aiinbusiness

The Connected Advantage with AI: Reflections from Engage London

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 08:26:25 GMT

It was an inspiring day at Engage London, hosted by Everest Group — an event that brings together leaders and innovators shaping the future of global business services (GBS), sourcing, and technology. I was honoured to deliver the closing Keynote: "The Connected Advantage with AI: From Ambition to Scaled Value."

My session explored how organisations can move beyond AI experimentation and isolated pilots, by connecting strategy, data, people, process and governance. The real competitive advantage comes when AI is not treated as a standalone initiative, but as a business-wide capability that delivers trusted, measurable value at scale. I also spoke about the importance of strong leadership, readiness across people and process, and building the right foundations to scale AI responsibly.

I've now written three books on applying AI to business — the most recent published in November 2025 — but in a field moving this fast, staying current is a daily discipline, not a one-time effort. Events like Engage London are genuinely invaluable for that reason, and I came away with a great deal to reflect on.

The panel sessions were particularly rich, and several themes stood out:

GBS leaders are becoming the custodians of experience. They are increasingly orchestrating work with a bird's-eye view across the total workforce — a significant shift in how the function is understood and valued.

The "3 Ss" were a standout insight: self-service, self-adaptation, and self-healing. These three principles offer a compelling framework for thinking about where intelligent automation is heading.

GBS has a critical role in governing the AI estate. Trusted data, and people and process readiness, were highlighted as non-negotiables — not optional extras — in any serious AI programme.

Resilience remains central to sustained competitive advantage. Amid so much disruption and uncertainty, the organisations that build resilience into their operations will be the ones that endure.

One comment that particularly resonated was around intellectual curiosity as a leadership quality. In the AI era, the ability and willingness to keep asking questions is arguably as important as any technical skill.

Another powerful observation was about the human dimension of AI adoption: enabling humans to act at the pace of AI, while AI strives to act with the empathy of humans. It's a thought-provoking framing that I'll be carrying into future conversations.

There were also excellent insights from Rolls-Royce — a company I had the pleasure of collaborating with for my previous book launch. The reflections shared on cultural change driving sustained behavioural change were memorable: embedding the right mindset into hiring, onboarding and assessment criteria; the shift from awareness to daily habits; and ensuring governance is underpinned by constant dialogue and feedback rather than top-down mandates.

Well done to the entire Everest Group team for curating such a thought-provoking event and for the excellent organisation throughout the day.

To find out more about Katie's keynote topics and availability, visit the Keynotes page.

Zanzibar Legacy

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 05:43:53 GMT

Jambo! Heading home from my latest trip - this time to Zanzibar. I’ve dreamed of visiting for 30 years or more, ever since my dad shared with me a marriage certificate from 1941, which revealed that my grandmother (the Nan I adored) married the Sultan of Zanzibar’s son, and seeing in the certificate’s margin an intriguing ‘police exhibit one’ stamp.

That’s what inspired me to research her complex life story spanning different geographies, and write an historical fiction novel. I recently completed the first draft of 100k words; next step is to edit it and find an agent/publisher. I’ve had 2 - soon to be 3 - business books on AI published by Kogan Page Publishing but this is a whole new experience. This is about giving her a voice; it’s her legacy. Please let me know if you’re aware of any potential interested parties. ��

This visit was to the western coast of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago. I’ve travelled far and wide, but this was my first sighting of the exquisite Indian Ocean. The highlight was a walking tour in Stone Town – the old part of the city. The Sultans commissioned many of the incredible buildings. There’s also a museum dedicated to Freddie Mercury who was born in Zanzibar. And I had a rare opportunity to join a school graduation party. My Guide Kassim was a gem – so well informed and so kind.

As a business trip it has not been all plain sailing. I’ll remain professional and spare the details. Suffice to say you never give up learning, and doing business across borders and different legal jurisdictions can pose real challenges.

A huge positive learning is the Swahili phrase “pole pole" (pronounced pole-ay pole-ay) meaning “slowly, slowly" or "take it easy" and it reflects a cultural philosophy of patience, an unhurried approach to life, and a mindful appreciation for the present moment. It encourages a calm, relaxed mindset, often encountered in the laid-back lifestyle of East Africa, but also used as practical advice for achieving goals. Wise words for many of us living and working in hectic towns and cities…

How AI is Transforming Every Aspect of Insurance: My Article from Modern Insurance Magazine

Wed, 30 Jul 2025 03:15:35 GMT

AI is no longer a buzzword – it’s business-critical. I’ve seen that change in the 6 years since my first AI book was released, compared to the landscape today and the case studies I researched for book 3 (due out in November.) AI is impacting every sector, including insurance.

I’m featured in the latest issue of Modern Insurance Magazine – which delves into how AI is transforming every aspect of insurance – from underwriting and fraud prevention to customer experience and claims.

You can read the full issue here .

On page 13, I explore ethical and responsible AI adoption, as does Sagacity

Charles Skamser breaks down the emerging AI landscape and what it means for insurers. There are real-world applications from organisations including FibriCheck, I Love Claims, Steeper Group, Geo Sec, SkinVision and A3 Alternative Accommodation Agency Ltd.

There are insightful contributions from the Editorial Board and from the following: Carpenters Group, Digilog UK, e2e Total Loss Claims Management, NWVA, FMG, ParaCode, QuestGates, National Windscreens, Lyons Davidson Limited, Auxilis, Thatcham Research, Rapid Repair Network, Witness Wise, CMG, Copart UK Limited, and Laird Assessors.

A Fraud Prevention Spotlight offers expert input from Adele Sumner, Allianz, WHITELK Fraud Performance Consulting, FRISS, RGI Solutions, Charles Taylor, and Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB).

I've worked with many Associations, across multiple sectors. This issue features many Association Insights, including BIBA, Motor Accident Solicitors Society (MASS), FOIL - the Forum of Insurance Lawyers, Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), Chartered Insurance Institute, Managing General Agents’ Association (MGAA), IAEA, CHO on legislative change, ethical innovation, and the broker’s evolving role.

The team even asked ChatGPT for its thoughts. What does AI think about its role in the industry?

Big thanks to editor Hayley Dalton.

A London Keynote for Partnerize

Tue, 08 Jul 2025 03:42:27 GMT

Big thanks to Partnerize for inviting me to deliver the Keynote at their Partnership Day – an event dedicated to AI and innovation in affiliate marketing. My session explored wider company AI strategies, as I shared with the audience ‘stealable innovation’ whereby they can learn from other sectors, as well as a check sheet for measuring the AI potential in a business.

Following my talk, Rebecca Betteridge, Hollie Macdonald, Molly Lediard, and Matilda Kousa formed a panel to discuss the future of partnerships for fashion and beauty. AI also featured heavily, as the panel shared the challenges which brands face in gaining buy-in for AI from the business. They talked about the need to educate in order to alleviate concerns; and how important time and patience are. So interesting to hear their advice on the need to shift the narrative of affiliate marketing, focusing instead on innovations with AI such as dynamic commissioning and a personalised approach at the checkout.

These incredible ladies represent leading brands and organisations - Selfridges, Puig, Klarna and Fenwick and they were able to advise us all about the need to adapt to changing consumer behaviour, particular during this period of unpredictable socio economics and global uncertainty. They debated the need to research how and when customers shop; also the importance of price sensitivity, given how customers conduct online research and then visit physical stores. We learned how peer reviews have gained importance in how consumers trust brands. Thanks for these learnings.

Thanks to Kate Ellis Maura Smith and all the team and congrats on staging such a great event!

London Tech Week with law firm RPC

Fri, 13 Jun 2025 04:07:32 GMT

What a great week of tech in sunny London!

Thanks to RPC for inviting me to speak at their stunning offices in St. Katharine Docks for London Tech Week!

Following opening remarks from RPC's Caroline Tuck, I gave the first Keynote on the fact that AI is no longer a distant concept – it's here and fundamentally reshaping the way businesses operate, unlocking opportunities that were once unimaginable. I walked everyone through the ways businesses can harness AI in an ethical way, how to equip your workforce in the AI era and what to consider when rolling out AI initiatives on a global scale.

I was followed by Piers Wingfield – a fascinating session on how, in a single workplace, there could be up to 5 generations, each bringing different experiences, ideas and norms. While all are valuable in their own right, intergenerational conflict often stems from differing experiences. He covered how tech, including AI, is being used effectively to relieve tensions,
maximise opportunities and improve workplace collaboration and culture.

There was then a discussion and networking event for women in the tech industry, covering how tech usage has changed over the last 10–15 years, what the future looks like in terms of tech use in the media and entertainment and retail and consumer industries, whilst also discussing the challenges and opportunities for women in the tech industry, hearing from two incredible leaders. Big thanks to Dawn Airey CBE, Chair at Women’s Super League Football and Maria Raga Venture Partner and Angel Investor.

Nosco MasterMinds in Savannah, USA

Fri, 30 May 2025 04:21:31 GMT

I've just returned from speaking in Savannah, Georgia (USA) at Nosco 's MasterMinds event. After my Keynote, I joined CEO Craig Curran to record an episode for his podcast Nosco Unpacked .

We explored how AI is transforming the printed packaging industry. From reducing labelling errors to enabling hyper-personalised customer experiences, I shared real-world examples of how brands are using AI to drive smarter packaging solutions.

Key takeaways from the discussion include:

• AI is cutting labelling errors by up to 70%.

• Smart packaging is boosting engagement through personalisation.

• AI is helping teams balance creativity, compliance and speed to market.

• AI is not replacing people, it's amplifying their impact.

Whether you're in pharma or consumer goods, this episode is packed with insights to help you lead through innovation.

Check it out below:

Inaugural Prairie Business Summit, hosted by Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan.

Wed, 07 May 2025 04:51:55 GMT

Heading home from Saskatoon, Canada after a wonderful few days at the very impressive inaugural Prairie Business Summit, hosted by Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan .

I gave a Keynote on AI, focused on how to kickstart AI adoption for competitive advantage. I also talked about using ChatGPT to help find a literary agent for my debut novel. And my school AI programme.

I have literally just finished my 3rd book for publisher Kogan Page Publishing on how to apply AI to business but like everyone else, I must learn continuously. I listened to some fabulous Keynotes, panel debates and practical workshops, hearing about step prompting, synthetic customers, the accountability of algorithms, model compression, the need for consistent use of AI, AI skill wallets and containers; how software as we know it today is over and that the future of computing involves no apps, and there will be nothing between you and your data. That nuclear fusion will offer unparalleled energy for free. The words ‘secret sauce’ were used many times. I have pages of notes but this is a quick flavour.

Highlights included:

A really informative, humorous session from Adam Cheyer - Siri co-founder(!) – who shared powerful insights on The Future of AI in Business and how AI, in partnership with people, significantly increases productivity. Quote: “Generative AI will be as important as the Web and Mobile. Challenges exist but ROI is starting to happen, and use cases are expanding for internal and external products. In the future, AI will offer better interfaces, both knowing and doing, and a worldwide ecosystem of partner service.”

A great workshop from Scott Meyer , CEO and Co-Founder of Chipp AI – someone who shares my passion for AI in marketing and customer engagement. He outlined some great tools and frameworks involving iterative collaboration between humans and AI. Quote: “1 person with AI = 1.5-2 people without AI.”

The best part of travelling around the world delivering these sessions is the opportunity to meet wonderful people and learn about local cultures. Awesome to chat to fellow speaker Ross Pambrun who shared a vision for driving growth and empowering communities in the Prairies. Coming from the UK where age is definitely not revered(!), it’s wonderful to see the respect Canada has for its elders. (I experienced the same in Australia and New Zealand.) We were lucky to hear from Elder Julie Pitzel, who blessed the food, shared prayers and inspired us with her wisdom, reminding us to keep searching for the answers, and how our spirits shine as bright as the stars. Also great to see the indigenous hoop dance by Lawrence A. Roy Jr.

So…a very big thanks to the amazing Kristan Embrett Marjorie Delbaere Joelena Leader and all the team for staging such a great event., and for super moderation by the hugely energetic Heather Morrison .

Humanising HR with AI

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Sat, 03 Aug 2024 17:17:31 GMT

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Katie King Joins the Champions Speakers Agency

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 02:57:09 GMT

I am excited to announce that I have joined forces with Champions Speaker Agency, a premier agency specializing in providing top-tier Keynote speakers on AI and the future of technology. This collaboration represents a significant step in my journey as a global AI expert and speaker, allowing me to further my mission of educating and inspiring diverse audiences about the profound impact of artificial intelligence on our world.

Champions Speaker Agency has a stellar reputation for connecting clients with thought leaders who are at the forefront of their respective fields. Working in 66 countries, their commitment to excellence and innovation aligns perfectly with my own values and goals. I’m confident that together we can drive meaningful conversations and spark innovative ideas that will help shape the future of technology.

As a passionate advocate for AI, I know how crucial it is to demystify this transformative technology and make it accessible to everyone. Through my speaking engagements, I aim to break down complex AI concepts into understandable insights, empowering individuals and organizations to harness the potential of AI for positive change. Joining Champions Speaker Agency amplifies my ability to reach a wider global audience and make a more significant impact.

In this new chapter, I look forward to collaborating with Champions' extensive network of clients, ranging from corporate leaders to educational institutions and beyond. Together, we will explore the exciting possibilities that AI and future technologies present, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of these advancements.

Jack Hayes , Director of Champions says: "We are thrilled to welcome Katie King to the Champions Speaker Agency. As a world-leading AI expert, her insights and expertise will be invaluable to our clients. Katie's passion for technology and her ability to inspire make her a perfect fit for our roster of distinguished speakers."

Champions’ head of AI and technology speakers, Mark Matthews says: “Our sister company has previously worked closely with Katie and always received amazing feedback, ranking Katie as one of the UK’s leading AI speakers and also voted in the top 15 digital disruption expert speakers . I am eager to embark on this journey with Champions Speaker Agency and to contribute to their esteemed roster of speakers."

This partnership is an exciting opportunity to continue my work as a leading voice in AI and technology, inspiring and educating audiences around the globe. Having recently been selected as a top 15 women in tech speaker by Champions, I have no doubt that this new partnership will lead to many more great things and look forward to strengthening the relationship going forward.

About Champions Speakers Agency

Champions Speakers Agency is a leading provider of keynote speakers and experts for events worldwide. With a diverse roster of renowned professionals, the agency is committed to delivering inspirational and impactful speakers to meet the needs of their clients.

2023: A Year in the Life of AI (and AI in Business!)

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 12:28:20 GMT

Is it me, or did we blink on New Year’s Eve of 2022 and somehow arrive at the last working day of 2023? Now, it may feel like this year went by in a flash, but when taking time to reflect, there’s actually a lot to make note of. Loads of exciting things happened this year in the world of AI, and as a result, it was a busy year for us here at AI in Business. Before we ring in the New Year, let’s reflect on some of 2023’s biggest highlights as I share some of what I learned through it all.

Gen AI's Breakout Year

It would be remiss of me not to lead with the biggest AI development of the year: generative AI. While this technology is not new by any means, 2023 was a boom year for it thanks to overwhelming levels of public interest in free tools such as ChatGPT, Bard, DALL E, and more. For many, these tools offered a first taste of AI and its capabilities, and a low-risk way to experiment with this technology. It is therefore unsurprising that it became the leading topic of 2023.

But along with this new hype around Gen AI came hysteria, misinformation, and fear. I spent as much of this year boosting excitement about Generative AI as I did myth busting. There remains a disconnect between Gen AI’s actual capabilities and our expectations of it. As impressive as it is and as much as it has developed in this past year alone, it still can’t accomplish everything. One key lesson I shared in every Keynote speech and training session is that AI is an assistant, not a boss. It is here to augment, not replace.

An Ever-Evolving World of Work

Regardless, the Generative AI hype unfortunately spurred a lot of hysteria surrounding the future of jobs this year, with some outlooks more positive than others. The World Economic Forum released a Future of Jobs report for the first time since 2020. In the 2023 edition, they predicted that by 2027, 42% of business tasks will be automated and that as a result, 50% of organisations expect it to create job growth and 25% expect it to create job losses. On a bleaker note, Goldman Sachs made headlines in March and caused quite a stir after estimating that 300 million jobs could be lost or diminished by AI.

Understandably, the future of work was a hot topic this year and will continue to be top of mind for professionals across every industry sector as we move into 2024. I had the pleasure of training and speaking to HR leaders and agents of change in Amman, Jordan in both March and June, and at the WorkBuzz Live event in London in November. My focus was helping them understand how AI will reshape how they approach recruitment, retention, employee satisfaction, and people management.

Empowering the Next Generation

Someday, those leaders and change makers will need to bring in fresh talent into their organisations and maybe even to fill roles that do not yet exist. In 2023, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to continue my work with the next generation of the workforce as they prepare for their future AI-enabled careers. This past spring, we took our Leaders of Tomorrow AI Schools programme international for the first time with our third cohort in Cape Town, South Africa. The insights and ideas produced by the students never cease to amaze and impress me, and certainly fill me with reassurance that our future is in very capable hands. I felt this sentiment again after delivering the annual Peake Lecture to the students at Eltham College earlier this month.

One Step Closer to Widespread Regulation

By the time those students enter the workforce, AI will be a more regulated technology thanks to strides made in 2023. The most notable of these is the progress the European Parliament made in passing the EU’s AI Act. The final details of the Act are currently being agreed upon by the various member countries, but it is expected to be passed and enacted in 2024. When that happens, the AI Act will become the world’s first official AI law and pave the way for other national frameworks.

Here in the UK, a landmark AI Summit was held wherein the UK took steps to form its own regulatory body. Similar progress was made in Canada, Brazil, and China amongst others, with the lattermost enacting rules that regulate the development and use of all generative AI technologies.

Alongside the progress being made at the national level, individual industries are making strides of their own towards regulation. This includes law itself, and this summer I had the chance to brainstorm and explore the dilemmas involved in embracing a currently unregulated technology with the legal counsel for some of the world’s top companies at the Association of Corporate Counsel’s Global Summit. Also, in Toronto, Canada, at the SAS Banking Summit, I led discussions with leaders from various global financial services firms about the future of banking. In such a heavily regulated industry, ethical AI adoption and application is of top concern. That’s why so many firms in the industry have restricted their teams’ use of open-source tools like ChatGPT. I expect we will see more industry bodies and individual companies coming up with their own frameworks and guidelines in the year to come.

A Year of Firsts

Thanks to the surge in AI intrigue and growth this year, 2023 took me to several new locations around the world for the very first time. In February I had the pleasure of visiting India for the first time. During a magnificent whirlwind ‘Golden Triangle’ tour, I developed a deep admiration for this wonderful and still developing country of promise and contradictions. Times are changing and it’s exciting to see progress in the cyber cities. India is currently ranked 15 ^th in the top 25 AI nations but has the 'the greatest upward potential' according to research by Tufts University's business school. When you consider that India stands out as a global leader in AI skill penetration surpassing even the United States, it’s easy to see how it could one day become an AI superpower.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from bustling, vibrant, and busy India sits the tranquil and stunning landscapes of the Faroe Islands, which I had the pleasure of visiting to deliver a Keynote speech at Tonik. Situated in the North Atlantic and a self-governing archipelago that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Faroe Islands is far from an AI powerhouse clawing for dominance against the likes of the US, China, or even India. And yet, what Tonik and my Keynote there demonstrated is that every industry, role, and country around the world can benefit from AI regardless of its size or global standing. I see AI as a great equaliser, levelling the playing field between the heavy hitters and the underdogs. The Faroese are such bright, inspiring, and creative people whom I truly valued my time with, and I have no doubt that they will do great things with this technology.

Keynotes and training took me to many exciting places, but also enabled me to work with many interesting people across a wide range of industry sectors. From talking packaging with Gallus in Switzerland, to shedding some light on the future of education for the supporters of Monaco Aide et Presence in Monte Carlo, to speaking about the future of flavour with The European Flavour Association (EFFA) in Amsterdam, it has been fascinating framing AI’s benefits and impacts through the lens of so many different sectors and roles.

