Embracing the Future: Why We Must Adopt AI Now

Technological advancements have always shaped how we live and work, but the speed and scale of change in recent years is rather unprecedented, driven by rapid scaling and industry adoption of generative AI. Generative AI and large language models (LLMs) are transforming our approach to learning and working, and many people are cautiously navigating these changes and questioning their integration into daily life and their implications for the future of work.

The hesitation to embrace the new wave of AI is understandable, as is any uncharted territory. But this technology has the potential to introduce a better way of learning, working, and innovation. We just need to approach it with a creative spirit and a desire to understand it.

So What is Generative AI?

Generative AI refers to artificial intelligence systems designed to create new content that mimics human creativity by learning patterns from existing data. Unlike traditional AI, which might focus on classification or prediction, generative AI can produce text, images, music, and more. This technology is powered by sophisticated algorithms and large language models (LLMs), which learn patterns from vast amounts of data to generate coherent and contextually relevant outputs.

What are Large Language Models (LLMs)? LLMs fall within the broader category of Generative AI. These types of AI models are designed to understand, generate, and manipulate human language. They are trained using diverse sources of information, including books, websites, articles, and other public texts. This enables them to learn patterns, context, and nuances in language, allowing them to perform a wide range of tasks such as text generation, translation, summarization, and even answering questions.

Top 3 Applications of Generative AI:

• Content Creation: AI can generate any type of written content like articles, blogs, and proposals, emails, and creative writing. This application has revolutionized content generation by enabling the user to create fast and high-quality written material. Additionally, AI generates unique art designs from text descriptions making it a powerful tool for artists, designers, and advertisers.

• Customer Service: Generative AI chatbots create responses that are coherent, contextually relevant, and human-like. This is a step beyond traditional scripted chatbots, which rely on predefined responses. Companies that leverage this can provide 24/7 support, handle multiple queries simultaneously, reduce operational costs, and enhance user experiences.
• Engineering & Design: AI can generate and optimize complex designs, such as automotive components or architectural layouts, providing innovative solutions and accelerating prototyping in various industries

Exploring The Road of Acceptance

Widespread skepticism of new technology is nothing new. In 2021, Medium published an article that outlined other inventions with similar trajectories – among the list were elevators, subways, automobiles, and cell phones.

Even the calculator is a historically significant example. When it was introduced in the 1970s, the prevailing opinion of educators and parents was that students would become dependent on the technology and forget basic skills. It wasn't until 2002 that calculators were even allowed on the SAT!

Calculator Adoption:

• 1975: Early skepticism and initial resistance to calculators’ reliability and usefulness. Early models of calculators were introduced for general use.
• 1986: Gradual acceptance, with 200 million units sold. As technology improved and prices decreased, calculators became more accessible.
• 1994: Calculators were allowed on the SAT and became standard tools in various fields.

Fast-forward to today and we know that calculators proved to be valuable tools that augmented our learning and work. We are in a similar moment today. Generative AI is currently integrating into a wide range of applications and the sooner we embrace it and push its limit with our own creativity the faster we can discover all the ways in which it can enhance our workflows.

AI Adoption:

• November 2022: ChatGPT launched, marking significant advancements in AI and machine learning.
• February 2023: 100 million users—growing interest fueled by increased investment and research in AI technologies.
• August 2024: 200 million users—AI applications are increasingly integrated into everyday tools and processes, from personal assistants to advanced analytics.

AI Advancement Highlights:

• OpenAI’s ChatGPT passed the bar exam.
• It scored 1410 on the SAT.
• It aced the AP tests for biology, art history, environmental science, macroeconomics, psychology, and U.S. history.

Leveraging AI to Enhance Continuous Improvement

Technological advancements offer more than just functional benefits; they also fuel ongoing improvement and innovation. AI offers numerous opportunities for continuous improvement across various domains:

• Personalized Learning: AI can tailor educational experiences to individual student needs, making it more relevant to the learner. Try using it to provide examples of a concept (say a SIPOC map) specific to the user's job function.
• Interactive Tutoring: AI-driven tutors provide real-time feedback and personalized learning experiences. Try using it to generate practice questions to ensure mastery of tough statistical topics.
• Prompting Questions: AI can help formulate insightful questions that drive deeper understanding and exploration. Try using it to refine scope on a project charter.
• Feedback Loops: AI can analyze real-time data from production lines to detect inefficiencies or deviations from standards and suggest process adjustments.
• Data Stratification: AI can segment and analyze data to uncover trends and insights. Try using it to affinitize large amounts of textual voice of customer survey data.
• Improved Assessments: AI tools can develop more accurate and personalized assessments.

One of the best ways to take advantage of this emerging technology is to use it to help advance learning. Earlier this year, we introduced Hexie, an AI-powered chatbot in EngineRoom. Hexie, utilizing a large language model, is designed to help clarify complex topics, to provide additional examples that illustrate key concepts related to a given industry, and to create practice questions to reinforce user comprehension, to name a few. As a virtual coach, Hexie empowers users to deepen their understanding of process improvement by providing real-time, relevant guidance on which tools are needed based on the situation.

Seizing Opportunities Today

The history of technology adoption shows us that initial resistance often leads to missed opportunities. As we move forward, the ability to ask the right questions will become our best asset. We can’t control how rapidly technology will evolve, but we can control how we educate ourselves to leverage this technology effectively. So challenge yourself to develop your understanding of how to use LLMs in your day-to-day process improvement work.