The Current Debate
With the speed and ease with which computers and artificial intelligence (AI) can accomplish a variety of tasks, many people are exploring ways to incorporate these tools into more and more areas of their lives, hoping to increase efficiency. It is especially enticing to see how many fields can use AI for tasks such as data analytics, scheduling, and automation.
However, as AI grows in prevalence, the debate between AI and humans intensifies, pitting AI against humans and claiming it will take away jobs. Sci-fi movies, in particular, add to this concern, portraying AI as an entity that takes over humanity. It isn’t necessarily fair to view this technology in this light.
The Flaw in This Debate
Instead of debating AI vs humans, we should remember that they do not have to be pitted against one another. Each excels in their own areas, creating an opportunity to work together and play into one another’s strengths. When building a business, you are unlikely to bring in five people to handle bookkeeping without also bringing in someone to speak with customers, someone to plan marketing campaigns, and someone to manage it all. You would want to make sure that every area is well cared for.
What AI Actually Does
Artificial intelligence excels at jobs where large datasets are provided, handling large volumes of data at speeds people can only dream of. As it works through these datasets, it can identify recurring patterns and potentially provide key takeaways based on them. It can also learn from these datasets, using the information it has been given to predict future outcomes with new, related datasets.
Another area where AI does well is that it does not lose momentum as it approaches the end of the data. When humans are working through large datasets, it is necessary to take breaks and clear their minds before tackling the next segment, but if AI has the resources, it can keep going all the way to the end without losing any steam. It could run into issues without enough resources, such as running out of RAM, but with the right tools, this is not a concern.
What Humans Still Own
Despite the rise in prevalence of artificial intelligence, people are still absolutely necessary, possibly more now than ever before. While AI can work through large datasets, it likely can’t distinguish biases that pop up throughout. In its observations, this is simply the way the data is. While people are also prone to biases, bringing together a diverse group of individuals to review the information can help identify and remove them.
AI doesn’t understand empathy in the way that humans do. It is capable of writing and “communicating” with customers, but it doesn’t truly grasp the meaning behind what it says, which can lead to hurt feelings and upset customers. If you want to look more into this concept of AI communicating without necessarily knowing what it is saying, you may be interested in The Chinese Room thought experiment. In this thought experiment, a man is in a room with a computer program that displays Chinese characters for him to respond to, without providing the actual translations. When he is given strings of characters, he can formulate an appropriate response to send back, but he has no idea what he is saying.
Also, people can learn in ways that AI just can’t. We live through experiences that shape us, get feedback from the people around us, whether positive or negative, and then change how we behave in the future. While AI can adjust its thinking and change how it responds and behaves in the future, it doesn’t have the weight of decisions that come with seeing the repercussions of mistakes firsthand.
The Real Question: System Design
Instead of deciding whether to use humans or AI, it is better to focus on designing your system to leverage the strengths and weaknesses of both, bringing them together to complement one another. For example, in customer support, this can be done using AI-powered tools such as smart routing systems to make your customers’ experience smoother by sending them to the right people early on, instead of having to jump through hoops. These tools can also be used to provide information on the customer when you start a new interaction with them, giving them a more personalized experience. Another advantage of this technique is that the customer doesn’t have to repeat themselves many times, reducing their frustration.
Even when incorporating these technologies, though, you still need human touch. Without it, you may be giving customers a more personalized experience, but they don’t experience the personal connection you develop with them, which is one of the most important parts of customer support.
Final Thoughts
Blending technology with human connection is one of The Office Gurus’ cornerstones. Our goal is to build human-centered customer journeys that transform businesses and foster relationships through tailored CX solutions. If you are interested in bringing this balance between technology and connection, reach out to The Office Gurus today to find out how to get started.