With demand for our AI services reaching new heights this year, various accolades rolled in as well. In 2023, I ranked in the top 10 of the Technology for Marketing Top 100 Marketing Influencers Index. I won the award for Top AI Strategist; was named a Top 10 Influencer to Follow by the AI Time Journal, and was featured in the CIO Times’ list of "Most Iconic Women Leaders Creating Waves in Modern AI Industry." Flattering for a humble girl from Tottenham.

As lovely as these honours are to receive, they’re simply a perk. What I have truly found most rewarding this year - and in the time since I started my own AI journey a decade ago - is getting to stand in front of an interested audience and discuss the very real impacts of this revolutionary technology that is reshaping every aspect of our personal and professional lives. This past year has enabled me to do that at a bigger scale than ever before, and I am truly grateful. I also encourage those I work with to take a proactive rather than a passive approach to helping shape how AI evolves in their industry sector and country.

Looking Ahead

If the past few years have taught me anything, it’s to expect the unexpected. I could lay out my predictions for 2024, but that seems like a fool’s errand given how swiftly and often this technology evolves.

Instead, I will close with my hopes for the year ahead. In a time of so much division and upheaval, my hope is that AI can help us make the world a better place. Technology cannot fix all the problems that man created, but it can help us work towards solving some of the UN's major goals linked to disease, climate change and much more. If this sounds like a pipe dream, I assure you it is not. I refer you to this TED talk from Max Tegmark, who I interviewed for my first AI book and admire deeply. He outlines a very optimistic outlook of how we can make AI work for us and not the other way around.

I wish you all a very Happy New Year and look forward to working together in 2024.

All the best,

Katie King

CEO of AI in Business

Understanding Ethical AI

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 11:15:14 GMT

It has been a busy few months, with Keynotes and training opportunities taking me all over the world. I have had the honour of heading to the Netherlands, South Africa, Switzerland, the Faroe Islands, Monaco, Jordan, and beyond. On these trips, I have engaged in amazing and insightful conversations with professionals from various industries and job functions about their challenges and opportunities. But the one topic that always seems to come up is ethics and regulation.

At present, AI is still technically unregulated. The EU is very close to enacting their AI Act, which would then become the world’s first official AI law. This will likely spur other nations to follow suit and serve as the blueprint for subsequent AI laws. In the meantime, various countries—including the Vatican—have published their own guidance and best practice to help provide guardrails. Industry and trade bodies have also done the same.

But even so, many still fear AI and worry about its potential to cause harm. Is it possible for AI to be ethical, and how can that be achieved without proper regulation?

Main Ethical AI Concerns

Ethics are a major concern for any new technological advancement, not just AI. Any new, unexplored territory requires consideration and some governance so that it cannot turn sour or cause harm.

Ethical AI is any use of AI that does not cause harm and does not contribute to harmful societal structures. Technology should make our lives better, not oppress us or widen existing gaps within our society. In the case of AI, the two primary concerns are privacy and bias and the resulting impacts that improper use of technology and poorly trained algorithms can have on society at large.

AI is purely data driven. Unless we feed it information, it cannot do its job. Ethics come into play when we start to consider where this information is coming from, how it is sourced, how it is used, and how it is managed. Are data collection methods transparent and non-invasive? Are customers aware that their data is being collected and used? There is often an unspoken agreement between businesses and their customers these days wherein the customer agrees to let the business collect and use their data in exchange for better, more tailored experiences. Alongside this, there is an expectation that their information will be used responsibly and safely.

We have seen the fallout from various data breaches over the years. When these breaches occur, businesses bear the consequences both operationally and reputationally. While there are no solidified AI laws yet, there are data protection regulations in place in the form of policies such as GDPR. These guidelines do offer some protection, but many fear that there are too many gaps and loopholes when it comes to AI.

Potentially more dangerous is the impact of bias on AI use. While AI is not inherently biased, it is a product of the data it is trained on. If you put rubbish in, you get rubbish out. Therefore, we need to be mindful of what we are inputting into these algorithms and how that might impact the results produced. For example, we have previously seen issues with the use of facial recognition in law enforcement, as it was resulting in racial profiling. The algorithms behind these tools were trained on a biased data set that taught the AI that individuals of certain racial groups were more likely to be offenders, leading the technology to categorise innocent people falsely and unfairly as threats. These technologies may be well intentioned, but if trained improperly or not given proper oversight, they can become harmful.

Bias can be extremely harmful in people-focused business functions such as HR and marketing. Say, for example, you’re looking to use AI for your hiring and recruitment. You would train the algorithm using data about your current staff and likely data from past successful employees. That information will train the algorithm to identify what a ‘successful’ candidate for your organisation looks like. That can be great for finding talent that may be a good culture fit. But consider this. If your organisation is predominantly male and white, you’ve just taught the algorithm to find more white male candidates. You may be overlooking candidates who would be perfect for the role simply because they do not match the criteria set by your data. That means less opportunities for groups who may already be underrepresented.

In marketing, an AI system may not effectively forecast or make judgments for specific groups if it is trained on data that is skewed towards one race, gender, or socioeconomic group, which could result unwittingly in prejudice. The products customers are recommended, the messaging they receive, and the experiences they are delivered could all be impacted by bias. Should this happen, it may damage the brand’s reputation, generate unfavourable press, and result in diminished sales and clientele.

This is a real problem right now, as AI is still widely unregulated though we have government and trade bodies working on that. But it is also a concern for the future, because if we don’t start off on the right foot now, we will only make the problem worse down the road.

Ethical AI Behaviours

So, what can be done? If there is no legal guidance for AI, how can we ensure it does not cause harm to ourselves, our businesses, our stakeholders, and our society at large?

We as individuals have no say in how the AI tools themselves are created, but we do have power over how we use them. We also have a distinct advantage over technology: the ability to determine right from wrong. AI cannot make moral judgements the way that we can. It lacks the context and rationality that we as humans possess.

We saw a prime example of this play out recently with KFC in Germany. The company’s marketing team trained an AI algorithm to monitor a calendar of events and holidays and send out push offers to customers related to that event. No one considered that Kristallnacht—which is the event that is largely regarded as the start of the Holocaust—was included on that calendar. As a result, the bot sent out a message to customers telling them to celebrate Kristallnacht with cheesy chicken. This of course sparked outrage and the brand was forced to apologise.

While it is easy to point the finger here and say that AI was in the wrong, that is not actually the case. AI is a specialised technology trained to complete the specific tasks it is created for. In the KFC incident, AI performed its job exactly as it was supposed to. It followed the calendar it was trained on, and sent the offer. This is not a failure of technology. It is a failure of human oversight.

That is the key to using AI ethically in an unregulated world. Humans need to remain in the loop and work in partnership with AI rather than leaving it to its own devices. AI is not perfect. It is not all knowing and all capable. Humans still have a part to play. It is on us to ensure that the decisions we make using technology are not harmful, and we need to be aware of potential risks.

I have worked with many businesses to create their own ethical frameworks for their teams, and have trained many professionals on what to look out for. If you are interested in a training session, consulting, or booking a Keynote, get in touch with our team.

First International Cohort of Leaders of Tomorrow Programme Announce Winners at World Travel Market Africa

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 10:29:26 GMT

Cape Town, 5 April 2024 – A programme aimed at educating young people on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the future of work and society, has named its first international winners at World Travel Market (WTM) Africa.

The students of Manenberg Secondary School in Cape Town, South Africa, took home top honours for their project which applied AI to a triple bottom line approach for enhancing sustainability in tourism.

Organised by UK author and Keynote speaker Katie King, this programme follows two successful UK cohorts. The group is the programme’s third winners and the first outside of the UK.

The students of Manenberg Secondary School and Gardens Commercial High School participated in learning sessions delivered by various industry experts designed to educate them on AI and how it will shape their futures. Katie King served as both the programme facilitator and the first guest speaker, sharing some of the insights from her recently published second book, AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing , as well as job outlooks and skills data that will impact the students’ future careers.

This cohort of the programme focused on the travel industry, and Marketing Executive Simone Seekoei of Amadeus delivered a session that highlighted the trends and outlooks in this space.

The students also benefited from a session from Proitroom’s Senior Business Development Manager, Michael Puffett. He explained the importance of the travel tech business as a sector in which to build an exciting career.

After completing their training, the students participated in a competition where they applied AI to real-world problems impacting the travel industry. The competition entries were judged by Katie King and Lord Tim Clement-Jones, Co-Chair of the UK’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence. The two finalist teams presented their ideas in front of a live audience at the World Travel Market Africa event at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on 4th April.

The winning team considered how AI could be applied to enhance three different forms of sustainability in the tourism industry: economical, ecological, and cultural/social. Their project examined each of these areas in depth and considered the impacts that technology could have to improve profits, the planet, and the lives of people. The runners up presented an idea for AI-powered humanoid bots who could assist tourists with various tasks, including taking photos and recording videos.

Regarding the winning project, Lord Clement-Jones commented: “I am pleased to have been able to act as judge once again for the Leaders of Tomorrow programme, as the ideas of these young students never cease to amaze. I was very impressed by all of the projects submitted, but the winning project was a real standout for me. A well-rounded AI approach is one that considers impacts not just on profits, but also on humans and the environment. These young people kept that at the idea and managed to come up with applications that were both impressive and feasible. I would certainly love to see some of their ideas come to life someday!”

For Katie King, the completion of this cohort marks the third successful iteration of a programme she dreamed up during the pandemic as a means of supporting the next generation and serving a greater purpose with her work. It also marks the first time the programme was held outside of her home country. She says: “It has been really rewarding to be able to run the Leaders of Tomorrow programme three times now. When the project began in 2020, I had hopes to bring it to other schools around the world someday. To have been able to do it here in South Africa is a real dream come true, and I am very grateful to the team at World Travel Market Africa for making it possible. I continue to be impressed by the students and their fantastic ideas, and these young leaders make me confident that our future is in great hands. I look forward to bringing this programme to more schools and more countries moving forward.”

To learn more about the programme, please visit this page .

-ENDS-

About AI in Business:

The team at AI in Business is helping organisations globally to harness AI and data analytics for business growth, efficiently and safely.

Our work spans a wide range of services, from consultancy and workshops to delivering Keynote and motivational speeches. We help clients to stay current, to stay ahead, to innovate, and to achieve their business goals. To learn more, visit our website: https://www.aiinbusiness.co.uk/

For enquiries, please contact Ashley Przybyla:

ashley@zoodikers.com

World Travel Market (WTM) Portfolio comprises leading travel events, online portals and virtual platforms across four continents. The events are:

WTM Latin America takes place annually in the city of São Paulo and attracts around 20,000 tourism professionals during the three-day event. The event offers qualified content together with networking and business opportunities. In this its tenth edition – there have been nine face-to-face events along with a 100% virtual one, which was held in 2021.

Next event: Monday 3 to Wednesday 5 April 2023 – Expo Center Norte, São Paulo, Brazil

http://latinamerica.wtm.com/

WTM Africa launched in 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa under the Africa Travel Week umbrella. In 2022, WTM Africa facilitated more than 7 thousand unique pre-scheduled appointments, an increase of more than 7% compared to 2019 and welcomed more than 6 thousand visitors (unaudited), the same number as in 2019.

Next event: Monday 3 to Wednesday 5 April 2023 – Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town

http://africa.wtm.com/

About ATW Connect : Africa Travel Week’s digital arm, is a virtual hub packed to the seams with interesting content, industry news and insights, and the opportunity to hear from experts on a variety of topics in our new monthly webinar series. All with the aim to keep all of us in the travel and tourism industry connected. ATW Connect focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism, luxury travel, LGBTQ+ travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology.

https://atwconnect.com/

Arabian Travel Market (ATM) , now on its 30th year, is the leading, international travel and tourism event in the Middle East for inbound and outbound tourism professionals. Arabian Travel Market is part of Arabian Travel Week. #IdeasArriveHere

Next event: Monday 1 to Thursday 4 May 2023, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai

https://www.wtm.com/atm/en-gb.html

Arabian Travel Week is a is a 10-day long festival of events taking place within and alongside Arabian Travel Market 2023. Providing a renewed focus for the Middle East’s travel and tourism sector, it includes the live ATM exhibition, ILTM Arabia, ARIVAL Dubai, Influencers’ events and activations, as well as Travel Forward. It also features the ATM Buyer Forums, ATM Speed Networking Events as well as Business Traveller Africa Awards 2023.

Arabian Travel Week takes place from 1 – 10 May 2023

https://www.wtm.com/arabian-travel-week/en-gb.html

WTM London , the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. The show facilitates business connections for the global (leisure) travel community. Senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating travel industry contracts.

Next live event: Monday 6-8 November 2023 at ExCel London

http://london.wtm.com/

WTM Global Hub, is the new WTM Portfolio online portal created to connect and support travel industry professionals around the world. The resource hub offers the latest guidance and knowledge to help exhibitors, buyers and others in the travel industry face the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic. WTM Portfolio is tapping into its global network of experts to create content for the hub. https://hub.wtm.com/

About RX

RX is in the business of building businesses for individuals, communities and organisations. We elevate the power of face-to-face events by combining data and digital products to help customers learn about markets, source products and complete transactions at over 400 events in 22 countries across 43 industry sectors. RX is passionate about making a positive impact on society and is fully committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.rxglobal.com

RELX About RELX

RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. The Group serves customers in more than 180 countries and has offices in about 40 countries. It employs over 33,000 people, of whom almost half are in North America. The shares of RELX PLC, the parent company, are traded on the London, Amsterdam and New York Stock Exchanges using the following ticker symbols: London: REL; Amsterdam: REN; New York: RELX. The market capitalisation is approximately £33bn, €39bn, $47bn.*

*Note: Current market capitalisation can be found at http://www.relx.com/investors

ChatGPT: The AI That is Revolutionising Business

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 15:49:12 GMT

ChatGPT is an AI-powered language model developed by OpenAI, a research organization focused on developing and promoting friendly AI. This model is designed to generate human-like text based on a given prompt. In a short span of time after its release, ChatGPT has become incredibly popular, attracting over 1 million users in just 5 days - a feat that took Netflix 3 years and 5 months, Twitter 2 years, Spotify over 2 years, Facebook 10 months, and Instagram 2.5 months to accomplish.

How ChatGPT Works

ChatGPT is built on OpenAI's GPT-3 technology, which uses deep learning algorithms to analyse and generate text. The model is trained on a massive corpus of text data, which allows it to understand the nuances and context of language. When given a prompt, ChatGPT uses this understanding to generate a coherent and human-like response.

Applications of ChatGPT in Business

Businesses across various industries and functions, including marketing, sales, HR, public relations, operations, and management, are using ChatGPT to automate various tasks, improve efficiency, and enhance the customer experience.

ChatGPT is used by a wide range of businesses, including but not limited to:

Media and journalism
Financial services
E-commerce
Customer service and support
Marketing and advertising
Healthcare
Education
Technology
Government
Telecommunications

This shows the broad appeal and versatility of ChatGPT, as it can be used across various industries and business functions, from automating routine tasks to enhancing customer engagement.

For example, ChatGPT can be used for content creation, customer service, lead generation, and data analysis. In the marketing department, ChatGPT can be used to create product descriptions, advertisements, and promotional content. In sales, it can be used to generate personalized sales pitch emails, follow-up messages, and product recommendations. In HR, ChatGPT can be used to automate the recruitment process by creating job postings, conducting initial candidate screenings, and scheduling interviews.

ChatGPT has also been used by news outlets such as the Associated Press to generate articles, freeing up journalists to focus on more in-depth reporting and analysis. In addition, ChatGPT has been used by financial institutions to generate reports, analyse data, and make predictions.

Advantages and Disadvantages of AI for Copywriting

While ChatGPT and AI-powered language models have the potential to revolutionize the way businesses operate, there are also potential drawbacks to consider.

One advantage of AI-powered copywriting is increased efficiency. ChatGPT can generate high-quality content quickly, freeing up time for human copywriters to focus on more strategic tasks. Additionally, AI-powered copywriting can also provide a consistent voice and tone for a brand, improving the customer experience.

However, there are also potential drawbacks to using AI for copywriting. One disadvantage is the loss of creativity and individuality. While AI-powered models like ChatGPT can generate human-like text, they lack the unique perspective and emotion that a human writer brings to the table. Additionally, AI-powered models may also struggle with understanding context, leading to errors and inaccuracies in the text it generates.

The Popularity of ChatGPT and AI Adoption

The sensational popularity of ChatGPT is a clear indication that the general public is becoming more open to AI. For years, AI has been met with resistance and scepticism, but the ease of use and practical applications of AI-powered models like ChatGPT are changing that.

This shift in attitudes towards AI opens the door for wider AI adoption across industries and functions. As businesses continue to explore the potential of AI-powered models like ChatGPT, it's likely that we will see even more innovative and impactful uses of AI in the future.

Conclusion

ChatGPT is a powerful AI-powered language model that has the potential to revolutionize the way businesses operate. From content creation to customer service, ChatGPT offers businesses a wide range of applications, making it a valuable tool for organizations

Oh, by the way. Everything you’ve just read was fully written by ChatGPT based on the prompt below:

I would like you to write a blog about ChatGPT. I need the blog to cover what ChatGPT is, how it works, and how popular it has become so quickly after its public release. Please include what ChatGPT may mean for the use of artificial intelligence in business going forward. How might various business functions such as marketing, sales, HR, public relations, operations, and management use the tool in their jobs? Include any relevant statistics and data that may support the argument. Please also include case studies and examples of how real businesses have used ChatGPT successfully. Include a section about the advantages and disadvantages for using AI for copywriting tasks. Does using OpenAI hinder creativity? In the blog, please mention that ChatGPT reached 1 million users in just 5 days, a feat that took Netflix 3 years and 5 months, Twitter 2 years, Spotify over 2 years, Facebook 10 months, and Instagram 2.5 months to accomplish. The tone of the blog should be both engaging and informative. Finally, please discuss what the sensational popularity of ChatGPT may mean for the general public's openness to AI. After so much resistance for so long, what does it mean that so many people are so readily engaging with AI? Does this open the door for wider AI adoption?

Perhaps you could tell right away that the first part of this blog was not written by a human, or maybe you had no clue. Either way, one must admit that this technology is impressive. ChatGPT is by no means the first technology of its kind. In fact, we have been interacting with this exact type of technology for years now without even realising it. Think about customer service chats on websites, or your home’s smart speaker, or Siri in your phone. All of these function the same way ChatGPT does and are capable of answering queries based on verbal or written prompts. So ChatGPT may not be the first - and now that Google have publicly released Bard , ChatGPT is not even the only free generative AI tool out there - but OpenAI have invested heavily to ensure that their tool one of the smartest.

With ChatGPT’s generative AI, technology can now replicate creativity. It can produce content based on queries, and draw from data from other past interactions to inform its outcomes. This AI can write a blog as it did here, draft reports, create computer code, or theorise on potential reasons behind an error you might be experiencing. Recently, the tool even sat the medical exam for qualification to become a doctor, and it nearly passed. The possibilities are thrilling but the outcomes are imperfect.

ChatGPT is impressive, but it is also limited. If you reread the prompt we fed the bot for this blog and then reread the output it provided, you may note that the bot did exactly as instructed, but not much more. The outcome hit on every point we requested, but was not able to add any real analysis or depth. In fact, ChatGPT identified this as one of its own weaknesses in the ‘Advantages and Disadvantages’ section above: “While AI-powered models like ChatGPT can generate human-like text, they lack the unique perspective and emotion that a human writer brings to the table. Additionally, AI-powered models may also struggle with understanding context, leading to errors and inaccuracies in the text it generates.”

The good news for human copywriters is that their jobs will not disappear because of this tool. The potential bad news Is that businesses become so wrapped up in the hype of the technology that they look past its limitations and make unwise decisions as a result. Since its public release, we have seen loads of buzz on social media, with opinion pieces published in credible journals such as Forbes and The Guardian that praise it as a game-changing tool of the future. ChatGPT will forever alter how we approach certain tasks, but its actual capabilities are not the reason for that. In fact, ChatGPT’s ‘intelligence’ is not its biggest benefit at all.

