It’s hard to believe that “AI winters” ever existed given the sheer volume of speculation, media headlines, and pages of content the technology now inspires (..and, often writes!). Although artificial intelligence (AI) is nothing new, its current ‘generative’ flavour seems to have well and truly captured the public imagination like never before. Since the launch of ChatGPT by OpenAI in November 2022, the AI hype train has sped down the tracks of Progress-Ville unabated.

However, are we starting to see a very light feathering of the brakes in 2024?

Recent research by Gartner seems to suggest so. In January it released a study which looked at IT spending forecasts for 2024.

In its analysis, it states, ‘While generative AI (GenAI) had significant hype in 2023, it will not significantly change the growth of IT spending in the near-term’ – although it does still state that it believes the tech will eventually ‘change everything’.

Avoiding the traps

Although many organisations will have undoubtedly been swept up in the initial frenzy, many are now starting to take stock and really consider where this new technology can help to augment their operations.

In my opinion, this can only be a good thing – particularly when the consequences of doing AI badly can have such deep and negative impacts, both operationally and reputationally. One only has to look at the plight of a large UK-based delivery provider in recent weeks as it applied the tech to its online chatbot.

Although there will be some ‘first mover’ opportunities to be snaffled up in all sectors, organisations also need to avoid the trap of deploying AI for AI’s sake.

Operating the tech isn’t cheap for a starter, so any implementation needs to be carefully considered for all the right reasons.

Starting with ‘why’

Without sounding like the slightly clichéd go-to for business advice – Simon Sinek – organisations really should heed his advice when he talks in one of his most famous videos about starting with ‘why’.

When it comes to AI adoption, you shouldn’t be starting with the technology to inform your decision – you really need to be thinking about the business challenges/user problems you are looking to alleviate as a result of implementation. It’s only by taking this approach that you can start to apply the tech properly and appropriately.

From some of the businesses we talk to, we find that the hype surrounding generative AI can create unnecessary panic and/or anxiety for them. Not only do they not know where to start when it comes to implementation, they are also fearful of missing the huge opportunities that the technology will unlock for them.

My advice is that you’re much better taking a more considered approach. A dash to implement AI without considering the aforementioned points could lead to unnecessary complexity, cost and inefficiencies – these all being counter to the promise that AI is meant to unlock.

A collaborative approach

It’s my view that collaboration holds the key to unlocking AI’s true potential. Businesses riding the hype train often see AI as a panacea for all ills, and at xDesign it’s our job as a technology partner to help organisations determine if it’s the best option to solve their challenges – or even an option at all.

Recommended reading

• UK Firms are ‘Sleepwalking’ Into a Major AI Skills Crisis
• Half of UK Tech Leaders Consider GenAI to Solve Skills Shortage
• Is AI Really the Skills Enemy We Fear It Is?

One way we do this is by running collaborative AI Innovation workshops. Starting at the business level, these high-energy interactive sessions really get into the detail of some real-world business challenges and opportunities that an organisation may be facing.

From there we determine if AI – which is not a product in itself – can form part of a product or service that would provide the right solution. By identifying a clear use case right from the start, these workshops have actually helped us accelerate and expand the AI ambitions of organisations dramatically.

Businesses often come to us asking if we can build them a chatbot without realising that AI is capable of so much more. And, this is where it pays to collaborate with people who fully understand how AI might be leveraged as part of a wider ecosystem.

AI becomes particularly interesting when integrated into a pipeline of technologies – linking it up with existing tooling, knowledge bases and automation to form a solution with a real USP that provides a genuine competitive advantage.

By looking at the bigger picture, it’s easier to build a compelling business case more likely to meet the business’ needs, attract buy-in and ultimately justify that exciting first investment into AI. As the old adage goes, we need to think about ‘more haste and less speed’ when it comes to starting AI journeys.