IS AI THE NEXT WAVE OF THE FUTURE AFTER DIGITAL WALLETS?

AI IS A TWO-LETTER WORD THAT CAN THROW ANOTHER PERSON ASKING, “ROBOT”?

THIS INVENTIVE PARLANCE AT THE MOMENT IS AGAIN A TOPIC BEING FLOATED BY PROPONENTS OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN THE COUNTRY.

This is not an article about technicality because it is rather reserved for the experts in the industry. The use of AI in this retrospect is being “recommended” by experts to stir innovation and revitalize the ways of doing work in fields and industries, that could have further room for improvement. 

Unknown to ordinary computer users, moms even dads, may not be aware that some online entrepreneurs/ proponents, are already to “a less extent”, using a bit of AI technology, without prior knowledge of it.

The simplest example is when you send messages directly to business accounts, which you assume have a stand-by staff to respond to your queries.  Surprise, you can be talking to a “chatbot”, pre-programmed intelligence by the account owner, that is made to answer specific and anticipated queries from customers.  Now that is just one example.

Another one coming is the introduction of Microsoft’s AI text and picture converter (read: description is made simple, and not the actual terms used by Microsoft), which can turn your text or any picture thru artificial intelligence, into a "converted" version which you can also save or download. 

These innovations are already out there. But practical users of online applications may not be aware yet of these trends; while more are complacent enough to try only the usuals (surf-social media post-chat) what-have-you.

But alas, industry practitioners espousing digital transformation are at this again; and they are just revealing the tip of the iceberg. They are hyper-punctuating that AI can help improve profits and processes of business, and with the best intent-- “allow for innovations” in marketing, customer experience enhancement, etc.

So how is AI different from the usual leg and mean work of workers? AI when introduced as part of digital transformation can help:

-let go of nominal and “demeaning” work, or those work that can be repetitive and does not require logical thinking or strategizing;

-AI use can help get rid of work redundancies;

-it can also find loopholes in the business process or order by finding weak points in how things are done;  and find ways to make things on a more equal level, like trying to avoid discriminative categorizing of customers in identifying high-risk customers for credit.

These are just some. The only concern small-scale entrepreneurs and big-time companies would have in landing on this digital future is the cost considerations required in funding AI projects for business applications and use. However, the way you look at it, the benefits, say, industry practitioners, can outweigh the investments made.

On the physical world applications, another that can be tackled: are we ready to live in an AI-driven world, where abrupt changes are made in our profession and industries? And where there might be less room for manual workers and more room for AI?

This is the prospect of digital transformation that must be less than the risks involved.

Commentary NEWS REVIEW PHILIPPINES

Posted: April 27, 2023, 12:46 pm Philippines local time

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