Over a million people have tested the tool since its public release in early January of 2023, and for many, all it took was entering one prompt to become intrigued by generative AI. For years, AI has been talked about as this far off disruptor coming to reshape and upend our professional lives, all while working quietly in the background of our lives. The pandemic opened many minds up to the possibility of new technology, but there was still a lot of hesitance and resistance in the marketplace. ChatGPT is probably the first direct, conscious interaction many individuals will have with AI. And it would seem that just one interaction has been all it takes to whet the appetite and make even the biggest sceptic intrigued. That shift in attitude and openness is the biggest benefit ChatGPT will bring to businesses.

Businesses looking to adopt AI but facing cultural hurdles or buy-in challenges now have something concrete they can use with their teams to enable them to experience this technology for themselves. This way, teams can become familiar with it, see its capabilities, but also see its limitations first hand. Once teams become more comfortable with AI or even excited about it, that opens up the door for more. ChatGPT is the base level of this technology, but it is a fantastic stepping stone leading to more advanced applications or innovations.

Our advice: If you are going to use ChatGPT, use it wisely. It is great to be excited about this tool, but it is also essential to be realistic about it. Yes, ChatGPT is smart and can assist with many of your day-to-day tasks, but it is not perfect and is not infallible. Therefore, it should not be left without human oversight. Rest assured; your job is still safe. Play around with the tool, get a feel for AI, and then think about how else you might be able to use it. The possibilities are truly endless.

If you are interested in consulting with our experts on integrating AI into your business and preparing your teams, please get in touch with us.

2022: A Year in Review

Tue, 20 Dec 2022 15:52:41 GMT

We’ve had the festive snow. The tree is up, and the lights are twinkling. It all looks wonderful on the surface. But I know it’s been such a tough year for many people, on many different levels.

Rather than focusing on the struggles of this year, it’s important to take time to appreciate all the good things 2022 brought. As our team prepares to switch off for the festive period, I am reminded of just how much we have to be proud of from the past 12 months.

We started the year off strong with the publication of my second book, AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing, which has been well received around the world. In March, we hosted a launch event at the R ² Factory in London, where we gathered several of the book’s contributors for a series of fireside chats and celebrated the book with family, friends, and colleagues.

The success of the book led to several podcast appearances, article contributions, and keynotes around the world. This year, I delivered sessions to GITEX, the ICCO Summit, the Digital Transformation Expo, World Travel Market, Ignite London, and more. Our team delivered training for organisations around the world representing a wide range of industries and job functions. Year on year, the eagerness to learn about this remarkable and game-changing technology grows, painting a promising picture for the future.

Speaking of the future, 2022 was another great year for our Leaders of Tomorrow in Tech AI schools programme. We hosted our second cohort of the programme at a school in south London, delivering sessions designed to help the students prepare for AI’s impact on their future careers. This year’s competition produced some amazing projects, with the students submitting their ideas for ways AI can be applied to issues such as gentrification, the identification of endangered species, improved accessibility for the disabled, and supply chain optimisation. The students had the opportunity to network with professionals at the Digital Transformation Expo in London, where the winning team was honoured in an awards presentation. We have already begun planning for our third cohort of the programme, which we aim to launch in 2023.

But even among all the good, we cannot overlook the difficulties and challenges. A senseless war in western Europe has cost many their lives, their homes, and their peace. Cost of living climbed higher and higher, leaving many in hardship. For many, this will be their first holiday without a loved one. I lost my father and mother in law at the end of the year, and I am still finding that the grief dims the lights a little and adjusting to loss can take longer than you realise.

Despite it all, we persist. We will experience more highs and lows, more peaks and valleys. We will win and lose. We will love, laugh, celebrate, cry, struggle and thrive. That’s the beautiful thing about life: it goes on even when all feels impossible.

So, I hope you all find some peace over the coming weeks and have a chance to relax with family and/or friends. Or just peacefully, in your own company. Switch off your phone. Eat that yummy food, play those games, and make new memories. Above all, be brave. Be proactive and tenacious. Push aside imposter syndrome and carve out some wonderful plans for 2023.

See you all next year!

Best wishes and happy holidays,

Katie King

CEO, AI in Business

Is AI the Answer to Hospitality, Travel & Tourism’s Troubles?

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 11:24:54 GMT

After a challenging few years, travel is back on the agenda for nearly all major destinations worldwide. While this comes as good news for travellers who have been grounded for far too long and for economies that depend on the capital that tourism and hospitality bring, it does put some pressure on businesses in the industry.

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council , before the pandemic Travel & Tourism’s direct and indirect impacts accounted for 1 in 4 of all new jobs created across the world, 10.3% of all jobs (333 million), and 10.3% of global GDP ($9.6 trillion USD). Global lockdowns and travel bans majorly impacted the industry, with the number of jobs falling from 333 million to 271 million. While the industry managed to recover slightly in 2021, 2022 has presented its own set of challenges.

While guests and passengers enthusiastically returned to travel, staff did not . During the peak of travel season, we saw flights cancelled , chaotic airport queues , and baggage piled up due to staff shortages. But the troubles don’t stop at the airport. Hotels, bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues have all faced their own staffing shortages. Competition for talent is fierce and these shortages cause disruption. For businesses still working to recover the capital they lost during the pandemic, this is a particularly difficult hurdle.

These challenges also pose a threat to guests and customers’ overall experience. Some guests may be understanding about understaffing or any resulting hiccups, but their overall expectations have changed. Managing these expectations is a challenge for travel and tourism in normal circumstances. Meeting—or exceeding—these expectations with limited resources adds another layer entirely.

AI is an incredibly powerful tool for helping businesses overcome their hurdles to gain a competitive edge, and organisations around the world seem to agree. In IBM’s Global AI Adoption Index 2022 , 35% of companies reported using AI in their business and organisations are 13% more likely to have adopted AI in 2022 than in 2021. An additional 42% of companies reported that they are exploring AI. However, travel was ranked as one of the industries which is adopting the least.

Does that mean AI has nothing to offer hospitality, tourism, and travel? Absolutely not. In fact, quite the opposite. Here are some of AI’s top use cases across tourism, travel, and hospitality that may be exactly what businesses in these industries need to overcome to get ahead:

Chatbots and Virtual Assistants

Chatbots are one of the most popular forms of AI used in Travel and Tourism today, and for good reason. These solutions are easy to adopt yet effective and can be massively helpful for improving customer experience with little to no human intervention. These tools have also improved in recent years thanks to advancements in natural language processing (NLP).

Most airlines, hotel chains, travel agencies, and booking providers employ this technology in their business to help with tasks such as answering questions, providing personalised recommendations, sharing important updates related to the customer’s itinerary, cross selling relevant products (i.e., rental cars and experiences), making reservations, and more. AskSuite is one such tool and is already in use by over 2,000 hotels. Their AI-powered assistant provides an automated service on desktop and mobile websites, social media, and WhatsApp that can answer relevant questions and help guests any time of day. In room, SuitePad’s smart tablet devices engage guests through personalised push notifications, the ability to answer their queries, and booking capabilities.

In addition to creating their own bots, many hoteliers and airlines have partnered up with two of the most well-recognised and most used Virtual Assistants on the market: Alexa, Cortana, and Siri. SONIFI is the largest in-room technology provider in hospitality and is used by top global hotel chains including Hilton, Marriott International, IHG, Hyatt, Wyndham, and Radisson. Their interactive solutions and smart room technology is what powers many of the Alexa and Google devices which guests interact with to control their environment, receive recommendations and make in-room purchases. US-based carrier United Airlines offers an app on Amazon’s Echo that allows travellers to book flights and check in. Before heading off to the airport, passengers transiting through Heathrow can ask their Alexa for an update on their flight status.

With many reliable vendors already in this space, the barrier to entry is low for businesses in these industries looking to integrate these smart assistants into their website, social media, or mobile apps.

Robot Staff

Virtual Assistants aren’t the only ‘bots’ making their way into hotels, airports, bars, and restaurants. Many are introducing physical robots as part of their teams.

Relay Robotics is the top provider in this space, and their robot butlers are already in use by IHG Hotels, Marriott, Hilton, Wyndham, Mandarin Oriental, Millennium Hotels and Resorts, Hyatt, and various independent hotel brands. These automated butlers can deliver room service and other items to guest rooms, assist with housekeeping, and alleviate pressure on restaurant wait staff. Similar robots created by CTRL Robotics are in use at Hotel Sky in the Sandton district of Johannesburg, South Africa. The hotel employs 3 robot concierges named Lexi, Micah and Ariel that can deliver room service, provide travel information, and can drag up to 300kg of luggage from the lobby to guests’ rooms.

These bots are helping handle hospitality’s staffing shortages as well. Cecilia.AI is a robotic bartender that mixes and serves cocktails and uses artificial intelligence to talk to customers, while F&P Robotics’ Barney bartender can mix dozens of cocktails, disinfect itself, and even tell jokes. Italy’s Makr Shakr offers two bartending bots that have been installed on nine Royal Caribbean cruise ships. Nala Robotics has developed three fully automated chef robots, capable of making hundreds of different dishes from various cuisines. Their proprietary AI chef hardware and software can adapt and create dishes precisely as customers request them, ensuring their food is customised to their preferences and dietary requirements.

However, this doesn’t always work out, as demonstrated by Japan’s Henn’Na Hotel, which I featured in my first book . The innovative hotel was fully staffed by robots when it opened in 2015, but in 2019, it cut its 243-robot workforce in half after the experience failed to reduce costs or workload for its employees. The failure stemmed from the robot's inability to deliver on basic functions, signalling that the algorithms were not adequately trained. Some robots were retained in the areas where they proved effective, and today humans and robots work hand-in-hand at Henn’Na.

If trained correctly, these bots have major potential to help alleviate some of the pressures on human staff across tourism and hospitality.

Management and Operations

Beyond introducing robot staff, tourism and hospitality businesses can help lighten the load of human staff and maximise their effectiveness. AI can assist with various time-consuming activities such as booking management, marketing, and property management.

Siteminder is the industry’s leading service provider for this, offering tools that enable hospitality businesses to sell across platforms, market their properties, access real-time insights, manage bookings and guests, keep track of payments, and more. Actabl’s ALICE platform helps connects all departments of a hotel to improve their communications and help save time. The full ALICE suite includes tools for front of house, housekeeping, maintenance, service delivery, and guest relations. These tools help to maximise the effectiveness of understaffed teams and provide real-time insights into what’s happening on the property.

Businesses in the travel industry are turning to AI to streamline their operations and maximise their resources, especially airlines and airports. For example, the Netherlands’ Eindhoven Airport is currently undergoing a pilot programme through 2023 using an AI system called BagsID to streamline the process of moving and tracking passengers’ luggage. Instead of using physical bag tags or RFID, travellers upload a photo of their baggage through a BagsID-connected app, which automatically links the bag to their flight information for easy check in, tracking and pick up. When travel resumed amid the pandemic, Etihad Airways used AI and automation to screen passengers for any visible symptoms of coronavirus to prevent any potential transmission on board their flights. Delta Airlines developed and built a full-scale digital simulation of its operations, which an AI system uses to suggest ways pilots can manoeuvre the aircraft during bad weather to cause the least disruption to passengers onboard. Air France uses AI to analyse flight data to assess fuel efficiency of journeys and reduce emissions, and British Airways uses AI to improve its operational efficiency and maintenance, and to predict on board food uptake.

While technology may not cure tourism and hospitality’s woes overnight, it can help to alleviate some of the pressures on understaffed teams without sacrificing guest experience. The examples here are just a few of the ways in which the travel, tourism, and hospitality industries can benefit from the use of AI, and it is likely that these use cases will expand as more businesses adopt.

If you’d like some more examples from tourism as well as other industries such as manufacturing or retail, check out AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing .

Leaders of Tomorrow in Tech Names its 2022 Competition Winners at DTX Europe

Mon, 17 Oct 2022 14:42:21 GMT

LONDON, 13th October 2022 - The second cohort of a project launched to educate young people on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the future of work and society has come to a close with an awards presentation at the Digital Transformation EXPO.

Jandry Rodriguez, Jesse Ikuesan, and Jason Boakye of St. Thomas the Apostle College in Peckham were named as winners of the competition portion of the 2022 Leaders of Tomorrow in Tech AI schools programme for their project aimed at using AI to help local governments predict and mitigate the effects of gentrification.

The programme was founded in 2020 by published Author and CEO of AI in Business Katie King and the Digital Transformation EXPO team to train, support and showcase young tech talent at secondary school, closing the skills gap surrounding the AI.

Following a successful first cohort of two Kent-based schools in 2020, the second cohort of the programme commenced with St Thomas the Apostle College in February 2022. The 4-week programme educated the students on AI via training sessions delivered by various industry experts. King served as both the programme facilitator and the first guest speaker, sharing some of the insights from her recently published second book, AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing , as well as job outlooks and skills data that will impact the students’ future careers. Responsible AI & AI for Good Lead at PwC UK Maria Axente, who delivered a brilliant session on AI ethics for the first cohort, returned as the second speaker. New to the programme this year were Akhil Akella, an impressive eight-year-old from Leicester who taught himself how to code during lockdown and developed educational software for his classmates, and Randeep Sidhu, a Product and AI specialist who served as a director of NHS Test and Trace and also built and ran the NHS C19 app.

After completing training, the students participated in a competition where they applied AI to real-world problems impacting society today. In addition to the winning project tackling gentrification, the 2022 entries addressed topics including traffic optimisation, inventory management, cybersecurity, the identification of new species, and accessibility for the visually impaired.

The competition entries were judged by King, Sidhu, Lord Tim Clement-Jones—Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence—and Mike Leverington, who is Director of Data Experimentation at ITV. The judging panel narrowed the entries down to two finalist teams, who presented their ideas at the DTX Europe event at ExCeL London on 13th October.

Ashley Przybyla, Account Manager at AI in Business, was on hand to present the awards. She said: “It’s great to be able to celebrate these amazing students and their hard work, and to give them the recognition they very much deserve. The first iteration of this programme happened during lockdown and was completely virtual, so it feels really special to be able to have the students here in person at the EXPO this time around to present their ideas to the attendees and do some networking. It’s given these young people their first real taste of the industry, which is what the programme is all about. I’ve certainly enjoyed the experience and I hope they have, too.”

Speaking about the success of the second cohort, programme facilitator Katie King said: “It’s wonderful to have been able to put on this programme for a second year and work with a new batch of students. I speak on behalf of myself, the other session facilitators, and the rest of the judging panel when I say that this batch of students really impressed us with their eagerness to learn, their engagement in the sessions, and their creativity in the competition. I look forward to bringing the programme to more schools here in the UK and to one day expand internationally.”

To learn more about the programme, please visit this page .

-----ENDS -----

Notes to editors:

About Digital Transformation EXPO:

Digital Transformation EXPO (DTX) is the UK’s most current and relevant showcase of ‘must have’ technology solutions (featuring the world’s leading brands). DTX unlocks the power of technology for IT and business leaders, from businesses of all sizes, enabling them to improve operational efficiency, increase security, introduce smarter collaboration and make faster, better-informed business decisions.

About AI in Business:

The team at AI in Business is helping organisations globally to harness AI and data analytics for business growth, efficiently and safely.

For enquiries, please contact Ashley Przybyla:

ashley@zoodikers.com

+44 (0)7539 450537

In Conversation with Katie King at GITEX 2022

Wed, 12 Oct 2022 09:28:23 GMT

On 11 October 2022, AI in Business CEO Katie King participated in a fireside chat and book signing for AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing at the Global Dev Slam event in Dubai. Global Dev Slam is one of several events that make up GITEX Global, the world’s largest tech show.

Read on to hear what Katie had to say about the development of her second book and the future of AI across business functions.

What prompted you to write AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing ?

I wrote my first book, Using Artificial Intelligence in Marketing , in 2018 and it was published at the start of 2019. Back then, AI was still a pretty new thing. People had heard about it but mostly in science fiction contexts, so very few businesses had really begun exploring it. Then of course, the pandemic hit in 2020 and changed just about everything. Businesses started doubling down on digital transformation and looking for any solutions that might help solve the problems and setbacks that COVID had created. As a result, we just got this huge boom in businesses looking to adopt AI and learn all they could about it.

The thing about AI, though, is that it moves quickly. Developments happen swiftly and often. Despite my book being only a year old at the time, so much more had happened in the world of AI and business since it was published and I didn't want to fall behind. Not only that, but the first book is very much marketing, PR, and comms focused, while AI is reshaping every business function there is. I found myself wanting to talk about that. I wanted to provide a resource for those interested in AI to turn to in order to understand the implications of this technology on their job or industry.

The time I spent consulting and training after the publication of my first book taught me a lot. I found that with most of the clients I worked with, the first step in the AI journey was often the hardest one. Book 1 has my Scorecard for Success in it, which has proven to be a useful tool for assessment of AI projects, but I also wanted to help people get started. I wrote this book with my STANDARDISE Framework in mind to provide professionals with a set of considerations to make at the start of their AI journey and something tangible to take away from the book.

Really, it was a combination of wanting to keep pace with the fast-moving world of AI, wanting to expand my reach beyond just marketing and PR into other business functions, and wanting to share a lot of what I’d learned about AI from helping businesses prepare for and adopt it.

Can you share a bit about your writing journey for your second book as compared to writing your first?

For the first book, I was covering largely unexplored territory. There were case studies out there, but they were a bit limited. At that time, AI still felt like this far out thing and still somewhat speculative. That had changed by the time book 2 rolled around. Book 1 had opened a lot of doors for me personally. Using Artificial Intelligence in Marketing led me to some pretty fantastic opportunities and put me in contact with some really interesting people. Following the book, I made AI my main business focus and opened my consultancy, AI in Business. I spoke at various conferences and events around the world and worked with businesses privately. I gained a lot of first-hand insight, while at the same time more businesses began tuning into AI and implementing it. So by the time book 2 rolled around, I had so much more material to draw from.

Not only that, but I also had many amazing contacts who were willing to participate as contributors and share their knowledge with me. I had excellent interviews in my first book as well, but the second time around I was able to pull together a really diverse and knowledgeable group to advise on so many different areas of this subject, and I think the book really benefited from that. It certainly made writing this book a pleasure to do.

The conditions in which this book was written were also completely different than the first one, and I think they really reflected where we were in the world at the time. I got started on book 2 during the UK’s second national lockdown, right before Christmas time. Couldn’t do any of the usual festive stuff. Couldn’t really go out to the shops. Couldn’t see family. But what we did have was technology. And that technology had gotten us through this challenging and isolating time by just enabling us to continue on, just with different practices. And I found that somewhat inspirational, because in a lot of ways that’s exactly what AI is doing. It’s taking our new circumstances and offering us a new way of doing things.

In your book, you have a chapter titled, “Flourish or Self-Destruct.” What do you think is the deciding factor between flourishing and self-destruction for humanity right now?

The deciding factor will be how we choose to use this technology and whether we allow it to negatively impact society. While AI is not inherently bad or biased, it is a product of the data it is trained on. If you put rubbish in, you get rubbish out. Therefore, we need to be mindful of what we are inputting into these algorithms and how that might impact the results produced. But what does that look like?

Say, for example, you’re looking to use AI for your hiring and recruitment. You would train the algorithm using data about your current staff and likely data from past successful employees. That information will train the algorithm to identify what a ‘successful’ candidate for your organisation looks like. That can be great for finding you talent that may be a good culture fit. But consider this. If your organisation is predominantly male and white, you’ve just taught the algorithm to find more white male candidates. You may be overlooking candidates who would be perfect for the role simply because they do not match the criteria set by your data. That means less opportunities for groups who may already be underrepresented.

