need to:
Clearly define your AI strategy.
Often AI brainstorms start with “It would be cool if …” But that’s not the right prompt if you’re trying to make it actionable. To align AI initiatives with overall business goals, ask yourself, “What are unique challenges in our business or industry? Where do our customers struggle, and can AI help?” Clarity in purpose and execution guarantees that AI adoption maximizes impact.
Foster a culture of collaboration among all teams.
Successful AI implementation involves cross-functional alignment. Providing ongoing training and upskilling programs for employees can bridge the knowledge gap and empower teams to make informed decisions about AI applications. Encouraging open communication and transparency about AI’s capabilities and limitations helps manage expectations and build trust among stakeholders.
For example, we have developed an AI committee that reviews every internal use case to determine if the user can move forward with the AI technology. This committee consists of members from across our organization who have developed a clear understanding of how to evaluate these use cases so we give our employees a consistent experience and ensure we are minimizing risk and complying with AI regulations.
Prioritize ethical considerations in AI implementation.
Establishing clear guidelines and policies for responsible AI use, including privacy protection and bias mitigation, is crucial. Frequent evaluations and checks on AI systems play a pivotal role in pinpointing and addressing potential ethical dilemmas. Ensuring the active participation of a variety of viewpoints throughout the development and implementation phases is essential for fostering inclusivity and fairness in AI systems.
Our AI committee has clear requirements and guidelines to ensure any AI implementation at our company is thoroughly vetted. Each member is responsible for various aspects of the review process, including privacy, reliability, security risk, validity, bias, compliance concerns, etc.
With any new technology, AI’s true power will be revealed when the rubber meets the road and we all start expecting ROI on these investments. At my company, we are already witnessing how the marriage of that “other” AI, authentic human inputs, alongside AI tools and applications, is turning the AI hype into tangible (and practical!) impact.
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