It’s a truism that AI has the potential to radically reshape how we work. Many housing providers have consequently rushed to invest in an AI solution for fear of missing out, yet are unsure why they need it and how, when and where they plan to use it.
Back to basics
AI’s powers are undoubtedly mind-blowing but without an understanding of your objectives, the technology won’t be used fully and the benefits will go undiscovered. As with investing in any technology, if you don’t know what problems you want to solve and what your objectives are, it is unlikely to be a success.
The ‘Why?’
Any housing provider wanting to implement AI, or indeed any another transformative technology, needs to consider why it wants it. While AI is the latest disruptive technology that everyone is talking about, too many organisations are deploying it merely because they don’t want to miss out.
It’s not a race; if you don’t know why you want it or how you will use it, then it’s a waste of money. And without a coherent strategy, it could in fact have a reverse effect and be detrimental to your operations.
For any AI project to be a success, it’s vital to spend time to work out why you need it and to explore:
- What do you want to improve?
- Why do you want to improve it?
- How are you planning to improve?
- Where do you want to be?
You can then devise an AI strategy, setting measurable objectives and success criteria so you can evaluate as you go. Incorporating AI or any other transformative technology into your organisation is an evolutionary journey; it takes time to learn what works and what doesn’t, and time for your staff to get used to the technology.
Levelling up the ‘Why?’
Getting the best out of AI is about taking a creative approach, applying critical thinking and getting beyond the surface, all of which are areas where humans excel and machines don’t! This level of thinking is like an investigator drumming up theories before searching for clues; you can’t find the clues if you don’t know why and what you are looking for.
Take the time to go to the next level of thinking. An AI solution can analyse your customer database in seconds, unearthing trends and patterns that reveal problems you didn’t know existed or providing detailed information on the ones you did. By diving into the details, you can understand your problems better and devise relevant solutions.
Consider AI as a treasure chest – it’s all in there but you have to find it, and what you then do with it is up to you. The same applies with AI prompts. The more detail and better you craft the prompts, the more you will get out of it.
Deconstructing AI
Digital transformation can be overwhelming but it can be broken down into manageable areas, so you don’t need to do everything at once. By breaking it down into steps, you can delve into the details and test the solution with a proof of concept to explore what to keep and what to disregard.
Your employees should be involved from the start of AI’s introduction. Encourage them to share their daily challenges and suggestions for improvements because they are then more likely to understand why the AI solution will benefit them, reducing the fear that AI will replace them.
A complete AI training programme should also be implemented so everyone understands how AI fits into their organisation’s operations, especially because new skills, such as AI prompting, will be needed.
Generative AI enables people to produce content in seconds, but caution must be applied so that employees don’t have free rein to churn out generic content. Implement suitable processes to ensure any AI-generated content is checked for tone, messaging, veracity, bias and transparency as well as adding a human touch.
Don’t forget about employees’ own AI apps. ‘Shadow IT’ used to be concerned with ‘bring your own device’ but now it’s ‘bring your own AI assistant’. Clear rules for which AI apps can and can’t be used will reduce your risk of cybercrime and protect your network.
Reducing the fear
AI makes employees worried because they think it will replace their jobs. CEOs and senior management are anxious because they know they need AI but aren’t sure why. And IT directors and CIOs are nervous because they are scared it may fail and put their jobs on the line.
But by embracing the ‘Why?’ and devising a strategy, everyone should feel more confident because the risks have been considered and mitigated. No one likes change, even if it’s for the better. Learning how to use technology and new ways of working takes time, but the benefits and RoI are worth it.
Why not?
Now is the time to invest in AI but remember that it’s not a race; take the time to devise a strategy, set objectives and define the success criteria.
The only question you will be asking is – why didn’t we do this sooner?
Jonathan Sharp is the CEO of Britannic Technologies.