We saw similar issues with the use of facial recognition in law enforcement, as it was resulting in racial profiling. These technologies may be well intentioned, but if trained improperly or not given proper oversight, they become harmful. When they become harmful, that raises ethical concerns.

Circling back to the question, the way we avoid self-destruction is by knowing that these outcomes are possible and working to avoid them. We need to consider human impacts alongside business impacts, as the two will sometimes conflict. AI can do some remarkable things and create unbelievable value for business, but we must not let financial gain outweigh negative impacts on our communities.

What are some of the most interesting case studies in your new book?

I had the good fortune of speaking to many amazing people across AI, business, education, government and so on for this book. I think all the cases I compiled, whether they were from interviews or my own research, are really fascinating personally. But I’d say the Phrasee/Dixons Carphone and Nissan cases are some of the most interesting. Without getting too deep into it, the Phrasee and Dixons case is a great example of how AI helped brick and mortar businesses get through the pandemic, while the Nissan case is an excellent example of allowing your customers to be a part of your business.

Which of the case studies in your new book made the biggest impression on you, and why?

I am personally very impressed by every case study found in Chapter 7. This chapter is called ‘New economic model for the robot revolution,’ and focuses very heavily on education. This is an area that I am personally very passionate about and have done some work with through my own AI schools initiative, so I find the use of technology in this area particularly fascinating. There are so many schools that are using AI tools to personalise the learning experience for every individual student, which means we are no longer relying on one-size-fits-all educational experiences and better preparing young people for their futures. This technology is also being leveraged in training contexts, which will certainly help businesses navigate the talent challenges they’re currently experiencing. I think this chapter helps to paint a picture of what we could be, rather than what we are.

Can you read us a line or two of your favourite part of the book?

“AI is the defining technology of our times and we have a choice. The power is in our hands, and the responsibility is a heavy one.” This is the first line of a section titled ‘A fork in the road,’ which is found in Chapter 9: ‘Flourish or self-destruct? The case for responsible AI.’

I feel this line sums up everything we learned in the first 8 chapters and provides a good intro to the subject matter of this chapter, which focuses on some of the ethical and societal considerations that come along with adopting AI. The first 8 chapters of the book do a great job of covering the various financial or business impacts of this technology, but Chapter 9 is an essential inclusion because those enterprise impacts will have real work implications. Yes, AI gives us the power to do some incredible things and unlocks this newfound potential for us all. But with that power, we have responsibilities to do right by others in our society and the world at large.

I like this line because it carries the weight of that trade off and puts AI into perspective. We’re in the midst of a world-altering transformation, and while there’s a lot of good that will come of it, that can only happen if we use our newfound power responsibly.

How do you think AI will affect the world of business generally, beyond just marketing?

AI will impact just about every business function across every industry, and already is beginning to. We already have so many proven use cases across sales, HR, operations, manufacturing, etc., and that will only grow with time. It’s already being used for hiring and retention, lead acquisition and scoring, safety, compliance, routinised maintenance, and beyond. Just as marketing will reshape to incorporate AI, so will all these other functions. What you get as a result is a way of doing business that is far different from what we have now, streamlined by technology working together with humans to produce better outcomes. That will result in better customer experiences across the business, increased efficiency, better use of resources, stronger teams, more engaged employees, and so much more.

AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing is available now from your favourite bookseller. To learn more, click here .

London Event Celebrates Launch of 'AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing'

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 15:59:43 GMT

LONDON, 11th March 2022 – Leading protagonists in artificial intelligence (AI) gathered last night to debate the key issues surrounding AI and how organisations can prepare for and harness it ethically. The event, hosted at Rolls-Royce’s soon-to-be-opened R² Factory in central London, was organised to mark the official launch of AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing by author and AI advisor Katie King.

Across the world COVID-19 has emphasized and accelerated the dependence of virtually every business and sector on the successful adoption of the latest relevant technologies for their survival. Worldwide, AI is already having a major impact on our lives, and many countries, industries, and organisations are setting comprehensive strategies to take full advantage of it.

In AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing , published by Kogan Page, King explores the critical issues facing business leaders today, including personalisation, upskilling, customer experience, and the importance of using AI responsibly to create consumer trust. The book features extensive original research, interviews with leading practitioners, and illuminating case studies from leading global brands spanning multiple sectors. The London event brought together some of the book’s contributors to share their insights with an audience of peers representing a wide range of industries.

One of the leading contributors is Caroline Gorski, Group Director of R² Data Labs and CEO of R² Factory. In a ‘fireside’ style chat with King, Gorski shared her thoughts on the impact AI is having on businesses today, ways for organisations to successfully adopt this technology into their cultures, and methods for achieving differentiation in the ‘AI gold rush.’ Gorski commented: “It doesn't matter how much high performance computing you can buy or how well structured your data is. If you haven't got a workforce that is able to actually adopt artificially intelligent work streams, you are not going to get very far with your AI strategy. A cultural transformation needs to happen to make sure that we understand the dynamic between AI and human intelligence and that we respect the varying roles that those two forms of intelligence can play.”

Another prominent interview in the book is with Lord Clement-Jones CBE, the former Chair of the House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence and current Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence, of which King is also a member. He explained: “In my view, AI can and should contribute positively to a purposeful form of capitalism which is not simply the pursuit of profit, but where companies deploy AI in an ethical way for a purpose. If organisations are going to retain stakeholder trust, they need to adopt an overarching ethics framework which ensures that principles such as beneficial purpose, personal privacy, transparency of use, data privacy, explainability and bias are addressed.”

Diversity and education feature extensively in the book. These themes were brought to life during the launch event by Anna Brailsford, CEO of Code First Girls, a social impact company that is on a mission to eliminate the diversity gap in tech by providing free education and economic opportunities to women globally.

The event included an interview with Anna and Code First Girls’ alumna Isabel Scavetta, who shared the details of her journey from the programme to her current role as a Product Manager in the tech industry.

Brailsford stated: “Diversity and inclusion in tech can no longer be a ‘tick box’ activity. Instead, it now represents a competitive advantage for companies. This is particularly true for organisations that are developing technology, such as AI, that is likely to have a lasting impact on civilisation. At Code First Girls, we hear first-hand the impact that a truly diverse and inclusive workforce has on the development of products and culture. We have seen a huge interest from both Uni grads and career switchers taking part in our Nanodegree and +Masters programmes. These programmes not only place women into roles across a range of tech companies and industries, but they also provide the skills and knowledge to go into specialisations, such as AI, and ultimate drive real action to close the diversity gap in tech.”

Scavetta said: “Getting involved with Code First Girls kickstarted my entire technology career. Since then, I have led multi-award-winning volunteering work to improve diversity in technology, taught ~25 women to code, been featured on the BBC as an intern at Rolls-Royce's AI Hub (R2 Data Labs), and become a Product Manager at a cutting-edge AI data and analytics start-up. I didn’t study STEM based subjects at 16, and at that point, I had already counted myself out of the race. Diverse talent comes from diverse backgrounds, and if we want to change the face of the "typical" technology team, we have to democratise tech education, overhaul conventional recruitment processes, and empower talented individuals to shape our digital future. Alternative routes into technology are so important for bringing more intersectional talent into the industry, and making the most of the creativity, drive and spark that comes from underrepresented voices in the room.”

Speaking about the event, King explained: “Debates like this are crucial because AI is one of the most influential business disruptions we will experience in our lifetime. The panel and attendees represent numerous industries and are at various stages of their AI adoption journey but eager to keep innovating. That is at the heart of my new book: helping to make this technology both accessible and relevant for professionals across all job functions including sales and marketing, and introducing them to vendors such as Phrasee, and to methodologies for applying AI to their business.”

The book is King’s much anticipated follow-up to 2019’s Using Artificial Intelligence in Marketing , which has since been published globally in five languages and listed as a resource in the 'Brand Strategy' module of the World Economic Forum's Empowering AI Leadership toolkit for corporate boards.

AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing and Using Artificial Intelligence in Marketing are available now. More information can be found here .

'AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing' Available Now

Thu, 13 Jan 2022 10:47:34 GMT

“In 2021, we witnessed and wondered at the dramatic role played by AI in accelerating life-saving Covid-19 vaccine development and spawning widespread business improvements. Societal advancements, borne out of pandemic adversity, are clear indicators that the golden age of AI is finally beginning to surface.” – Katie King

There is no doubt that artificial intelligence (AI) is firmly on the business agenda, with marketing and sales prioritizing its learning more than any other department. Yet, despite the hype, many teams struggle with how to scale and strategize its opportunities. Why is that? And how can businesses use it to create long-term growth?

With clarity and insight, leading AI expert Katie King reveals the fascinating world of AI and machine learning in a digestible and engaging way in her second book, which has recently been published by Kogan Page.

Offering examples, analysis and practical takeaways, AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing provides expert guidance on the most important aspects of AI, explaining how to:

Boost customer-centricity by creating a connected strategy
Drive customer experience across different industries
Explore new ways to connect with consumers
Utilise AI ethically and responsibly to build consumer trust

In the same way innovation has always flourished during times of turmoil, AI’s impact on business and society is only set to accelerate, breaking cultural and technological barriers and forcing leadership teams to plan for disruption.

This is the book for anyone looking to enhance their sales, marketing and CX strategy to deliver value across the organisation, no matter how far they are on the AI-adoption journey.

More information, as well as links to purchase from your favourite bookseller, can be found here .

The State of Technology in Business: Where Do We Stand After the Height of COVID-19?

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 09:50:07 GMT

It’s been an interesting 18 months for technology. It became the primary format of learning for students around the world, enabled us to keep business going from the safety of our homes, helped us stay connected to loved ones during social distancing, and allowed us to do our shopping when the High Street shut down. But now, most of the adult population in the UK is now fully vaccinated. Legal restrictions are lifted and the days of national lockdowns are (hopefully!) behind us. Many are plotting their return to the office, at least part time, and heading back out to meet up with friends and family.

But now that we’ve spent the past year relying heavily on technology, can we quit it? Should we? Are our days of saying “You’re on mute” or “Let’s pick this up offline” truly behind us, or only just beginning? With 2022 just over four months away, where does our relationship with technology stand, and what does that mean for artificial intelligence and other disruptive technologies?

It is probably safe to say that technology is here to stay as a major fixture of our personal and professional lives. If anything, our newfound reliance on technology forced us to overcome some of our resistance to embracing new forms of technology. AI is an excellent example of this. AI has evolved from its steady marathon pace into a sprint. Here is where we currently stand with AI adoption as we wrap up Q3 of 2021.

Where Do We Stand?

It should come as no surprise that the pandemic accelerated the timeline on digital transformation. According to McKinsey , this jump is equal to about seven years’ worth of progress in most geographies and 10 years in Asia-Pac. Data from KPMG supports this, with 67% of respondents in a global survey saying that they have accelerated their digital transformation strategy as a result of COVID-19 and 63% reporting increases in their digital transformation budgets as a result of the pandemic. McKinsey’s data found that the practices that were most readily able to be digitised were where companies focused their attention, so it comes as no surprise that AI adoption accelerated this past year.

In the US alone, 88% of organisations scaled up their use of AI during 2020 as a result of the impacts of COVID-19. IBM’s Global AI Adoption Index 2021 found that ‘Changing business needs due to COVID-19’ was one of the top 3 drivers for AI adoption this past year (44%), and that larger companies around the world were 31% more likely than smaller companies to report that their company had accelerated their rollout of AI because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, we have seen the adoption rates across enterprise pick up worldwide.

The major researchers all produced different statistics, but all of their data demonstrates a clear shift towards exploration and implementation. For example, IBM’s Global AI Adoption Index 2021 survey findings show that 34% of respondents’ companies are analysing data to build and scale AI, 31% are currently using pre-built AI applications such as chatbots, 27% are developing proofs of concept for specific AI-based or AI-assisted projects, 24% are exploring AI solutions but have not yet purchased any tools or apps, while 21% are deploying AI across the business. Meanwhile, PwC’s annual AI Predictions survey revealed that a quarter of the companies participating reported widespread adoption of AI, up from 18% in the previous year, while another 54% were predicted to be heading there fast. McKinsey’s latest State of AI survey found that over 50% of companies have adopted AI in at least one business function, and a Cognizant report released in August 2021 found that 20% of US companies are fully employing AI for decision-making in business while 61% are only beginning to implement AI and 19% have barely begun

What does this tell us? That the benefits that AI can bring to businesses are far too valuable to ignore, and those who chose to do so can expect to fall behind as their peers race ahead of them. Organisations across every industry, sector, and geography are waking up to these facts and adjusting their practices, even if they were not planning to do so pre-pandemic. Now that many are on the path, here is what to potentially expect as we move forward.

What to Look Out For

Answering some of the questions posed earlier, no, you should not expect to see our grip on technology loosen any time soon. But as businesses adapt, expect to see several changes to the way we as professionals conduct their jobs day to day.

Remote and Hybrid Work

This is the most obvious and pressing change to the way many businesses operate. Now that they have enjoyed the flexibility of remote and hybrid working models, they are not keen to give it up. We have seen many companies announce their plans which will be executed this autumn. Technology will play an integral role in bridging the gap between in-office and remote staff. Expect to see video tools in use to bring staff who are working at home into the meeting room with their peers, and collaboration platforms that enable teams to work together more effectively.

Automation of Customer-Facing Processes

McKinsey found that businesses are three times likelier now than before the pandemic to say that at least 80% of their customer interactions are digital in nature. As consumer needs shift as a result of the pandemic, businesses need to adapt in order to offer the products and experiences that best meet these needs. AI will be a major ally here, both enabling businesses to gain insight into these changes and to provide personalised and effective digital experiences. Expect to see a rise in investment and adoption of chatbots, social listening tools, AI-powered decision-making platforms, and personalisation at scale tools.

Increased Focus on Skills

Adoption of new skills and technologies will require us all to adjust. It will be crucial to have the right skills and capabilities to use these tools successfully in order to reap the most benefits from them. We may also be asked to reevaluate what we offer and what gaps we need to fill. It’s likely that many of us will see certain aspects of our roles automated over the coming years, meaning our time and skills need to be allocated elsewhere. In most cases, this will be positive, as AI will take over some of the more mundane tasks and create time for more ‘human-powered’ activities such as those requiring creativity, strategy, empathy, or interpersonal skills. It is important to start developing an understanding of what is to come for your industry and job function, and to begin taking the necessary steps to prepare yourself. If you are a marketing, PR, or comms professional, our Mini MBA programme is the perfect place to start. There are also many great course and bespoke training options available through us , academic institutions, and online learning platforms.

While the pandemic is not yet over, it is fair to say that the worst of it is likely behind us. As a result, we can expect to see businesses begin to move ahead and build on the technological momentum that has built up over the last 18 months. It has been a year categorised by mass uncertainty, but one thing remains clear: whatever happens next, technology will be at the helm driving us forward.

The Tech Cold War: What Does Global Competition Mean for Business 4.0?

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 10:10:38 GMT

We are ending 2020 in a very different world than where we began. By the time the clock strikes midnight on 31 December, we will have been through a global pandemic that dealt devastating economic blows, affected millions worldwide, disrupted our day-to-day lives, and reshaped business as we once knew it. The UK will officially leave the EU, most likely without a deal and with several enticing trade options on the table. And with our reliance on tech more prevalent than ever, it’s likely that digital transformation will be a top priority where it was once a ‘maybe.’

As the tech race is heating up around the world, relations are becoming frosty as the giants fight for dominance and new startups clamour for space. Nations are racing to gain the global foothold in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). For years now, there has been a cold tech war silently brewing between several of the top nations, but this year they all seemed to zero in on a common enemy: China.

China is absolutely a frontrunner in the tech space, but this year brought many widespread rejections of companies, software, and hardware from the nation. But is this to the benefit or the detriment of industries, consumers, and organisations?

The Trouble with China

We saw China’s global reputation deteriorate this year, confirmed by recent research from Pew. In most countries, around three-quarters or more see China in a negative light. In Spain, Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, the U.S., the UK, South Korea, Sweden and Australia, negative views have reached their highest level in 12 years.

These negative attitudes have manifested themselves in a concrete and legislative way. In June of this year, 18 lawmakers from eight nations (Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Parliament) partnered to form the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) , which increased to over 100 members within a week of launch. Today, the total number of democratic nations in the alliance has increased from 8 to 19 after lawmakers from New Zealand, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Switzerland, Uganda, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Italy and Denmark legislatures joined.

Impacts on Tech

These negative sentiments have begun to permeate the development of next gen technologies. For example, this summer President Trump issued executive orders banning US transactions with Chinese tech firms ByteDance and Tencent, threatening to ban ByteDance’s highly successful app TikTok in the United States. Two years ago, this month, the chief financial officer and deputy chair of the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei was arrested in Canada in a move many saw at the time as another tech trade-war retaliation from North America. Furthermore, the UK introduced legislation that will cease the installation of Huawei 5G equipment from September 2021 and require this equipment to be removed from the UK’s 5G networks by 2027. This was first announced in July, despite the UK working closely with Huawei for around 20 years.

Now that Huawei is out, the ‘flavours of the month’ seem to be South Korea’s Samsung, Japan’s Sony and NEC, Sweden’s Ericsson, and the now Finnish-owned Nokia. Whether coincidental or intentional, all of these nations are members of IPAC. The widespread backing of these rival firms begs the question: is the west looking to decouple Huawei, or is it just a casualty of the opposition of Chinese tech in general?

Many of the decisions impacting Chinese tech in the global market stem from political sources, but will have massive economic implications. This illustration by Evan Shapiro shows the global share of tech firms entering 2021. While most of the top earners are American companies, the highest earning non-American companies are Chinese firms Tencent and Alibaba. Both of these firms have been massively influential in driving the development of advanced technologies, especially AI. Not only would removing these firms create a potentially dangerous American monopoly, but will cause setbacks to adoption. Alibaba, Tencent, and other Chinese firms are making great strides in developing hardware and software that will help drive business 4.0. Restricting or eliminating these products from the global marketplace can lead to setbacks in advancement, as it may take other firms more time to catch up and offer comparable products to the market.

Not to mention, the Huawei ban will potentially slow down 5G development in the UK. I recently published two blogs on the subject and the impacts delays to 5G adoption could have on UK enterprise. Reliable network connectivity is more important than ever with more business activities taking place remotely, heavier reliance on the Cloud, and an increase in devices on the network.

Security is of utmost importance here, but it’s also essential that these bans and restrictions are coming from legitimate threats rather than national biases. Every country wants to lead the pack and be on the cutting edge of tech, but it needs to be a somewhat level playing field. Competition in the marketplace is good for driving innovation and for providing the consumer with more options. Why shouldn’t products from companies such as Tencent, Huawei, Alibaba, or Baidu be in the mix?

At the end of the day, it’s the everyday users and consumers who will lose out in this tech cold war. By slowing down high-tech development or limiting access to potentially beneficial next gen tools, businesses may end up missing out on technology that could truly make a difference in their day-to-day performance, competitive advantage, and post-COVID recovery. It will be interesting to see what the new year brings, but hopefully we will take strides forward instead of reaching a standstill.

Can Businesses Afford Broadband Setbacks in the COVID Economy?

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 14:23:32 GMT

This time last year, businesses were looking ahead to the new year optimistically, with some organisations having artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation on their agendas but not necessarily top of mind. Now here we are, looking ahead to 2021 but facing a very different set of challenges in a very different economic climate.

A year ago, we never would have predicted the disruption that the COVID-19 pandemic would cause. Many of the organisations who had digital transformation lower down on their ‘to-do’ list for the year were forced to rapidly adopt new technology in order to continue functioning. Unfortunately, there’s no clear end in sight and the UK is on the brink of its first double-dip recession since the 1970s. The original furlough scheme is ending and being replaced with less comprehensive and supportive measures, meaning some businesses may need to make difficult cutbacks and operate with less staff.

