Artificial intelligence will dramatically streamline the use of technology

The authors of this article, Filip Tichý (Partner at Grant Thornton Slovakia) and Jakub Chudík (Co-Founder at Assetario), take you through the world of artificial intelligence in the AI Breakfast series. This article was written without the use of AI.

Does it sound like a paradox? How can artificial intelligence (or “AI”), itself a complex technological system that few people actually understand, simplify the use of technology? In fact, the first major impact of practical implementation of AI in day-to-day business operations will not generate ‘new’ intelligence. Instead, it will offer simplified access to technology as such. AI-powered tools will democratize access to technology, enabling more people to learn to use it on a higher level and be more effective – this may include specialized apps, software and other IT systems that are currently only for dedicated specialists. For example, until now, coding in a programming language has been the domain of trained programmers. The rise of AI language models like ChatGPT has significantly simplified the process of code writing, opening doors for individuals without traditional coding experience to participate in the field (of course, creativity and algorithmic thinking are still needed).

In this context, it may be interesting to look at the development of the complexity of human-to- human and human-to-computer interaction. The development of interpersonal communication began long ago with the advance of speech. The evolution of communication didn't stop there. Humans further developed the ability to express themselves through graphic forms like drawings and paintings. These visuals served as powerful tools to tell stories and convey messages across generations. Subsequently, various forms of writing developed (i.e., a written form of communication) and the most recent century saw the advance of a ‘mathematical’ form of communication through information technology. Thus, the form of interpersonal communication grew in complexity over time (from a simple spoken form, the graphic form developed, followed by a more complex written form and, finally, an even more advanced mathematical form of communication). In stark contrast, the human-to-computer communication interface shows a trend moving in the opposite direction. Early forms of computing communication relied on a binary system of '1' and '0', represented by the presence or absence of holes on punched cards. Subsequently, the interaction between the humans and computers was slightly simplified into the written form when developers began to write programming code. The evolution continued with the introduction of graphical interfaces, like the windows in MS Windows, allowing users to interact with computers visually. This included functionalities like drag-and-drop, where actions could be initiated with visual elements instead of text commands, while the underlying process ran in the background. The most recent step in streamlining the human-to-computer interaction has taken place in recent years as we started to communicate with the computer using only speech via voice commands (a channel that actually stood at the beginning of human-to-human interactions a long time ago!). We simply tell the desired task or command to our phone, computer, or home assistant which, in turn, recognizes, interprets, and then executes the task. Thus, unlike interpersonal communication, our interaction with computers is getting increasingly intuitive and streamlined as the overall complexity from the human point of view is reduced.

In 1985, it was necessary to write a two-line code in a programming language to copy a file in your device, in 1995 it was enough to just perform a drag-and-drop command with your mouse moving the file from one place to its destination. All you needed to do in 2015, was just give Siri a voice command. Voice interaction with technological devices has also been streamlined itself. At the beginning, we had to talk to Siri in precisely defined syntax making sure to avoid errors, but gradually, our technology-powered assistants learned to understand a wider range of means of expression and they are increasingly better in learning to understand the context and figuring out any missing information themselves – all this to make giving commands as easy as possible for us humans. This trend is palpable across all areas of usage and accessibility of information technology. The future holds even easier ways to interact with technology and use it, driven by advancements in AI.

How is it going to work? Thanks to AI applications such as Chat GPT or Microsoft Copilot, everyday usage of computers or individual applications and tools will be faster and more streamlined. This will make people better at using Excel sheets with a higher level of functionalities, faster at creating sophisticated presentations, or smarter at creating BI dashboards. User-complicated software and tools such as graphic programs, data science platforms for creating data workflows, or engineering CAD programs will be easier to use exactly thanks to AI-powered assistants. Thanks to language models, only a few verbal commands or suitable prompts will be necessary to write programming codes. Moreover, while programming of AI models remains a complex task today, AI itself holds the potential to make this technology more accessible in the future.

So how does this translate into strategic business planning? One can reasonably expect that advancements in technology will open doors for creative and enthusiastic individuals to contribute, without the need for specialized field-specific degrees. If there is a software or a technology in your industry today that is currently inaccessible (perhaps because only the largest players or the most advanced specialists can afford it), you can count on this technology becoming accessible rather quickly not only to your business, but also to your competitors. Alternatively, if there is a technology in your industry that only several advanced senior specialists use today, in a few years’ time, all juniors will be working with it. Already today, you may start reflecting on the impact this will have on your efficiency and business operation. Naturally, this will still be only an option and not everyone will choose to use it, and some certainly may not utilize the full 100% of its potential. Which organizations are best positioned to capitalize on this emerging opportunity? Those that:

• are agile and fast in implementing new technology and novel solutions
• employ people who are curious, innovative, and like to experiment
• are ready to bear a certain level of risk associated with the transformation of their business and structure
• are already heavily invested in understanding the ways AI is currently shaping the business landscape

The first major impact of AI on business will be improved accessibility to and utilization of technology. However, this effect should not be underestimated as the contribution and value of this change will be significant in itself. This marks the beginning of the gradual integration of artificial intelligence – the first step only, quickly followed by the second and subsequent stages. Those mastering this initial step will be much better positioned for the second, bound to arrive much sooner than anyone imagines.