The impact of AI in business
Generative AI will impact all departments of the enterprise, but four departments could account for about 75% of the total annual value from generative AI use cases . These are marketing and sales, product R&D, software engineering, and customer operations. The opportunities for using AI in these departments are numerous and have very positive effects, even if other challenges remain.
The positive effects of AI in business
AI can automate repetitive and tedious tasks and free up time for more creative or higher value-added tasks. For example, it is possible to quickly exploit a large amount of data to make sales, supply, logistics, finance forecasts, create a summary overview of a customer, summarize email exchanges, prepare a customer meeting, create content, etc. AI can also identify or avoid errors and optimize processes, which reduces costs and delays.
The challenges and risks of AI in business
The biggest fear and the biggest unknown concerns the impact of AI on certain jobs that risk being replaced or reduced, particularly those that are routine, low-skilled or low-paid. This leads to risks of unemployment, precariousness or social inequality.
AI also raises ethical and legal questions about user rights, data integrity, and the potential for discrimination, violations of privacy, security, or human rights. Other possibilities include harm caused by autonomous or uncontrolled AI systems.
In the workplace, AI can potentially cause a feeling of dehumanization or loss of meaning. It can also create a feeling of stress, surveillance and call into question the autonomy or creativity of workers.
The requirement to make investments to access AI-specific infrastructure and skills risks creating inequalities depending on the size of companies and can create a technology gap and unfair competition.
There is also concern about the environmental impact as AI is a big consumer of energy and resources.
These negative effects can be avoided or mitigated by appropriate measures , such as training, support, protection, regulation or worker participation, in order to ensure that AI serves humans and not the other way around.
If employees can free themselves from tedious tasks to devote themselves to more interesting tasks, they will be recognized for their high value-added work. They will be able to free themselves from certain routines, certain hardships, certain pressures , to access greater responsibilities and have more perspectives. In all cases, they will feel more satisfaction, self-esteem and well-being at work.
Process improvement promotes development, R&D and innovation, increases competitiveness and economic growth, opening up new markets, new sectors and new business opportunities .
AI also opens up new job prospects and gives rise to new career paths requiring new skills: engineers, developers, analysts, trainers. It will also be an opportunity for professional retraining towards these professions. New professions will also be dedicated to the maintenance, development, and upkeep of AI and its environment.