As a result, many organisations are having to think about ways to keep their heads above water, maximise their effectiveness, and remain competitive. New technology has been the answer for many of these companies. Cloud-based technology is making it possible for teams to stay connected wherever they may be. AI is helping increase efficiency and compensate for lost manpower, amongst a tonne of other benefits . Networking events, seminars, meetings, and conferences have been able to continue thanks to virtual calling software such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams. But none of this would be possible without an internet connection.

It’s no question that with the rate that new technology is advancing and becoming an integral part of our professional and personal lives, strong connectivity is an absolute must have. 5G is going to provide faster download speeds, better handle high amounts of network traffic, and offer better data coverage in areas that are currently underserved by existing broadband networks. The problem is, the Government has delayed 5G roll-out in Britain.

What does this mean for business? A new report by Assembly provides insight into some of the economic repercussions of such a setback.

According to the report, more than £100bn of economic benefit and 350,000 potential new jobs outside London and South East may not be fully realised over the next decade should the UK delay its 5G adoption, thus increasing the risk of widening the digital divide and potentially condemning parts of Britain to the slow lane for years to come.

The areas of the country that have been hit harder by COVID and are undergoing a second lockdown have the most at stake. The report’s findings predict that if 5G is delayed any further in the North-West, the region risks not fully realising an economic uplift of £16.9 billion and 59,000 new jobs between 2020-2030. The West Midlands stands to miss out on an economic uplift of £13.0 billion and 45,500 new jobs during the same period.

Where are these losses coming from? As mentioned, new technology is helping businesses move forward in this challenging landscape, but without strong connectivity these benefits cannot be obtained. A delay in 5G threatens to slow advances in everything from remote healthcare, smart manufacturing, e-commerce, robotics, education, and beyond.

Just as every industry and sector stands to benefit from the adoption of next gen tech, those same businesses will lose out if they do not have the internet connectivity that they need. Given the challenges that businesses are facing already, setbacks such as this are too costly to risk.

Myth-busting 5G: Risks Versus Benefits of Better Broadband

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 07:50:15 GMT

Think of the power that you carry in your pocket, on your wrist, or in your bag every day thanks to mobile technology such as smartphones, tablets, and smart watches. Our world is going digital and we're consuming more data as a result. This demand is causing congestion on existing networks and leading to breakdowns in service, particularly when lots of people in the same area are trying to access online mobile services at the same time. And with business and education pivoting virtually, access to dependable broadband is more imperative than ever. Yet many areas of the UK lack fast, reliable internet access.

5G is the solution we need in a post-pandemic and increasingly digital world. It is the next generation of mobile internet connection, and can provide much faster download and upload speeds while easily handling high amounts of traffic. But what else is to be gained from 5G, and what risks are associated?

Is 5G Dangerous?

There has been much discussion about the safety of 5G, with some going as far as mistakenly theorising that the technology is to blame for coronavirus. The truth is that neither 5G nor mobile phone usage have increased our risk for health issues. In fact, because 5G requires more transmitters that run at lower power levels than current 4G technologies, the level of radiation exposure from 5G antennas will be lower than what we’re currently exposed to.

Big Picture Benefits and Risks

5G has much more to offer than just faster download speeds and better data coverage. The benefits of 5G span beyond the individual to the macroeconomic level.

An independent report conducted by Assembly Research and commissioned by Huawei found that the total estimated benefit of 5G is £173bn between 2020 and 2030. It is expected that this benefit will come from the improvements which businesses will be able to make with stronger internet connectivity, such as adopting Artificial Intelligence and other next generation technologies.

To put into perspective just how impactful 5G will be on the economy, the report presents figures for what potential delays or setbacks in 5G adoption could cost the UK. It is predicted that a 3-year delay in 5G rollout could cost approximately £18.2bn. £10bn of this are productivity benefits that would be lost entirely. The remainder is a loss across the mobile sector (£4.7bn), related industries (£2bn), and the economy at large (£1.5bn). Given the hits that the UK economy has already taken due to the pandemic, this financial setback would be a massive blow.

Adopting 5G would help the UK become a stronger global competitor in the digital race, and help to improve the rate at which we develop and implement new technologies. Choosing to opt out or delay innovation will come with costly consequences that are likely to be felt long term.

NEWS RELEASE: Leaders of Tomorrow in Tech

Thu, 11 Jun 2020 11:38:46 GMT

Project launches to close the knowledge gap in schools surrounding the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the future of work and society

LONDON, 11th June 2020 – A project has been launched to train, support and showcase young talent at secondary school, closing the knowledge gap surrounding the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the future of work and society.

The programme is founded by Katie King - published Author and CEO of AI in Business, and Digital Transformation EXPO - the independent guide, helping companies to devise their technology strategy. The programme will support schools with six expert sessions delivered by leading academics and organisations including Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, The Alan Turing Institute and PwC. During the social distancing period, these sessions are being delivered virtually. The students will also be given the valuable opportunity to access mentors to support their future careers.

In this pilot programme, a group of students from St Gregory’s Catholic school, a mixed, all ability, secondary school in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and its partner school, St Simon Stock, in Maidstone, will participate. The initial group comprises a range of students from various year groups, including those studying business, finance and IT, and is being made fully inclusive, with deaf pupils.

The project is supported by Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark, who is Chair of Science & Technology Select Committee. He explains: “Programmes like this are incredibly important to help accelerate young people’s careers, giving them skills and training which they may not have had access to previously. It’s excellent to see a Kent school being so proactive – especially during lockdown. In addition, projects like this help support the UK’s rapidly growing AI business sector, ensuring that the UK remains a leader in AI in the future.”

Many of the students who take part in the programme will also have the opportunity to attend the Digital Transformation EXPO on 30th September – 1st October 2020. The students will gain even greater access to leading expertise as the event features an impressive line-up of leading speakers, alongside companies like Google. Four lucky students will also enter the Leaders of Tomorrow in Tech Awards, with the winner receiving two hours of mentoring from leading industry judges including Lord Clement-Jones, Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence.

Business and Finance Teacher Terry King, who is leading the project for the schools, comments: “These are challenging times for employment opportunities and university places. Projects supported by companies like Microsoft, Amazon Web Services and PwC - who are leading the way in technology - can only enhance a student’s prospects for the future.”

Project co-founder Harry Chapman, who is Group Content Director, Digital Transformation EXPO, says: “We’re pleased to be working on this very important initiative to develop young talent in the tech sector. This is one of the many ways we want to give back to the industry, alongside our extensive diversity and charity programmes. It also fulfils a need of many of the companies we work with – getting access to new talent.”

Project co-founder Katie King, who is CEO of AI in Business, explains: “These students are the future workforce. Some will choose data science, others may opt for a career in the law, marketing or football. Whatever path they select, one thing is certain: AI will change the nature of all tasks in the future, so they need to be fully prepared. This project is an essential collaboration between schools and businesses to close a very real gap which currently exists. It’s an exciting opportunity for the students taking part, and we intend to roll it out more widely in phase two, with schools globally already asking to participate.”

-----ENDS -----

Notes to editors:

About Digital Transformation EXPO:

For enquiries, please contact Andrew Cleary, Head of Marketing:

andrew.cleary@imagotechmedia.com

Digital Transformation Expo – https://dt-x.io/europe/

About AI in Business:

The team at AI in Business is helping organisations globally to harness AI and data analytics for business growth, efficiently and safely.

As a subsidiary of Zoodikers Consulting Ltd, we've spent over 10 years at the cutting edge of digital transformation. We've also invested a year researching how businesses apply AI, learning from their mistakes and successes, resulting in Katie’s book which was published in 2019: https://www.aiinbusiness.co.uk/book

Most importantly, we are playing a key role in advising Government on how AI should be adopted in enterprise. Our work spans a wide range of services, from consultancy and workshops to delivering Keynote and motivational speeches. We help clients to stay current, to stay ahead, to innovate, and to achieve their business goals.

For enquiries, please contact Katie King, CEO:

katie@zoodikers.com

Mobile – +44 (0)7525 727288

https://www.aiinbusiness.co.uk/

'Bicycles are the New Toilet Paper' & Harnessing Tech to Win in the New Normal

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 08:19:36 GMT

I’ve had the pleasure of running loads of virtual sessions since lockdown began. I’ve been training virtually for years, but now more than ever, others are embracing online events. This past week, I had the pleasure of hosting a breakfast session with an associate Valentina Serra-Holm, where we discussed leadership, technology, and what she describes as ‘winning in the new normal.’

Valentina made one comparison that really struck a chord with both the participants and me: “bicycles have become the new toilet paper.” We all remember at the very start of this pandemic when people panic bought toilet roll as if it would never be manufactured again. Shelves were left completely bare, and suddenly this everyday item became the hottest commodity out there. Valentina presented the argument that bikes are now seeing a similar increase in demand.

These are strange and unprecedented times that we’re living in now. The bicycle is just one example of a shift in consumer behaviour that we’ve seen. As restrictions ease and businesses prepare to return to trading, they’re having to rethink their approaches, their mindset, and their strategy in order to match the needs and priorities of the adapted consumer market.

Many are turning to technology to accomplish this. The pandemic has accelerated the rate at which companies are undergoing digital transformation. Many are migrating to the Cloud or embracing platforms like Zoom in order to stay connected remotely. But why stop there? There are digital solutions available that can help businesses retain their existing clients during this transition to the new normal, and gain new business in the adapted market.

These are the topics we discussed in the session, with loads of practical advice and real world examples. A recording is embedded below.

If you are interested in learning more or would like support, get in touch with us .

Rethinking our Relationship with AI in the Face of Economic Recession

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Wed, 27 May 2020 15:06:32 GMT

Six months ago, conversations about ‘business disruption’ typically centred around major tech innovations. None of us could have predicted the massive disruption that the coronavirus (COVID-19) would cause. Now, nearly halfway through 2020, the conversation has shifted to ‘the new normal,’ and how to not only survive this pandemic but also thrive during and after.

This has been a period of global economic hardship unlike anything we’ve seen in almost a century. Over 61,000 limited companies in the UK folded between the start of March and mid-April 2020 alone, with a parallel drop in the numbers of new firms registering with Companies House. An Office of National Statistics (ONS) survey reported severe business impacts, with the virus shutting down trading for a quarter of businesses and causing ‘significant distress’ for UK companies. The repercussions of this are rippling downwards to the workforce, with about 856,500 people in the UK registering for universal credit and jobseeker’s allowance benefits in April, which drove up the overall claimant count by 69% in a single month.

There was a time where it was thought that this level of change and redundancy would be driven by automation, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and robotics. This was primarily due to baseless scaremongering created by science fiction and popular media. But in the age of social distancing, digital transformation and rapid adoption, and economic hardship, could AI be the answer to surviving and thriving for all companies worldwide? Is it time to rethink our relationship with AI?

Overcoming Resistance

First and foremost, it needs to be said that no, AI is not here to replace the human labour force. AI is a really broad term to describe a range of software that can replicate human capabilities, but is designed to achieve a specific task, whereas humans can perform a wide range of tasks. A major difference - and benefit - here is that because AI is so specialised, it can often perform the tasks it was designed for quicker and more efficiently that a human worker could.

That said, collaboration between man and machine is necessary to get the job done. AI can generate tons of data and provide valuable insights, but there need to be people on the other end making sense of it all and applying it to the business. In the areas where AI can take over the work of human workers, it’s typically in a function that is ‘dirty, dull, or dangerous.’ A lot of the time, AI can save human workers the minutiae of their daily routines by quickly accomplishing tasks that take time for human workers to accomplish, allowing them to focus their energy on other business-building activities instead.

AI may not replace us in our jobs, but it will likely reshape tasks and therefore how jobs are performed. It is important to understand this. Once businesses can overcome their fears and mistrust of AI, they can begin to view it as the asset – and catalyst for change – that it truly is.

The AI Asset

With resources becoming limited, it’s more important than ever for businesses to tighten up their practices and make sure that they are performing to the best of their abilities. AI can help accomplish that.

AI has potential for use across every function of the business. The sales department can use it to uncover new leads, warm up the sales pipeline, or follow up with customers or contacts. Customer service can use it to tackle a higher volume of enquiries and improve customer satisfaction, while the HR department can use it to build the best possible team and improve corporate culture. There is a wide range of tools available to suit various job functions, and even tools tailored to specific industries such as banking or retail.

The unfortunate truth is that many businesses have had to make some serious cuts to staff or funding in order to stay afloat these past few months. Some are having to get by with smaller teams or slashed budgets. Incorporating AI software can help pick up some of that slack, while also helping to improve efficiency and reshape best practices. This is incredibly valuable for helping businesses keep their heads above water through difficult times.

But what about when the pandemic ends? It’s without question that the economic impacts of COVID-19 will be felt for months if not years to come. It’s also likely that life may never return to the way it was before. As it is predicted remote work will remain as the new normal, businesses will need to strengthen their relationship with technology in order to stay connected. Even the most resistant organisations have had to quickly adapt to new technology, and that is unlikely to change or regress once this is all over. There’s no reason why AI shouldn’t be one of these technologies.

In a time period that is categorised by uncertainty, AI can unearth valuable business insights as the situation develops. As customers change their habits, AI can provide valuable insights into the new normal. AI is constantly gathering available data, providing an up-to-the-minute glance at what customers want and need. This allows businesses to act - or react - quickly to changes in the market and maximise their resources. Internally, AI can do the same by monitoring systems and practices and alerting decision-makers to areas that require attention or improvement.

Before the pandemic, many feared AI or viewed it as a threat. By taking the time to learn about it and understand what this technology is capable of, it becomes evident that AI is more of a friend than a foe. It has been the way forward for businesses looking to adapt and get ahead for a while now, but the time has finally come for businesses to open their minds to AI in order to survive and thrive.

If you would like to learn more about AI, its uses, and its benefits, join me and my colleague Petros Mina of Fountech Solutions for our free “AI: What is It & How Can You Harness It for Competitive Advantage?” webinar on 3 June 2020.

Learn more and register here .

Careers Post-Coronavirus: How to Prepare Today for What May Come Next

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Tue, 05 May 2020 09:14:48 GMT

Three months ago, we never would have dreamed that the majority of people would be working from home, that we wouldn’t be able to nip to the shops for nonessentials, or that we couldn’t gather with friends and families. But here we are, living in a world that is (almost) completely locked down.

In the short amount of time since the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak began and rapidly spread across the globe, we’ve experienced massive shifts in the way we live and work. Some of the biggest impacts have been economic, as social distancing and government regulations have caused trading to cease for so many businesses, the consequences of which are likely to be felt for many years to come.

It is still uncertain when our lives will regain some semblance of normalcy, and what “normal” will look like. This pandemic may have forever reshaped the way that business is conducted, with many organisations adopting new technologies or normalising remote work. Others may unfortunately have no business or job to return to in the short term.

It’s very difficult to predict with any certainty what the future holds. But based on current trends, combined with over 30 years of experience consulting some of the world’s top professionals, here are the impacts you can potentially expect the workforce to face, and some advice for how you can overcome it.

The Situation as it Stands

Certain countries are beginning to ease their restrictions slowly in order to preserve their economies, but great damage has already been done. According to the BBC’s live updates on 29 April 2020 , the UN has assessed that 1.5bn workers are at risk of having their livelihoods destroyed. China, Germany, and the United States all saw their GDP and economies shrink in the first quarter of 2020. A staggering 26m Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since the pandemic began in March.

Here in the UK, the situation isn’t much better. According to data gathered by a group of university researchers at the Enterprise Research Centre, over 61,000 limited companies folded between the start of March and mid-April with a parallel drop in the numbers of new firms registering with Companies House. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) predicts that Britain’s economy is likely to lose around £800bn of income over the next 10 years due to the current lockdown and a spike in unemployment.

These figures paint an admittedly bleak picture, but there are measures you can take to help stay afloat. Both businesses and professionals may have to adapt their ways of thinking and their tactics in order to get back on track.

Embracing New Technology

What a busy few weeks it has been for platforms Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Hangouts as workers in ‘nonessential’ roles transition to remote work! The feasibility of remote work is arguably one of the biggest revelations of this situation. A major caveat though is that the organisation needs to be open to wider technology such as Cloud, IoT, and so on.

Some companies have been resisting digital transformation for a while now. That way of thinking no longer works, and it’s unlikely that these businesses will be able to revert to their old ways when all of this is done. Employees now have evidence that their jobs can be done remotely, and some may lobby to stay that way. This may be a model their organisation has resisted or rejected in the past, but is now worth considering. The pandemic has impacted bottom lines, and many businesses will be looking to cut costs. Remote work is a great option for reducing overhead and eliminating costs for office rent, utilities, supplies, and so on. In fact, some tech-savvy companies may feel inspired to innovate even further, and adopt technology like artificial intelligence to maximise efficiency while minimising costs.

Upskilling to Futureproof

Now is a great time to upskill and educate oneself on new technologies or skills. Continuous learning enables motivated employees to become key assets to their organisation. As many organisations inevitably head in that direction, knowledge of fourth generation technologies, understanding of potential business benefits, and awareness of key vendors will prove incredibly valuable moving forward. This is an opportunity for employees looking for more responsibility or a change in role, and for leaders looking to guide their organisation forward.

Technology isn’t the only area where there is an opportunity to learn. There are numerous affordable (and some free) resources, webinars, and courses available online spanning every topic imaginable. Learning a language, retraining, or picking up a new, relevant skill are all fantastic and valuable uses of your time! Plus, it’s just a great way to remain productive and combat the dullness of lockdown. Developing knowledge or expertise in a specific area could open up avenues for thought leadership opportunities. Or if you are one of the many who have unfortunately been made redundant during these challenging times, adding new skills is a great tactic to make you incredibly marketable in the changing jobs market.

Professional Development

The sad reality is that many companies have had to make difficult decisions to cut staff to save costs, and some have already gone under. The job search can be intimidating and a daunting at times. Perhaps it’s been a while since you’ve been in the market for a new position. Maybe you just don’t really know where to begin.

Understanding the market you’re entering is a strong starting point. You should arm yourself with key insights about your industry of choice, and familiarise yourself with the key issues consuming your potential employer. This arsenal of information will allow you to identify the skills and experience that provide the most value so that you can champion these in your personal branding. Your CV should be up-to-date and accurately reflect your accomplishments, experience, and skills. Tailoring your CV and covering letters for each role you apply to may sound tedious, but it goes a long way in illustrating your interest, motivation, and thoughtfulness. Many interviewers are now requesting video based CVs and interviews, which can be daunting for some who lack these skills. Getting your CV seen by the right people can be achieved through strong thought leadership on LinkedIn, a personal blog, or other social platforms. It can also be assisted via strategic introductions to key contacts.

All of the above can be accomplished on your own, and will take some time investment. There are some great articles out there with tips that may be helpful. It’s obviously difficult to get out there and meet potential contacts, but there are numerous free virtual networking events available via Zoom from various professional organisations. I actually hosted one of these for Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce and law firm Furley Page last week.

Alternatively, you can seek professional help if you are looking for more in-depth guidance or help. We can certainly support you with outplacement services to help you develop your personal branding, facilitate key introductions, conduct industry research on your behalf, or provide training for upskilling This includes CV writing, help with your LinkedIn, interview training, or networking. Having a little extra help in your corner means you don’t have to navigate the job market alone.

While we still don’t know what lies ahead, there are steps that can be taken today in order to prepare for what may come. I think we can all agree that technology will play a big role, and is worth embracing. We’re all having to put ourselves out of our comfort zone and embrace the need for continuous learning.

Stay strong, stay healthy, and stay motivated everyone. There’s a light at the end of this tunnel!

Our sister company, Zoodikers Consulting, offers a range of Outplacement Services to those looking to advance or change their career. For more information, download our flyer or visit the Zoodikers website .

Business & Community Support During the Coronavirus Outbreak

Fri, 20 Mar 2020 15:40:23 GMT

I’ve been uncharacteristically quiet on social media this past week; head down, trying to be resourceful in the face of tough business challenges. But here’s a brief update.

We’re living through a once in a generation period of societal change and business disruption. The last pandemic without a cure was way back in 1918! Like so many others, my business is impacted. Thank heavens for technology and the ability to offer, as I’ve done for many years, online and distance learning.

