The importance of combining artificial intelligence with human skills

ChatGPT (and other similar LLMs) have seen a four-fold growth in adoption since January 2024, and with it the excitement around AI in the enterprise world continues. However, Corlia Boshoff, head of design at Bizmod Developmentadvises business leaders not to get swept up in all the AI ​​hype. “It’s important that AI be seen as a tool to support the business and not as a replacement for people and their knowledge, skills and instincts.”

It’s critical that organizations create a business model designed around AI, rather than simply tacking it onto an existing model. Boshoff says the success of an AI-integrated business model relies on equipping employees with the skills to adopt AI responsibly and effectively. “Being familiar with the capabilities of AI and knowing how to use them will play a significant role in successfully combining these tools.”

Boshoff says AI cannot replace human expertise, as it will always need a human to provide additional context, instincts, and knowledge that only humans possess. To successfully use AI in an organization, employees must understand what AI’s capabilities are and how to use them to achieve overall business goals. “As with the incorporation of any business tool, companies may initially see a small decrease in productivity as employees become proficient and accustomed to using AI, but this will quickly catch up,” Boshoff says.

According to her, leaders should be aware of some possible pitfalls when incorporating AI:

• Experienced workers have deep knowledge and understanding of the business that AI can’t replicate. An organization risks losing that by relying on AI to take over human tasks.
• As with all technologies, AI should be seen as a tool that can support employees in making decisions (although it should never be used to make the actual decision). If employees are not experienced in using AI, they may not be able to visualize and interpret AI-generated content in this way.
• Humans play a critical role in differentiating companies that AI cannot achieve. Humans are still required to use technology to make informed decisions.
• It is important to remember that AI is based on historical data. Therefore, it may not be applicable to all business conditions.
• AI can provide inaccurate, misleading, or unethical information, creating the risk of bad decisions.

Boshoff says that, overall, it’s important to understand that AI is a tool to support human capabilities. “Humans are still doing the work, but AI is making it easier and faster.”

Visit the Bizmod website for more information.