With the proliferation of Data, AI and rapid advancements in Generative LLM's, there are ample discussions in the boardrooms for the evaluation and implementation of data driven initiatives that can leverage AI ethically. In order to explore AI use cases, organizations should first have a strong strategic roadmap and a framework that can evaluate the success of these initiatives.
The first step towards smarter organizations is the realization that processes and products will be require a combination of both human capital and computers. An Organization can become smarter by leveraging both human capital and Computers to optimize the processes. The output and efficiencies derived from the combination of human capital and computers will generate much higher output and efficiencies thus making the organizations smarter, than the output that will be generated from the sum of individual parts.
The second step is to determine, which tasks/sub-tasks/processes need to be assigned to the computers, and which of them need to assigned to humans. For this, a good rule of thumb is to identify tasks/processes where computers do the best -- data processing, computations, rule based decision making, automation --and assign to computers. On the contrary, Organizations need to identify tasks/processes where humans do their best -- Social intelligence, subjective decision making, emotional intelligence areas. Human Computer systems in modern smarter organizations will optimize the tasks in such a way that computers do what they do best, while humans do what they do best, resulting in a combination of process that is intertwined between both computers and humans.
Optimizing such a system would require the individual parts to understand each other to exist in a harmony. Since the computers, even after the evolution of AI, is behind the social and emotional intelligence, the human capital will need to take into consideration the final output of the system, by considering both human and computer outputs.
Process Tasks/Build Products = [Human, Computer] X [Can't Do, Can Do, Can Do Better ]
The third step is to determine, the specific role the computer plays with the human capital. There are 4 possible ways in which computer, human system can be designed in smarter organizations
1. Computer as a Tool : In this system, the Computers perform routine tasks, while there is still a need for the humans to monitor the outputs.
2. Computer as an Assistant : In this system, the Computers act as an assistant and perform routine and complex tasks, while the human capital requires little/no attention.
3. Computer as a Peer : In this system, the Computers act as a Peer/human within set boundaries and perform routine/complex tasks, while the human capital requires no monitoring.
4. Computer as a Manager: In this system, the Computer acts as a manager to humans and assigns, evaluates tasks. This system can be efficient in Workflow management/Task Management.
The fourth step is to overlay the above frameworks on the Porter's framework for Strategic differentiation. In this step organizations need to evaluate their strategic preference to determine the appropriate roadmap. Organizations need to answer if they are focused on 1) Cost Leadership 2) Creating a Differentiation or 3) Focusing on a specific segment of the market.
The final step is re-imagine the world with critical lens of privacy, security and ethical considerations. In this area,Organizations need to evaluate their existing security posture, put controls on the governance of data that is allowed to be used for AI use cases, and finally consider the customer adoption/education to make the product successful.