Obviously, my Keynote speeches and face to face training have all been postponed, but there is demand for distance learning delivered via platforms such as Zoom, GoToWebinar etc. It’s so important to design and plan these sessions effectively, in bite-sized modules, allowing for maximum engagement, testing the energy levels, providing group virtual breakout exercises etc. I’ll share the link to those next week.

Cash flow will be severely impacted and we’re waiting to hear more measures from the Chancellor later today. Those 5pm briefings are so useful. In the meantime, HMRC’s ‘time to pay dedicated helpline’ to defer your VAT, PAYE etc is 0800 015 9559. Grant money will be paid out in the first 2 weeks in April. Forms will go live next week to apply. Check in with your local Chamber of Commerce, MPs, borough councils etc for more help.

Like so many others, I’m shocked at the empty supermarket shelves and some of the profiteering. But also, I’m heart warmed by examples of real community spirit. I’m trying to play my part and gave my number to elderly former neighbours and people I know from walking my dog on Tunbridge Wells Common, in case they need help with shopping etc when they can’t go out.

I’ve also volunteered – alongside others from all over the world - to help spread the word about Corotrac - an app for tracking your COVID-19 symptoms and isolation period. Please take a quick look: https://corotrac.com/

It’s a worrying time, especially when you have close friends, and parents in their 70s and 80s, who’ve been really sick and are in the high-risk group.

I feel sad for the young people who are honestly devastated that the school year is as good as over and exams are cancelled. My husband Terry is a teacher and today was tough for them all. Pupils wanted the chance to prove just how hard they had worked by being graded. Many are now suffering real mental health problems.

But there is lots of support out there from brilliant people. There are some wonderful WhatsApp groups, and places like NextDoor where you can ask for and offer support.

Take care everyone!

My 1st Bookversary

Fri, 06 Mar 2020 09:40:24 GMT

When I started Zoodikers Consulting in 2010, many scoffed that social media was an irrelevant, passing fad. Many brands were just starting to adjust to its arrival, and to the impact of search marketing and mobile. But as the years passed, digitisation became the norm and I was faced with the challenge of not only staying current, but getting ahead of the curve once more.

It was this desire to innovate that piqued my interest in artificial intelligence. I engrossed myself in resources and found myself both incredibly excited and deeply inspired by the seemingly endless potential of this new technology. I knew that AI was my next chapter. And so I wrote a book . Not quite as simple as it sounds. It was a difficult year, and the book required all of my resilience and tenacity.

‘Using Artificial Intelligence in Marketing” was my way of exploring my passion while also remaining at the cutting edge. My two daughters will always be my legacy in life, but this book provided me a chance to leave my mark on my industry and leave behind a professional legacy as well.

6th March 2019 was a proud day for me, as the Tottenham girl who grew up with her nose constantly in a book celebrated the release of a book of her own. And let me tell you, a lot has happened in the year since then!

The book has been published worldwide by Kogan Page, and has received many positive reviews. Since its original publication in English, it’s been translated into Chinese, Russian, Turkish, and as of last week, Vietnamese. I’ve visited Turkey many times and done a lot of work in Asia Pac, so it’s really cool to envisage my book is being read there in the local language!

The most gratifying part is when people express how much they have learned from it. I wanted this book to serve as a resource for forward-thinking business leaders. Never in my wildest imagination would I have ever predicted that it would be listed as a reference source in the 'Brand Strategy' module of the World Economic Forum's Empowering AI Leadership toolkit for corporate boards, which was unveiled at Davos 2020.

‘Using Artificial Intelligence in Marketing’ has also opened the door to some really amazing professional opportunities. I have been able to share my insights on AI with audiences all over the world in my Keynotes, and deliver training to companies and professionals using the Scorecard for Success featured in the book. The demand for this type of knowledge allowed me to launch AI in Business in 2019, all thanks to the book.

It has been a very busy year, and I am constantly humbled by all the amazing opportunities that I’ve been presented with. Thank you to all who read ‘Using Artificial Intelligence in Marketing,’ wherever in the world you may be. Thank you to my team at Kogan Page for championing the book far and wide. I look forward to the next chapter. Stay tuned!

The State of AI in Tourism

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 10:12:56 GMT

Travel is something I’ve always been passionate about, and I’m fortunate to do a fair amount of it in my career. In 2019 I travelled extensively to deliver Keynotes following the launch of my book. I visited many countries and trained business leaders on how to effectively harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) across their sales, marketing, HR and other business functions. This year, I’ll be heading to Africa and Asia. America is another huge focus for AI in Business in 2020, and in June I’ll be taking my first trip to Chicago (which is apparently the best city in the world if you’re speaking to my not-at-all-biased colleague Ashley). There’s no question it will be a busy year - racking up many airline miles, living out of my trusty suitcase, and checking in and out of hotels.

Maybe it's because I’m so often on the go that tourism is one of the areas of AI disruption that fascinates me the most. According to a Statista report , travel and tourism contributed approximately £7.1 trillion to the global economy in 2018. This is only expected to rise thanks to ever-growing market demand driven in large part by the experience-seeking and digitally adept customers of emerging Generation Z and U. As a result, companies in this industry have been presented with the challenge of continuously improving their services to better the customer travel experience.

AI in Tourism: What’s New?

I first explored this topic back in 2018 (you can read that blog here ), and my book devotes a lot of attention to it too. When the book was published in 2019, AI in tourism was a relatively new concept, but had loads of potential. In Chapter 3, Simon Greenbury, Future Global Opportunities for UK Tourism Director at Cheeky Monkey, is quoted stating:

“One thing is for sure. AI in the travel industry is in its infancy but there is no doubt the sector's development is the future. Applying AI tools will open up an abundance of opportunities - some we don't event know yet - that will improve all aspects of the traveller's experience. It will help simplify decisions, shorten the process of buying and deliver a more personalised service.”

Much has changed in the industry in the time since the book was published (including it being translated into Chinese, Russian, Turkish, and Vietnamese!), and we’re seeing many of the big players in the industry implementing some pretty amazing AI in their strategies. The world’s leading hoteliers have really embraced AI and used it to their advantage.

In my book, I discussed how Best Western employed IBM Watson to enhance the customer’s booking experience through an interactive AI-powered ad that provided consumers with travel tips and tricks, recommendations for local accommodations, and special offers based on their travel preferences. Hilton Worldwide has since harnessed the power of Watson to create AI-based concierge called Connie in order to improve their guests’ experiences. Connie uses travel database WayBlazer to provide real-time responses to customer queries and recommendations for attractions, and learns from these interactions to refine its responses. Hilton’s rivals at Dorchester Collection use AI and machine learning to analyse customer feedback on travel sites to discover what their guests prioritise most. This has proven to be an effective listening tool for the group, who removed their breakfast menu and allowed guests to order whatever they like after analysis from major review sites showed that guests want to customise breakfast.

In all industries, personalisation has proven to be a huge benefit of AI in all customer-facing capacities such as marketing and sales. The hospitality sector is no exception. A 2018 study showed that 70% of hotels say they “never or only sometimes” promote upgrades or upsells at check-in. To combat this, AccorHotels now harnesses the power of AI to offer guests personalised upgrades based on previous guest behaviour and at a price that the guest has shown a demonstrated “willingness to pay” at booking and during the pre-arrival period, up to 24 hours before check-in. This capability is an all-around win, as it helps hotels optimise the allocation of inventory available on the day of arrival, enables both hotels and travel agents to make better decisions about what to offer guests, and provides guests with optimised experiences.

And it’s not just the hotels who have stepped up their strategy. Budget airline EasyJet has begun using AI to analyse masses of information about their fleet to ensure maintenance data is always up to date, which helps avoid delays and reduces risk. In an attempt to cut queues, Delta trailed a bag drop, check-in, and boarding solution using biometric data and facial recognition technology. This proved to be massively successful, with 72% of passengers at Atlanta’s Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport preferring this system to traditional methods.

These are only a few of the latest developments in travel and tourism, but at the speed innovation is currently occurring, it’s hard to imagine that others in the industry won’t begin to introduce their own initiatives to keep up with their competitors and ever-evolving customer demands.

AI in Tourism: What’s Next?

The idea of introducing AI is no longer a “maybe” for those in the travel and tourism industry; it’s a “must.” The examples in my book, my previous blog, and in the paragraphs above all demonstrate some of the amazingly useful ways AI can be implemented to make the customer experience smoother and more enjoyable. There’s only one problem though: the public’s perception of AI hasn’t quite yet caught up with its amazing benefits.

I attended an evidence meeting for the All-Party Parliamentary Group’s taskforce on AI on 10th February 2020, and the topic of the evening was citizen participation in AI adoption. From the discussion in that meeting and from feedback gleaned from social media and beyond, it is very clear that the public still does not fully trust AI. This could prove to be a massive barrier for AI’s growth in tourism.

For example, while some passengers may enjoy the ease of Delta’s new check-in and boarding system, others will fear how their biometric data is being stored and used thanks to a few negative stories in the press about facial recognition tech that may have left a bad taste in their mouths. Some customers may be blown away by how seemingly well companies like Best Western and AccorHotels are able to understand their wants and needs, but worry about invasions of privacy and personal data use. Businesses will need to take this into consideration when adopting AI in their strategy.

There’s no question that there are massive benefits to be gained from adopting new technologies, but it needs to be done in a way that the customer feels that they also benefit. AI is booming, but there’s still a fair amount of thin ice to tread when it comes to implementation and adoption. In future blogs, I’ll break this down a bit more to discuss how businesses in each sector of the tourism industry can better prepare. But for now, I’m off on my next adventure!

Check out my book here , and be sure to follow me on Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn to be the first to know about my upcoming events.

People Over Profits: Why Corporate Purpose Matters & How to Adopt a Stakeholder Mindset

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 15:53:16 GMT

Purpose is a topic I often discuss in my keynote speaking, and deliver training on to companies around the globe. In recent years, we’ve seen a shift in corporate thinking towards more meaningful stances and more human-driven priorities. Defining corporate purpose is no longer something that can be overlooked or written off with half-hearted or generic attempts.

So what does corporate purpose really mean, and how can you define yours?

Why Purpose Matters

A business is not a living person, but people are at its core. Whether they are a publicly listed multinational or a small shop on the high street, businesses big and small all have stakeholders to serve.

Today’s customers are much more conscious about who they choose to do business with and what causes they value. As a result, we’re seeing a shift in the capitalistic mindset from profits to people. Having a clear corporate purpose helps businesses navigate this space effectively and establish a stance. It acknowledges that the organisation has a responsibility to society and is willing to look beyond itself. It also tells internal and external stakeholders exactly what they can expect from you as an organisation.

I should clarify that purpose is not the same as values. In a great think piece for Inc , Mabbly founder Adam Fridman starts off so simply and hits the nail right on the head: “Purpose Inspires. Values Guide. Habits Define.” Your company’s purpose encompasses your “why” and establishes the direction the organisation would like to head in moving forward. Your values outline how you will prioritise and achieve your purpose, and guide decision-making and everyday activities. Purpose sets the destination, and values provide the map to get there.

How to Get Purpose Right

Hopefully by now you’re grasping just how important corporate purpose is for an organisation. Therefore, it’s crucial to get it right.

There’s a great TEDx Talk that Simon Sinek delivered ten years ago where he discusses how the world’s most influential leaders and brands inspire action by starting with “why” they do what they do. If you’ve not seen it before, I highly recommend watching it. Everything Simon says in that video brilliantly sums up how impactful purpose can be when it’s done properly.

So why are you in business? Why does your organisation exist? As a business, you’d be lying if you said profits weren’t a driver. It goes without saying. Obviously, you wouldn’t be trading if you weren’t looking to make money. But in this wave of new capitalism, businesses need to shift to a stakeholder perspective. Your corporate purpose needs to dive deeper. Why do you provide your customers with the products you sell or the services you offer? Why do you participate in certain initiatives, or support certain causes? Why do you care?

Once that’s all clearly defined, it’s time to prioritise. Now that you know “why” you do what you do and have established the ideal for the type of organisation you’d like to become, you need to actually practice what you preach. This article published by McKinsey explains: “A corporate purpose is a commitment from the company to its stakeholders; its legitimacy derives from how the company embeds it and is seen to ‘live’ it.”

Sure, saying you’d like to help close the gender pay gap and promote greater equality because your organisation believes all people should be treated and compensated fairly sounds great. However, if you’re saying that in your statement of purpose but continuing to pay your female employees less than their male counterparts, or your boardroom is not diverse, then you’ve completely failed. Purpose should be lived out every day in the activities of the company. No exceptions.

Living Your Purpose

That same McKinsey article makes recommendations for embedding purpose into your organisation effectively. Essentially, this should happen in three key areas. I’ll take you through all three, and then provide a hypothetical example of what this might look like.

The first area to embed purpose is within your ways of working. The ways you recruit, hire, incentivise, measure the successes of, and set goals for your employees should be guided by your purpose. How you treat your internal stakeholders really matters in a “people over profits” mindset, and the culture you create can make or break your attempts to achieve your overarching goals.

Next are your core business activities. Are the activities of your supply chain in line with your purpose? What about the partners you work with? How are you interacting with your customers? Activities at every level of your business from production to marketing should be executed with your purpose in mind.

Third and finally, purpose needs to become an integral part of the organisation’s strategy. Purpose should guide decision-making regarding everything from product portfolios and investments to partnerships and business priorities. Sometimes, trade-offs and sacrifices will need to be made, as senior management will likely face tough choices and need to decide what’s best in the short and long term.

Now let’s break down what this might look like with an example. Imagine a clothing company whose purpose is to make high-quality eco-friendly clothing more accessible. How might they embed this purpose into those three core areas? This purpose suggests a few essential values: quality, sustainability, and inclusivity. These values derived from the company’s purpose.

This purpose and these values will impact the way the company hires and treats its employees. Their store staff may be made up of individuals of different races, gender identities, or body types who all have their own unique style instead of suiting a designated “look.” The company’s culture should be supportive, welcoming, and fair. To suit its purpose, the company’s materials might be sustainably sourced whenever possible. They may introduce initiatives to conserve energy, reduce waste, and minimise environmental impact in all of their facilities. Perhaps they will choose to partner with firms who are also dedicated to sustainability. They certainly would not produce their clothing in facilities with poor working conditions and unfair labour standards. Their adverts and social posts would feature diverse individuals in line with the corporate value of inclusivity.

Finally, at the strategic level, this purpose should guide all decision-making. This particular company may choose to only use textiles produced from recycled materials, or to only use vegan leather for their shoes. They may choose to produce a wider range of sizes to cater to more customers. The company’s board may take a lower salary so that their people can be paid fairly and their prices remain reasonable.

Corporate purpose can no longer be ignored. It's not a throw-around slogan with no heart behind it, but instead a company’s commitment to its people and to society as a whole. When a company is able to drill down into its “why” and operate from there, everyone benefits in the long run.

If you’re looking for guidance with identifying your organisation’s corporate purpose and embedding it into your practices, get in touch ! You can view an overview of our consulting services here .

When is AI NOT AI?

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 16:52:11 GMT

Artificial Intelligence is a buzzy term that gets thrown around a lot these days, especially by companies looking to modernise and revamp their digital strategy. But what if we told you that a lot of the time, when you hear artificial intelligence mentioned, it's not actually artificial intelligence being discussed at all?

We at AI in Business thought it essential to discuss this topic so that we can help to dispel any further myths surrounding AI and help our readers select the right tools for their digital transformation projects.

Let us say first that this article is not another set of ruminations around whether AI is truly intelligent or not. Instead, we aim to educate as to what genuinely counts as ‘Artificial Intelligence’ and examine how it could be used in business.

Before we go any further, it is perhaps wise to clarify what AI actually is first. Artificial Intelligence is the area of computer science that encompasses a machine’s capability to mimic human abilities in order to perform tasks. Examples of this include image classification, machine learning, natural language processing, and speech recognition.

Does Making the Distinction Matter?

The simple answer is yes, it does! If we treat all technologies like AI, we won’t utilise them effectively. By not using the right tools for the job, time and money are wasted.

My colleagues and I have seen this pattern with previous AI initiatives, namely knowledge management (KM) in the late ’90s. At the time, KM was a ‘trendy’ topic with lots of organisations creating task forces to tackle the conundrum of leveraging knowledge as a reusable asset. While much effort was put into these initiatives, a lot of inappropriate techniques and tools were used, resulting in loss of time and money to the business. Understanding what KM actually meant and where best to apply it would have saved these organisations vast amounts of money.

To illustrate the point, I’ve outlined some of the common areas that are mistaken for AI.

Business Intelligence (BI)

I have heard many people say they are using AI, only to find out that they’re actually referring to a business intelligence dashboards. Maybe it’s the word 'intelligence' in the title causing the confusion, or perhaps the misconception stems from the fact that BI also deals with lots of data.

For those unfamiliar with the term, Business Intelligence is used to collectively describe the discipline of collecting and organising business data in such a way that it can be visualised in an easy to comprehend way. Typically this is done via reports, dashboards, graphs, and charts. The central premise is that BI makes the data more visually accessible and comprehensible, which in turn makes it is easier to extract crucial business insights.

Unlike AI, BI does not replicate human abilities in order to achieve this objective but instead uses advanced techniques of data engineering, statistics and UX.

Digital Automation

I was surprised during a recent business meeting to hear someone describe digital automation as AI. After some thought, it occurred to me that there is much press around AI and automation, and so it’s not surprising that some might lump the two together. While it is true that AI has been used to automate several processes, the defining factor is that these cases all mimicked human abilities in order to get the job done.

One example of AI automation is a fruit packing line that uses image recognition to discard rotten apples automatically. On the other hand, a solution that automates a manual based workflow (e.g. automation of a payroll system) by traditional software techniques is not AI.

It is interesting to note the increased association between automation and AI. There are other types of AI, such as Assisted AI, which is gaining momentum all the time. Yet, the focus remains on the automation capabilities of AI.

Predictive Analytics

Considering that data scientists make use of both predictive analytics and AI as tools in their armoury, it is not surprising that these two are often mixed up. Predictive analytics is a powerful technique that uses past data to make predictions in the form of what\if scenarios. AI, and the area of Machine Learning (ML) in particular, also uses previous data to predict future events, but unlike predictive analytics, it does so without human intervention. ML learns patterns, makes predictions and reassesses its assumptions completely on its own.

Using the Word ‘Intelligence'

Just because a solution has the word 'intelligent' tagged to the front of it does not mean that you are using AI. There are some very complicated and sophisticated pieces of software out there that may have taken years to develop with many intelligent thought processes inserted into them. However, if they do not replicate human intelligence in any way, they are not AI. It’s as simple as that.

The Value of Synergies

While the distinctions above help to provide a good overview, I feel it is also worth highlighting the importance of synergies. With the increasing amount of data generation that happens every day, the area of BI is increasingly making use of AI to help glean more actionable insights from data, shifting from proactive to reactive analytics. Automation often uses ‘If-Then’ rules to repeat automated tasks. With the use of machine learning, these repetitive tasks can be updated to learn to become more efficient and adapt to new situations.

Final Thoughts

Does it really matter if a system is called AI and it is not really? Not necessarily, as in most cases, this won't cause any issues. What is of concern, however, is that companies will use AI when it is not needed. Not only will this waste a lot of time and money, but will also cause distrust and alienation to what is a potent enabler for businesses.

References and Suggestions for Further Reading

https://towardsdatascience.com/what-a-i-isnt-27bb8106d877

https://www.cio.com/article/2439504/business-intelligence-definition-and-solutions.html

https://www.biznesstransform.com/whats-the-difference-between-digital-and-digitalisation/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2018/08/01/do-you-know-the-difference-between-data-analytics-and-ai-machine-learning/#3fbeec735878

https://europa.eu/capacity4dev/km-ks/document/synthesis-knowledge-management-failure-factors

https://dataconomy.com/2018/02/ai-transforming-business-intelligence/

The Eleven Deadliest Sins of Knowledge Management, Fahey, Liam , and Laurence Prusak, 40/3 (Spring 1998): 265-276

Can AI Really Give Businesses a Competitive Edge?

