BY LINEAEDP02/05/2023updated:01/05/2023reading 6 min
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Carla Masperi, SAP Italia CEO, on whether AI is here to stay, whether it’s a real revolution or a passing fad
In the contribution that we propose below, Carla Masperi (pictured above), CEO of SAP Italia, wonders if AI is here to stay, if its is a real revolution or if it represents only (yet another) passing fashion.
Enjoy.
Is AI here to stay? What will be the success of artificial intelligence at work? Will GPT chat be the new Zoom?
From code developers to poets, from professors to students, from professionals to employees, we’ve all heard of GPT Chat in recent months. We fear it, we have tested its knowledge or exploited its capabilities. We have read news about possible competitors, new developments, mobile application versions, acquisition and investment plans.
As always in the face of disruptive technology, we reacted differently, based on our expectations, knowledge and experience. According to some innovations bring salvation, according to others the end of the world, according to some they improve the lives of people, according to others the worst.
The benefits of artificial intelligence have become clear
Meanwhile, those working in our industry know that previous and incredible discoveries in the field of artificial intelligence, similar or even larger, have often been ignored by the general public. If you’re wondering if AI is here to stay, remember that artificial intelligence was already capable of beating the world chess champions in the '90s, In the 2000s, the first robot vacuum cleaners entered stores, and robots acting independently based on visual perception have long been active in the production and handling of materials.
The great uproar is now caused by the fact that the advantages of artificial intelligence have become clear even to those who had not previously directly perceived its potential.
However, opportunity does not guarantee realization. The pandemic that we have left behind has produced two equally revolutionary digital services, whose life paths contain many lessons for Chat GPT and its competitors.
Is AI here to stay or will it end Zoom’s (s)boom?
With the first wave of the pandemic, the popularity of video conferencing solutions has grown explosively. Although the use of such platforms has been a common practice in the life of companies for years, mass adoption has been driven by a simpler and more free alternative, which can be implemented in an environment with limited resources. Anyone who used Teams, Webex or Skype previously couldn’t understand the enthusiasm for Zoom, which until then was little known.
Now it can be said that although Zoom reached people who never before the pandemic had held a remote video meeting, due to its independence and lack of additional services, it has lost some of its initial appeal. After all, these services are available in operating systems or software packages that we already use in the office. There’s no point in paying more.
So the lesson is that if you find out that your Swiss Army knife is equipped with a corkscrew, you will no longer carry a separate corkscrew. Anyone who develops a Swiss Army Knife constantly follows the needs of customers and, if a better alternative appears on the market than his, ensures user satisfaction by improving his proposal.
... even Clubhouse has emptied
Another unicorn during the pandemic was Clubhouse, which on its release was thought to have overturned - or at least reformed - the world of radio and podcasts, elevating the experience of interactivity. The possibility of exchanges of ideas between several actors, the vision of the masses moderately questioning the interviews of prominent celebrities seemed surprisingly new, and exclusively vocal communication promised an intimacy rich in wisdom.
However, the practice contradicted the vision: listening to someone for hours without knowing in advance if they are really worth it is an uninspiring experience.
Videos on our favorite YouTube channel or podcast are usually edited and refined after recording a show. Hopefully they contain the essence of the show. Also, I can tell by the number of views or comments whether or not I like the video, saving my time.
And that’s precisely the point, Clubhouse is not efficient from the point of view of time, the audience is tired, the growth of its followers has stopped. He didn’t even pass the profitability test.
AI is here to free people from low level activities
Delivering real value, reliably, into our daily routine, with guaranteed returns, is the cornerstone of intelligent automation. In a broader sense, the evolution of work supported by artificial intelligence - the success of the revolution that seems to come every day - is also based on this.
People don’t need a Tamagotchi to take them away from work, but a solution that eliminates repetitive and tedious tasks (or better take charge of these tasks instead), thus freeing up more time to think and create.
Let’s not be surprised if sometimes we hear that it is "already here". If we just look around, the presence of an artificial intelligence algorithm can be recognized at every stage of our lives, even the professional one. For example, when it fills individual Excel cells for us, when it draws attention to the inventory by reporting a rotation rate longer than average, or when it offers its help in reusing a company report made in the past as a working basis for the next one.
For decades, in fact, various levels of artificial intelligence have been incorporated into corporate software. Thanks to the rapid development of computing capacity - which is expected to continue at a similar pace - automation will exceed previous limits and will be suitable for much more complex tasks. The AI is here to stay, then. Artificial intelligence is able to find a connection between the elements of the system, there will be no need to worry about interfaces and their development: knowledge of programming languages will not be required to the user, but to artificial intelligence.
Rediscovering the true dignity of work
As the degree of interactivity increases, we tend to perceive gray eminence as an extra colleague. This would not only create new jobs, but could free people from low-level activities, and give the opportunity to rediscover the true dignity of work with creative tasks and higher added value.
AICarla MasperiChat GPTintelligenza artificialeSAP Italia