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Fri, 25 Oct 2019 09:10:36 GMT

I’ve been doing a lot of travelling recently, as I’ve been lucky enough to be invited to speak and train at various global events surrounding business transformation, digital disruption, and technology. Usually, the topic of these keynotes and workshops is ‘Harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Competitive Advantage.’

It’s an intriguing topic. Many organisations want to lead the pack, stay one step ahead, and maintain an edge. But with so many technological advancements out there, it can seem overwhelming or difficult to keep up. So how can you prioritise?

Does AI Really Make That Much of an Impact?

For many, it may seem like early days for AI adoption. Whether this is true or not is unclear from the contradictory timelines surrounding AI. Gartner’s hype cycle posits that AI won’t become mainstream for another 5-10 years, while research conducted by Econsultancy with IBM Watson predicts a 29 per cent adoption in 18 months. Yet we’re seeing AI seep into our everyday lives through voice assistants like Alexa and Siri, online chatbots, online adverts, and personalised product recommendations. So why have businesses not run with it yet?

Regardless of whether you think it’s too soon to take action or not, the benefits of AI are evident in the numbers. According to TechJury , the global AI market is expected to be worth almost $60 billion by 2025, and Global GDP will grow by $15.7 trillion in the next decade. On a smaller scale, recent research from Microsoft finds that organisations currently using AI are outperforming those that are not by 11.5%, up from 5% a year ago. However, the same study found that few companies have begun to embrace AI at scale, with less than a quarter of UK organisations (24%) reportedly having an AI strategy in place. This figure shouldn’t seem discouraging. Rather, it is proof that there is a massive opportunity to gain an edge by adopting AI.

Getting Ahead with AI

If a business is to adopt AI, there needs to be a reason. Despite popular myth, AI is not a do-it-all wizard. AI is a family of technologies, with specialised tools designed to complete specific tasks and achieve a specific purpose. It is essential that the organisation identifies exactly which problems they are hoping to solve before determining whether or not AI will help satisfy that need. That said, AI does have incredible potential to reshape just about every facet of business. A few of its current capabilities include help with writing, predictive analytics for lead generation, accountancy help, marketing and advertising optimisation, data analysis, stakeholder insights and CX.

New developments in AI crop up weekly. It is very likely that there is a tool available to solve whatever problem your business aims to tackle, or that one could be developed with the help of a specialist team.

AI should be treated as an ally, not an enemy. The technology can help you solve issues in efficiency, effectiveness, and even cost reduction. With automation doing the heavy lifting here, your team can refocus its efforts elsewhere to help grow and improve the business.

Fortune Favours the Bold: Developing a Change Mindset

Adopting AI technology of course has its own benefits, but the technology itself is only a small part of the equation. It’s actually the fact that the company is willing to adopt the technology that provides a large portion of the competitive advantage. Companies that are open to embracing AI and new technologies have what’s called a ‘change mindset.’ These companies aren’t stuck in their old ways, and don’t limit themselves to what is comfortable or familiar. These are the companies that will maintain their competitive edge in the digital age.

The change mindset needs to be adopted throughout the organisation in order to be maximally effective. The C-Suite can identify which goals to chase, but must work with employees at every level to ensure that everyone is clear on the objectives and on board with the proposed initiatives. The Scorecard for Success in my book , pictured below, offers a framework for developing this mindset within your organisation and provides a tool for measuring success. It’s essential that executives and decision-makers in the organisation continuously monitor their progress, and remain honest with themselves about successes and failures.

Can AI transform your business overnight and allow you to absolutely decimate your competition? No. AI adoption is a process of trial and error that requires honesty, self-reflection, and goal setting. The organisations that open themselves up to change stand to benefit the most. It’s not too early to adopt AI so long as there are problems to solve and clear objectives to reach. It’s these organisations that will find themselves on the cutting edge and ahead of the competition at the end of the day.

If you are interested in learning more about implementing AI into your business, view our Course offerings or visit our Events page for our upcoming webinars and workshops.

What is NLP?

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 09:48:26 GMT

When we mention ‘NLP,’ you can probably infer from the focus of this website that we’re not talking about Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Instead, we’re referring to the artificial intelligence (AI) technique known as ‘ Natural Language Processing .’

In this context, NLP refers to the techniques used by computers to process, analyse and manage text. In other words, this is a computer’s ability to deal with words and sentences as opposed to numbers, which is what one would traditionally associate with AI and computers in general. With origins dating back to the 1950s, NLP has exploded in recent years in terms of its capabilities and popularity. This is indicated by the spike in Google searches for the term over the last 5 years:

NLP is so popular in terms of the value it can bring to businesses that some sources estimate that the NLP market will be worth $13.4 billion by 2020.

“the NLP market is anticipated to be worth $13.4 billion by 2020”

How is it used?

There are many examples of NLP ranging from simple spell check and autocomplete utilities, to more advanced machine translation and question and answer generation solutions. Other uses you may be familiar with include spam detection in email programmes and resume filtering by recruiters.

Interestingly, NLP techniques are also being used to help drive improvements in customer engagement. In this context, NLP is used to recognise not only what the user is typing, but also what they are ‘feeling’ when they write the comments. This area of NLP is called sentiment analysis, and it enables digital solutions (i.e. chatbots, virtual assistants etc) to interpret the ‘mood’ of the user and change course in real-time, akin to how humans interact in a real conversation. The ramifications and uses in social media and marketing are huge.

“NLP techniques are being used to help drive improvements in customer engagement”

What are the benefits?

The associated business benefits are huge and too numerous to list here, but one obvious use case is the ability to automatically sift through large amounts of documents. This could be annotating vast amounts of medical records or summarising (as abstracts) huge amounts of records in a legal firm.

Indeed, it is when NLP converges with other AI techniques that we can really start to see massive benefits. For example, take SignAll , an app that combines image processing and NLP to convert sign language to text to help deaf people communicate with those who don't know sign language. Similarly, we are all familiar with the very successful marriage of speech recognition and NLP for the likes of Alexa and Siri.

Last and certainly not least, let us not forget one of the biggest uses of NLP: language translation. If we consider that

“Google Translate supports over 100 languages at various levels and as of May 2017, serves over 500 million people daily,”

indeed the benefits of NLP become very obvious.

What do I do next?

Well, it all depends on what you want to do. For example, if you want to learn more about how NLP works and how you can implement it, there are many online courses and resources available in this area including Pluralsight and Udemy , amongst others.

On the other hand, if you are looking into how it can benefit your business, there are many reports and case studies widely available. See the short reference section at the bottom of this blog for a starting point.

If like us you are interested in the sheer ‘awesomeness’ of NLP and the massive gains it is making month by month, then look to places like https://nlp.stanford.edu and https://ai.google/research/pubs/ for the most up to date advancements.

Lastly, I leave you with a comment from Gartner’s Top 10 Data and Analytics Technology Trends for 2019:

“By 2020, 50 percent of analytical queries will be generated via search, natural language processing (NLP) or voice, or will be automatically generated”

Thought-provoking indeed!

References

● https://www.analyticsvidhya.com/blog/2019/08/complete-list-important-frameworks-nlp/

● https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2019/06/03/5-amazing-examples-of-natural-language-processing-nlp-in-practice/#11e1c7f61b30

● https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/14/signall-is-slowly-but-surely-building-a-sign-language-translation-platform/

● https://www.information-age.com/nlp-natural-language-processing-123479054/

● https://www.cio.com/article/3258837/what-is-natural-language-processing-the-business-benefits-of-nlp-explained.html

● https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2019-02-18-gartner-identifies-top-10-data-and-analytics-technolo

Beyond Averting Disaster: How AI Can Assist the Lubricants Industry with Stakeholder Management

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 08:27:43 GMT

Back in July, I wrote a blog outlining a few of the key benefits that companies in the lubricants industry could reap from AI (you can read it here ). A lot of the big players such as Shell, BP and ExxonMobil are already taking big steps to implement artificial intelligence into their practices, and have done so successfully. For example , ExxonMobile has partnered with MIT to build robots to detect potential faults and prevent accidents in deepwater oil production, while BP uses the tech to spot sand-free oil reservoirs in its Baku oil field.

These are amazing developments and massively useful for correcting and preventing costly issues at large scale. But these tools are expensive and time consuming to develop from scratch, and many of the examples in my previous blog required partnerships between the company and either academic or tech giants in order to address major issues. These developments have forever changed the industry, and will likely be credited with preventing several massive blunders akin to the Deepwater Horizon spill as time goes on.

But beyond developing drilling solutions or keeping remotely located equipment running in top shape, what else can be done with AI in the lubricants industry? What smaller, day-to-day issues can be tackled? And better yet, what tools already exist that are ready for implementation right now, without laborious development?

More Effective Marketing, Image Management, and Sales

The lubricants industry is almost always playing defence when it comes to their marketing and public relations. This is mostly due to the very same blunders that AI is helping to avoid through improved accuracy in drilling operations. But beyond preventing potentially damaging incidents, AI can help you to better attract, understand, and communicate with your customers.

One great tool for this is Concured , which collects data that allows the marketing team to see exactly what topics to focus on to engage key audiences. Messages are more targeted and precise, and the company’s efforts are not wasted. Netbase uses social listening to gain audience insight, monitor the competition, and gauge public sentiments about your company. This is crucial in the oil industry for understanding how your business’s activities are being perceived, and can help you run point on image management before the court of public opinion shifts against you.

When your company has a good image, customers will be more likely to want to work with you or purchase from you. AI can assist your sales team in capitalising on this. R4 Technologies is a cross-enterprise AI software that collects a vast amount of industry and customer data, deeply analyses it, uncovers new revenue opportunities, and delivers targeted insights that can then be fed back to the sales team. It’s essentially like having the best market research team there ever was.

Simplifying HR

That’s the external public sorted, so now we can drill down a bit deeper. I’ve already discussed the benefits that AI is creating in customer service with tools like Shell’s Emma and Ethan chatbots . The customer experience has markedly improved thanks to artificial intelligence. But your customers are not the only ones who have a stake in your business. AI can help to manage another essential group of stakeholders: your staff.

In any business, it is absolutely essential to have the right teams in place. Motivated and engaged staff is going to be more productive long term, which will help drive the business forward. In the lubricants industry, it’s imperative that you hire the right staff with the right skills.

There are several startups that are revolutionising the way companies manage their Human Resources department. One great example of these is JamieAi , a UK-based company that matches qualified candidates to available vacancies and helps to reduce bias in the hiring process. This tech helps cut down on the time spent sifting through CVs and helps to create more diverse teams.

Once you’ve found the right talent, AI can help you to maintain it. The World Health Organization recently classified ‘employee burnout’ as a genuine medical condition, and for good reason. Stress and fatigue in the workplace, especially in an industry as demanding as oil and lubricants, can be damaging to both employee and team morale. Cogito ’s software guides employees through stressful situations, helps empower them, and helps them perform better. CultureAmp collects feedback and draws insight from employee engagement and performance to provide advice for improving company culture, retaining at-risk employees, and identifying what management methods do and do not work within the organisation. The right AI tools can help save the company the time-consuming and costly effort of handling turnover, and can improve the in-house stakeholder relationship all around.

Beyond using AI to manage your teams, it’s important to help prepare your team to manage AI. In order to successfully integrate AI—whether it be the tools mentioned here or something more akin to the ExxonMobil and Shell examples—into the business, it is essential that your company has the right culture and the right mindset to guide and accept the change. The scorecard for success in my book can help to provide a framework for your organisation to follow when integrating AI into the business. It provides clear goals and targets to strive for at every stage of transformation, but none of it means anything if your organisation isn’t ready for change. Take the time to develop the mindset within your team, and allow AI to support you from there.

When it comes to the lubricants industry, AI can be used to tackle both macro issues and smaller day-to-day tasks. It’s all just a matter of being open-minded to change and allowing AI to support you where you need it most.

If you’d like to learn more, I’m hosting a ‘Harnessing AI for Competitive Advantage’ workshop on 23rd October as part of UEIL’s Annual Congress in Cannes, France. There are still places available to book, here .

Wanted: A Blend of Tech with a Pinch of Business

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Wed, 04 Sep 2019 07:44:03 GMT

I recently came across a very interesting repor t from Forbes. It looked at how executive leaders increasingly recognise the need to introduce AI introduction into their business development, with 62% believing it will help drive efficiency and competitiveness. However, as the article points out, “there aren’t enough people with the talent and skills to build these systems.” In a recent survey, nearly one-third of all respondents ranked ‘the lack of skilled personnel’ as one of the two greatest organisational/people barriers to AI adoption in their company.

What really intrigued me about this article was not simply the labour shortage in the AI field, which is common knowledge to anybody in the recruitment industry, but was rather a follow up insight from an A.T. Kearney report . It has been found that alongside technical wizardry, executives are also looking for professional who maintain a genuine appreciation for business elements such as creativity and leadership. It is people with a balance of these skills who are hard to come by.

Ultimately, there is a demand for AI-trained individuals who also have interpersonal skills. Alone, the AI architect cannot successfully produce a game changing product or service. She must be surrounded by a team of well-trained individuals who can bridge the gap from the technical world to the imperatives of business. Unfortunately, such positions are hard to fill. And those with said abilities are incredibly scarce.

“ While executives are more confident that they can adopt new technologies, they are far less confident about building a workforce that can leverage these innovations ,”

- A.T. Kearney's 2019 'Views from the C-Suite' report

It is this type of workforce that we at AI in Business are looking to help companies build. The professional workforce needs to begin developing and using strong interpersonal skills if AI has a genuine chance of taking off in global business practice. The sector is growing. We all know that. The number of ‘tech’ students opting for modules (or majors) in the field of AI is on the rise. But alongside a well-developed understanding of AI and computer science, it is imperative to train these individuals to also have the business skills necessary to ensure the technology's successful introduction into commercial reality.

The incredible and futuristic work that amazing AI architects are building will only succeed if we recognise that technology-driven endeavours always require interpersonal skills in order to cultivate meaningful relationships with customers and suppliers. Without it, the efforts put into AI will be fruitless. This line from the A.T. Kearney report argues this point simply in this single statement: “Strong executive skills will be required to navigate technological changes and shepherd diverse workforces into the future.”

Off the back of my book and through my many years of experience as a business consultant and trainer, I’ve developed bespoke courses to help direct companies towards the development of an incredibly necessary interpersonal AI skill base. Likewise, I am also producing webinars to educate people on how to successfully integrate AI knowledge and business understanding.

This slice of AI-related emotional talent is growing in demand every day. Companies should be looking to develop it. And employees should be looking to join it. I can help both do just that.

Empowering the Next Generation with AI

Thu, 29 Aug 2019 06:55:12 GMT

The world is changing and it’s doing so incredibly fast. For the youths of today this means one significant thing: we don’t quite know yet what the jobs of tomorrow will be. On 29 August, I’m presenting at 2019’s #TEENSINAI ACCELERATOR. This wonderful two-week-long event introduces teens to the exciting world of Artificial Intelligence and teaches them how the technology will most likely play a role in the top jobs of the future. However, before you can even begin to advise a 14-year-old on the potential of the AI job market, you first need to make AI cool.

If you have read my book (and if you haven’t, you can check it out here ), then you would know that I absolutely love to find key examples of AI across all industries, especially when the particular example makes you look up and mutter under your breath, “Wow!” In other words, it has the cool factor. To begin then, I am going to start by outlining several super cool AI projects which should impress many ambitious young people.

First, we begin with YouTuber Taryn Southern’s recent album called ‘I AM AI’ in which she uses AI to generate music and melodies for the entire album. Second, I turn to AI programs such as the Compta system which are being used to help better prepare for and handle climate change-caused extreme weather conditions like flooding, hail, and wildfires such as those seen recently in the Amazon. Next we see that YouTube has been using AI to identify and remove objectionable content; to let users change their video backgrounds without the need for specialised software and to provide targeted suggestions for the “Up Next” autoplay videos.

Moving on to the medical world, AI software has detected 5 new types of breast cancer and is able to identify which types of cancers will respond to which treatments. Meanwhile, AI is being used in sports to improve performance and fan experience. IBM Watson analysed all the match footage, crowd noises, player facial expressions, and key moments to create highlight footage for this year’s tennis US Open. It also has the capability to provide coaching data, and even offers strategy recommendations to players creating “Fantasy” sports rosters. Then there is the beauty industry , which is making more tailored and inclusive product ranges by analysing their effectiveness on your skin or hair type, and offering more precise recommendations.

Whether it be entertainment, medical breakthroughs, climate change or fashion and beauty, I genuinely believe that it would be pretty tough for any youngster today to not see the ‘cool factor’ in AI. What is perhaps more exciting however, is that this generation, with such a profound headstart into this up and coming industry, will be able to access many exciting jobs within the world of Artificial Intelligence.

There is no doubt that AI is affecting all areas of business commerce. Ultimately, it’s what all the numbers are predicting. A recent McKinsey study found that the job roles most likely to be affected by automation involve predictable physical work: it is believed that 78% of the physical tasks will be able to be automated by adapting current technology. Furthermore, Deloitte has found that middle-income jobs are most at risk for AI replacement/automation, with UK jobs with wages of £30,000 or under being five times more susceptible to AI automation than jobs paying upwards of £100,000. Considering the numbers then, it is crucial that as responsible adults we provide the framework for the next generations to be effective and successful members of the workforce.

The prospect of AI is not all doom and gloom for the upcoming generation getting into employment. In fact, a 2018 report from the World Economic Forum even suggested that while we may displace 75 million jobs globally by 2022, we will create a net positive of 133 million new ones.

A recent article from BuiltIn contains a this quote about the positive outlook that we should be explaining to today’s young people:

"The US's BLS [Bureau of Labor Statistics] forecasts faster-than-average job growth in many occupations that AI is expected to impact: accountants, forensic scientists, geological technicians, technical writers, MRI operators, dietitians, financial specialists, web developers, loan officers, medical secretaries, and customer service representatives, to name a very few. These fields will not experience job growth in spite of AI but because of it."

Furthermore, it’s not the jobs that AI is replacing that youths should worry about. What is more exciting, is the potential for new job positions to be invented. The Manufacturer outlined some of the exciting (and ‘cool’) predicted jobs of the future:

Systems Farmer : Scientists are on the verge of ‘growing’ macroscale technological parts, such as multi-function aircraft parts for example, with desirable nanoscale features. Known as ‘chemputing’, these component parts can sense, process and harvest energy while also being super strong – and perhaps even able to self-repair. This position uses biology, chemistry, and chemical engineering
Auto Advisor : As human and robotic working becomes more intertwined, an Auto-Advisor will provide advice to companies on where robotic automation can be applied, ensure the automated workforce is in line with official guidelines, and identify opportunities for upgrades to surpass existing limitations to be as effective as possible working alongside humans. This position uses robotics, mechanical engineering, and physics.
AI Translator : Responsible for training both the human and the AI assistant, to help develop an effective ‘teaming’ relationship. This will involve tuning the AI assistant, tailoring it to the human worker’s personalised needs – while also watching out for and correcting any machine or human errors. This position uses IT, cybersecurity, and mechanical engineering (and to an extent, HR).
VR Architect : Responsible for using virtual and augmented reality to map and monitor the lifespan of the component parts within vehicles so they can be managed as effectively and safely as possible. This position uses graphic design and IT.
Human e-Sources Manager : Via the use of performance-based wearables or e-textiles to measure data such as cognitive workload, wellbeing and output on an ongoing basis. They might be the first to identify an employee is becoming ill or respond to other medical indicators to offer occupational support or additional training to deal with potential stressful situations. This position uses Medical science, HR, psychology, biology.
AI Ethicist : Will ensure that AI is underpinned by robust ethics, does not display biases and does not deviate from serving the needs of an organisation. This position uses history, maths, philosophy, and politics.

Predictions and assumptions are great, but the real takeaway from this blog is that AI is really, really, cool. And rather than being afraid of potential negative implications for one’s future, the youth of today should be excited for the doors that it will open up.

For further reading, check out this article from It Pro which outlines how AI will soon be redefining the whole working environment.

I’m really excited to present at #TEENSINAI ACCELERATOR this week and emphasise the above views. AI is incredibly exciting and I’m just a little bit jealous that you guys have longer to see where it can take us!

The Next Wave in Telecoms: Using Data to Maximise AI's Impacts on Management and Operations

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 13:08:17 GMT

It's a simple relationship. Customers create data, which AI processes, analyses, and then uses to create meaningful benefits for the organisation and ultimately the customer. It's a give-and-take so passive that most of the time, customers don't even realise it's happening; they just know they've had a positive experience. It's ultimately a win-win for all the parties involved.

If data is the fuel of AI, then the telecoms industry is sitting on top of an oil well. As leaders in the acquisition of data, telcos have the potential to utilize their enviable position and develop seriously useful AI technology. Numerous telecoms have already employed AI tools such as chatbots for customer service support and infrastructure saving schemes, but we have yet to see if they can seriously manipulate their data resources into a productive AI model. So the question becomes: how can telcos manipulate their massive collections of data into a manageable operation through AI?

James Cranshaw from Heavy Reading argues:

“Although 'big data' analytics is already widespread in the telecom industry, it is typically conducted in batch, after the fact, and used to manually update rules and policies. In order to move to real-time closed-loop automation, Communications Service Providers need systems that are capable of learning autonomously. That is only possible with AI/ML.”

In the case of telecoms, KPIs can be measured along two metrics. The first of these is management. This includes the overall maintenance of telecoms systems to ensure a valuable service to the customer. The second then is operations, which includes finding and building new company relations to grow the customer pool. But how exactly can telcos marry their data to AI system to see results?

Management

When things run smoothly, the organisation saves time, money, and hassle while the customer benefits from an all-around better experience. AI can use the company's existing data to ensure business continues without a hitch. A very company that is aleady making moves in this arena is H2O.ai , who use what they call ‘Predictive Fleet Maintenance’ to avoid potential problems in their services. This system uses of a variety of data from IoT sensors embedded in the company's service vehicles, its fleet data, weather data, and more to determine which components should be attended to before they break down or cause an accident. AI models and algorithms can then look for patterns in the data and generate accurate prediction of the lifespan of a specific component. Once problem is found or predicted, AI can facilitate the most cost-effective time for a piece of infrastructure to undergo maintenance or replacement. This ensures the best customer experience possible, lessens the potential for problems that may substantially affect the business-customer relationship, and protects the company's bottom line.

Systems like Predictive Fleet Management are a fantastic use of available data. AI is capable of analysing data and running diagnostics at a rate no human could replicate and with increased accuracy. This precision allows human technicians to reallocate their time to maintaining current systems, making improvements and innovations, and chasing new business opportunities.

Operations

That said, the development of a good maintenance system isn't the only way for telcos to improve. If the company has genuine ambitions to find new customers and grow, it must tap into its invaluable data reserves and improve its operations--especially in customer service--using AI.

Through the years, the biggest telecoms have extracted data from devices, mobile applications, networks, geolocation, and detailed customer profiles. AI can be used to process and analyse these massive volumes of Big Data and provide actionable insights to better the customer experience. A great example of comes from Elisa , a leading telecommunications company in Estonia. The company has partnered with MindTitan to use artificial intelligence in order to identify and nurture highly valuable customer relationships. The company has automated some of its customer service functions, and uses AI to monitor and analyse interactions between customers and customer service representatives. In doing so, the telecom is able to better understand the customer experience and improve their services, which provides an invaluable resource to maintain current customers and attract new ones.

Whether a telco is looking to manage current infrastructure or grow the business, data-driven AI tools are the key to successful future-centric communications services. Only time will tell who will lead this revolutionary market change.

If you would like to learn more about AI and its utility within telecommunications, view our upcoming webinars and events or explore our bespoke training options .

This Week in AI: 29 July - 2 August 2019

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 11:23:58 GMT

It's been yet another busy week in the world of AI! So busy, in fact, that it's almost been a bit exhausting to keep up with. So go ahead and take 5 minutes, sit back, put the kettle on. Allow us to bring you up to speed on 5 major AI updates from this week:

1. SoftBank invests in Cybereason

Japanese multinational conglomerate SoftBank has invested $200 million into Boston-based company Cybereason , which in June said an unnamed nation has been mounting global attacks against mobile phone operators. SoftBank owns companies such as mobile phone carrier Sprint in the US and chip designer ARM in the UK. This investment doubled the total amount that has been invested in Cybereason since its founding in 2012. According to Cybereason CTO Yonatan Striem-Amit, this increase in capital will allow the company to increase its focus on Artificial Intelligence for cyber security. He said, “Today, there is a shortage of more than three million cyber analysts…This is a big data problem that all security operations centres run into and Cybereason will solve with machine learning and AI.”

2. Meet Silicon Valley’s latest Unicorn: Scale AI

Artificial Intelligence uses data to ‘learn’ how to interpret real-life situations. For instance, a self-driving car will have looked at thousands of images of roads to determine what a car is, what a pedestrian is, how big a parking space is and so on. The issue is, with the traditional process it takes thousands of employees thousands of hours to tirelessly sketch around these images to show an AI machine each of these elements. This is the reason why AI development and machine learning take such a long time. Whilst we have the computer power to analyse these images, we still requires a human workforce to produce this data in the first place. Well, until now that is.

Three years ago, then 19-year-old Alexandr Wang created Scale AI. This software is able to do much of the point-to-point work originally reserved for human labourers, allowing the company's network of 30,000 contract workers to confirm the data for the machine to process much quicker and efficiently. The time savings are staggering and the big names want in. The company now counts Waymo and Uber amongst its customers. With a recent investment of $100 million, the company has now achieved the sought after ‘unicorn’ status with a predicted worth of over $1 billion.

3. Another AI Healthcare Breakthrough

In partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, researchers with Alphabet's DeepMind AI Lab have made an incredible breakthrough : the ability to predict acute kidney injury (AKI) a full 48 hours before the condition becomes critical through the use of AI. The disorder often requires dialysis or a kidney transplant, and is often responsible for as many as 2 million fatalities each year. DeepMind researchers developed the system after training its deep learning algorithm to review the records of more than 703,000 patients. Whilst the algorithm unfortunately doesn’t provide a mechanism to notify medical professionals of the situation yet, it could be used if a doctor became concerned that their patient may be on the verge of contracting AKI. The software can quickly and cost-effectively detect 90% of serious cases.

4. Can AI write music now?!

Sony revealed this week that it has developed a machine learning model with the ability to create kick-drum tracking . This means that the machine can ‘listen’ to a song and add "musically plausible" drum patterns based on the existing instruments in use. The training data originated from 655 different songs across a plethora of genres. This is technology is a cool advancement for the music industry, but the jury is still out on whether a machine will ever be able to create music quite like a human can!

5. AI fighting anti-Polish hate crimes in the UK

Hatelab, which is based at Cardiff University, and Polish company Samurai Labs are using technology to monitor aggressive social media content against the UK’s Polish community. There are more than 900,000 Polish people living in the UK, and in 2017-18 there were 94,000 reported hate crimes, up 17% from the previous year. Samurai Labs chief executive Michal Wroczynski said the new AI tech could detect eight categories of abuse, ranging from people being told to ‘go home’ to threats to life. As the UK prepares to leave the European Union, the software aims to reassure the Polish community and remove offensive and racist language from our social platforms.

So, there you have it! A huge variety of AI-related developments happened around the world this week. If you want to learn more about AI and its potential benefits to your organisation, check out our upcoming webinars and training sessions .

Redefining Telecoms with AI

katie@zoodikers.com (Katie King) — Mon, 05 Aug 2019 12:48:34 GMT

Sending a message across long distances is not a new practice for the human race. Since the ancient Chinese dynasties amplified drum beats or lit beacon fires from their outposts along the seemingly perpetual Great Wall of China, mankind has gone to great lengths to communicate with one another. Whilst our ancestors’ fires eventually went out or the echo of a drum dissipated over the horizon, two-and-half-thousand years later we still send messages. With the advent of the cable, the telegram, the telephone and later broadband services, long distance communications became synonymous with a ‘tele’ prefix. With the massive developments we’ve seen in technology throughout recent years, it comes as no surprise that AI and machine learning are redefining the telecommunications industry. This industry is perhaps the most data rich of all, and in a prime position to adopt AI tools.

Why AI?

Before we explore ‘How’ though, we must first answer, ‘Why?’ Twenty or thirty years ago, you would probably have laughed if someone described the telecoms industry as a traditional industry. With digital television, high-speed broadband and of course the internet age, no one would have dared to question telco’s innovation or position on the cutting edge. Yet today, in an era of highly efficient web scale companies and the intimidating potential of digital transformation, the telecoms industry finds itself fighting to stay ahead. Telco not only needs to survive the fourth industrial revolution, but thrive within it.

Tractica recently reported that in 2017, many telecom operators crossed the point where revenue per bit was lower than cost per bit for the first time. Ultimately then, Telcos must utilize their data richness to compete with the new kids in town, whilst simultaneously driving down costs.

Simplifying Complex Processes

One company that has risen to the challenge is Swedish Telco, Ericsson . They are developing what they have called a ‘Zero Touch Network,’ which removes a lot of the dependencies of humans in managing networks. Thanks to AI, their networks are becoming “self-operating, self-optimising and self-healing.” Through this process of selective automation, human capital is reassigned to more complex tasks that are not as easy to automate, ultimately permitting the company to more effectively achieve scale.

Traditionally, business requirements were translated by engineers through code into technical requirements. AI relieves engineers of the hassles of “design and development”. The machine ‘learns’ to overcome issues through intelligent development without requiring human intervention.

Enhancing CX Through Chatbots

According to research from NewVoice Media, an estimated $62 billion is lost by U.S. businesses each year following bad customer experiences. In the case of telcos, it is impossible to send out a technician every time a customer’s modem goes down or they forget their WiFi password. These common issues are often solved via over-the-phone or live chat service, but the telecoms industry often has more complaints to manage than they do manpower in their customer service departments.

AI-fueled chatbots solve this issue through immediate analysis of company information, server ticket data, and networking logs alongside customers’ real-time inputs. Most impressively, many of these bots are equipped with the ability to detect a customer’s tone of voice and emotional position, which allows the chatbot to quickly and effectively diffuse a negative situation and deliver excellent customer experience.

Futureproofing with AI

Telcos are fighting with fierce competition in order to stay current and ahead of the curve. When partnered with artificial intelligence, the large supply of data telcos have amassed through the years gives these organisations an unrivaled leveraging ability. Through intelligent algorithms, this data permits innovative telcos to monitor the current condition of equipment and predict failures based on the analysis of previous patterns.

When we use a telecommunication network we do it without considering the intense infrastructure that goes with it. But the minute it goes down? We know. Telcos would much rather their customers never notice these failures or delays, because when you’re unaware of the network you are using -you’re pretty unlikely to even consider changing provider! Therefore, they must ensure that everything from power lines to data center services to cell towers stay working around the clock without interruption.

AI is constantly processing data quickly and efficiently, so the technology can quickly identify when something isn’t right. With its immensely beneficial and intuitive capabilities, AI finds problems before they develop and fixes them without the customer or even the telco itself noticing.

When it comes to keeping telecommunications companies competitive and ahead of the curve, it is without question that Artificial Intelligence will need to play a primary role. Many companies such as BT are already doing this with success, as evidenced in my book . The potential for telcos to adapt these new technologies to enhance their business is vast; they just need to be open to seizing these opportunities.

If you are interested in the process necessary for telcos to undertake in order to fully embrace the AI world, consider one of our bespoke workshops or training sessions .

This Week in AI: 14-20 July 2019

Mon, 22 Jul 2019 08:26:13 GMT

Undeniably a momentous week, with England winning the most amazing Cricket World Cup final, and the 50th anniversary of the Moon landings. Let’s now focus on the future and in particular how AI technology has developed in the last 7 days alone.

Fixes in Fashion

Measuring in at 2% of global GDP, the fashion industry is an economical power not to be reckoned with. So, when Forbes reported that this industry was getting more intelligent through AI, it is fair to say that the attention was seized. The role of AI and machine learning through fashion is predominantly for the improvement of the efficiency of sales systems through intelligent automation and to enhance the sales processes using predictive analytics and guided sales processes. For instance, customers are beginning to have virtual conversations with online assistants or chatbots, where, through back and forth dialogue, they are able to find the optimal fashion product or accessory item. Furthermore, AI is making its way into our fashion apps. Customers are now able to take pictures of clothing they like or styles they want to imitate, and smart image recognition systems can match the photos to real life items available for sale. Whilst the use of AI in fashion previously was reserved for the commercial giants Amazon and Walmart, smaller retailers are now leveraging the technology. For instance, Stitch Fix uses machine learning algorithms to provide better experiences for customers and make the supply chain more efficient. Fashion is integral to our self-expression, so the potential for AI to help us develop this is very exciting.

Faster Decision-Making in the Financial Sector

A further notable mention this week is that Tenemos has acquired AI firm, Logical Glue . For those unaware, Temenos is a banking software company, and Logical Glue is a London based provider of a patented, explainable AI (XAI) platform with financial clients in the UK and Europe. As a result of the integration of the two companies, banks will be able to make faster and more accurate decisions driven by AI algorithms. Furthermore though, and perhaps most interestingly, is that Logical Glue plans to imbed software and training into the Tenemos system so that banks are helped to better explain – in plain English – to their customers and regulators, how AI based decision are made. This is especially significant after Europe’s recent General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which includes ‘a right to explanation’ for all decisions made by AI algorithmic systems. It is brilliant to see financial firms looking to adopt AI whilst simultaneously being proactive with regulatory measures.

Funding the Future

In other news, the Telegraph reported that the Cambridge-based venture capital firm, IQ Capital , has secured $300m in new funds for investments in artificial intelligence and machine learning start-ups. These startups work on technology which varies between advanced speech and sound recognition to data privacy. This is just another example of unprecedented success seen by British venture capital firms over the last year, of which a huge majority of the funding has been funnelled into AI development.

Fueling Sales, Martketing, and Ops in the Food Industry

A final interesting development this week was Nestle’s decision to select an AI-Driven analytics firm, Enterra , to build its platform for marketing and autonomous sales. The Enterra software will help the confectionary giant make day-to-day business decisions. According to Forbes , the new initiatives will focus on gathering a wide range of pertinent data and integrating it to make smarter, faster decisions and break silos between Nestlé, its suppliers and customers. Just another example of AI disrupting the traditional business sector!

And that’s what we have for you this week folks! Four interesting stories that show that whatever else is happening in the world, the AI wheel keeps turning.

Why the New £50 Note is a Victory for AI

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 10:55:15 GMT

When it was announced that the £50 note would be the last to switch from paper to polymer, the Bank of England asked the public to offer suggestions for which scientist’s face should feature on the new note. After receiving 227,299 nominations covering 989 eligible scientists, the Bank of England announced earlier this week that the honour would be bestowed upon Alan Turing.

Turing beat huge names such as Paul Dirac, Rosalind Franklin, Ada Lovelace, Stephen Hawking, Srinivasa Ramanujan, Ernest Rutherford, and Frederick Sanger. But the selection of Turing for the honour isn’t just a victory for Mancunians and the LGBT community, though the choice and Turing’s legacy both contribute to a wider acceptance of sexual differences. The Bank of England’s selection of Turing is also a big win for the fields of computer science and artificial intelligence.

A Lifesaving and Life Changing Legacy

Turing is best-known for his work at Bletchley Park in the 1940s leading a team of code breakers to crack the German Enigma code. This achievement is credited with both hastening the end of World War II and saving millions of lives. Post-war, his work continued and led to the creation of what we now know as computer science and artificial intelligence (AI).

Turing created the Pilot Ace, one of the world’s earliest computers. His plans for the machine and his ‘On Computable Numbers’ paper were used to guide the invention of other universal computers, positioning him as the father of modern computing. But Turing understood and foresaw a future that many at the time could not fathom: machines could potentially gain the ability to think the way that man does.

He introduced what later became known as the Turing Test, an adaptation of an old Victorian game aimed at determining if machines were capable of thinking this way. The belief was that if the participant in the test could not tell the difference between human and machine responses, the computer would be considered to be thinking. Though the test is widely regarded as a failure by modern AI scientists, it introduced one of the earliest conversations about the potential that machines possess.

Tech Today Thanks to Turing

The field of artificial intelligence has come a long way since then. In today’s digital-driven age, the choice of Turing for the £50 note feels both timely and appropriate. His hypothesis that machines could think was not embraced during his time, but now encompasses one of the fastest-growing and most influential areas of technology today. The choice to honour Turing reflects a wider acceptance of AI, and is a subtle acknowledgement of the important role technology plays in our lives.

Without the contributions of Alan Turing, we would not be where we are today. His legacy deserves to be celebrated widely and often, but this tribute by the Bank of England is a great start.

To learn more about AI, sign up for our newsletter or take part in one of our upcoming courses .

Photos: "Fan of £50 notes" by Bank of England is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0; "alan_turing" by ASAIFIB is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Powering the Future: How Artificial Intelligence Benefits Organisations in the Lubricants Industry

Tue, 16 Jul 2019 11:46:46 GMT

The fourth industrial revolution is here. Just as the inventions of the steam engine, mass production, and the internet completely reshaped the world around us, new technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to shake up our personal and professional lives once more. Every industry and sector can benefit from the introduction of the use of these new tools, and many in the Lubricants industry are already taking bold steps towards technological integration. Here are just a few of the benefits that artificial intelligence can bring to the industry.

Identifying New Opportunities

One of the most key positive attributes of AI is its ability to process and analyse massive amounts of data in a short amount of time. Often, the software can notice patterns or trends that a human may have otherwise missed. Many big players in the industry have adopted AI and machine learning technology into their research and development practices.

Shell has begun recruiting some of the world’s top data scientists and AI pros to identify and develop key opportunities in the company’s value chain through its AI Residency Programme . Meanwhile, their competitor ExxonMobil is partnering with some of the United States’ top universities to conduct research into using technology to solve issues in the energy sector .

AI is helping to unlock the deeper potential of energy suppliers by identifying areas where they can improve their practices, provide better services, and maximise their earning potential.

Increasing Efficiency and Accuracy

Beyond identifying growth areas, technology can help lubricants companies avoid time-consuming and costly errors in their processes. AI is improving accuracy and efficiency of offshore drilling and exploration for companies like Shell, ExxonMobil, Total, and Gazprom . Machine learning and robotics are contributing to massive improvements in precision drilling, well construction, and refining. Not only can this help prevent unnecessary losses in time and money for the company, but it can help to prevent highly-damaging incidents such as oil spills in the future.

Better Customer Service

AI is often criticised for being impersonal, and removing the human warmth from customer service interactions. The truth is, AI has advanced so much in recent years that you likely wouldn’t be able to tell that you were communicating with a bot instead of a person in these situations. As featured in my recently published book which looks at the business adoption of AI, organisations across all industries are opting to adopt this tool, and the Lubricants industry is no different. In 2015, Shell launched its own AI-powered customer assistant service that uses avatars ‘Ethan’ and ‘Emma’ to help customers search for oil products in the company’s massive database.

Because of the data processing speed of AI software, the customer gets a quicker and more accurate response to their inquiry. Happier customers yield higher sales and increased loyalty, and for this reason many companies are eager to adopt chatbots into their customer service methods.

These are only a few of the developments that have been made in recent years, and just a few of the benefits which companies in the industry are already reaping. With the massive potential of this technology and the efforts already being made, it is to be expected that the industry will only continue to grow and gain in the future.

Interested in learning more? Join me for a “Harnessing AI for competitive advantage” workshop at UEIL Annual Congress on Wednesday 23 October from 9.00 to 12.30. Book your place here .