ChatGPT. OpenAI. Microsoft. Bard AI. Google.
If you’ve been on LinkedIn or Twitter in 2023, you’ve probably crossed paths with dozens of stories about these companies and their revolutionary conversational artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
But if you missed it, let’s bring you up to speed – Microsoft invested $10 billion in the artificial intelligence lab and ChatGPT creator, OpenAI. Less than 20 days later, Google responded with the announcement of their chatbot, Bard AI.
The key takeaway? Artificial intelligence is the hot topic of 2023, sparking billions of dollars in investments within the first two months.
Thankfully, you don’t have to be a Microsoft or a Google to harvest the power of AI for your business.
Here’s everything you need to know about how AI is helping small to medium-sized businesses innovate and inspire employees.
Are you ready to work smarter, not harder, this year to boost your bottom-line using AI?
Let’s dive in.
Enhancing the branding process
AI technology is becoming increasingly common in the workplace, giving innovative and tech-savvy employees a new way to get their creative juices flowing.
Say goodbye to writer’s block for good. And avoid the tedious graphic design iterations that take weeks to perfect.
AI tools like design software, AI photo enhancers, background remover tools, and image generators harness the power of AI to create high-quality visual designs for marketing.
The result? High-quality custom graphics, blog content, and videos that stand out from the masses and provide the right messaging to score conversions.
And with millions of new businesses entering the market each year, it’s more important than ever to establish yourself as a reputable brand to keep your customers coming back for more.
What better way to accomplish this than through modern and innovative branding elements? Well, there’s an AI tool for that, too. These cutting-edge tools can aid your employees in creating logos and other types of visual branding materials.
AI-powered tools help with brainstorming, logo design, and font and color choices. They know what fonts and colors will build trust and how to use color psychology to attract leads.
Machine learning algorithms take these inputs to create different combinations of typefaces, allowing your employees to spend less time in the weeds and pick from the best outputs.
Even though AI still has a long way to go in replacing humans, it can aid employees in brainstorming new ideas and spark creativity.
Providing access to market analysis and customer insights
From 24/7 customer service to predictive analytics, AI has infiltrated the world of retail and customer service. It’s changing how we shop and interact with our favorite international and local companies.
There’s a pipeline in which company owners can extrapolate data to use in the programming of AI tools through different types of business analytics. And the goal? To better understand consumer preferences and how to win in the market. These valuable insights can inform your business decisions and drive growth for any organisation. Even timeless industries are using AI for business to enhance their operations and boost their bottom line.
For instance, AI has made a mark in the floral industry by helping with efficient inventory management and predictive customer behavior analysis. Florists have a unique business model that requires them to maintain a precise inventory of live plants and flowers that won’t spoil. They must ensure they’re constantly rotating stock and selling products at the right time. Using AI helps florists become more efficient, streamline daily tasks, and perfect complicated logistical nightmares.
Imagine this: You run a flower shop and want to avoid wasting money on wilting flowers. You use your secret weapon — machine learning and predictive analytics — to analyse your sales data and understand which flowers are the most popular in the summer.
Voila! You find sunflowers are a hit and feature them front and center in your display window. Your customers are delighted, sales bloom, and your flower shop becomes the talk of the neighborhood — all thanks to a dash of data analysis and a clever AI algorithm.
Oh, and let’s not forget how happy your employees are. They didn’t waste months sifting through sales data to come up with the same conclusion months after the summer season ended.
Personalising employee experiences
AI for business goes beyond the surface level of your organisation.
It’s also adding a new spark to employee experiences, from HR processes like onboarding and performance evaluations to training and career development. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Here are a few additional examples of how AI can personalise employee experiences, improving productivity, engagement, and overall job satisfaction:
- Personalised learning: AI algorithms can analyse an employee’s learning style and preferences to create customised programmes that cater to their unique needs.
- Performance management: AI can help automate performance evaluations, providing employees with tailored feedback, goal setting, and career development plans.
- Wellness programmes: AI can track employee health metrics and provide personalised recommendations for health savings investment accounts and other wellness plans.
- Workload management: AI can optimise employee schedules and allocate tasks based on skills, workload, and availability, resulting in a more balanced and less stressful work environment.
- Virtual assistants: AI-powered virtual assistants can help employees with tedious tasks, such as answering common questions, booking travel, and managing expenses.
- Enhanced security: Besides making work more efficient, AI helps provide a safe work environment. AI-powered internet security features like a website blocker app can identify and prevent harmful, life threatening and inappropriate images and videos — even on websites that are otherwise safe to explore.
Boosting employee productivity
One of the leading causes of employee burnout is an unmanageable workload.
Well, what if you could wave a magic wand and cut your employees’ workload in half? Unfortunately, that doesn’t exist. Yet.
AI is the closest thing to a fairy godmother for your employees’ morale.
AI-powered tools can automate repetitive tasks, freeing employees’ time to focus on tasks they enjoy. This slight difference can increase job satisfaction and create a more positive work environment.
The fleet management industry is a prime example of a sector using AI to improve a historically demanding job.
How? Enter Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) equipped with AI. These devices pack a punch and offer a variety of benefits for both drivers and fleet owners, including:
- Real-time monitoring of a fleet’s location, speed, and status allows dispatchers to make informed decisions on the most efficient routes and schedules.
- Reduce fleet downtown with predictive maintenance for when a vehicle may require service.
- Analysing driver performance, such as sudden braking, speeding, and abrupt turns, allows fleet managers to train drivers and increase efficiency.
- Optimise routes based on traffic patterns, weather conditions, and other data to reduce travel time and fuel consumption. The improved accuracy of shipments will enhance employee morale by reducing stress and fatigue.
- Improve driver safety by detecting and alerting drivers of potential safety hazards, such as road construction or accidents.
Using AI and ELDs, fleet owners can reduce driver turnover while improving operations and efficiency across the business. It’s a win-win.
Imagine how other industries could benefit from this technology. The opportunities are endless.
Encouraging intellectual curiosity
There are plenty of leadership books about becoming a top performer in an organisation. And one of the common answers is to stay hungry to learn.
The good news is that we can use artificial intelligence to learn new things. In fact, AI-powered tools like ChatGPT and Bard AI are revolutionising how employees access information.
With its ability to respond to various topics, ChatGPT can provide employees with real-time answers, insights, and knowledge that spark new ideas and encourage intellectual curiosity.
Why?
These tools allow employees to engage in interactive virtual brainstorming sessions, expand their knowledge, and learn conversationally.
Plus, conversational AI tools can break down complex topics into easily digestible tidbits.
For example, let’s say an employee is interested in learning about the ins and outs of artificial intelligence or how to create a Pivot Table in Excel.
With ChatGPT, they can simply ask questions in a conversational format that provides them with easy-to-follow answers or examples. And if the answer is still too complex, they can ask the tool to reproduce it at a sixth-grade reading level.
Pretty impressive, huh?
AI conversational tools also reduce the intimidation factor of leaning over and asking colleagues for help. It encourages employees to think critically, explore new perspectives, and continue learning — which can lead to personal and professional growth.
And often, the best employees are always looking for ways to enhance their workflows. With a tool like this at their fingertips, it encourages them to use it to find more efficient ways of doing things. A win-win for employee morale and your bottom line.
By facilitating collaborative and intellectually engaging conversations, conversational AI tools are creating a culture of continuous learning and exploration that drives innovation and growth in the workplace.
Wrapping up
Artificial intelligence is here to stay.
And despite some people running for the hills, the benefits of AI for businesses far outweigh the risks. Don’t worry, it won’t replace your precious employees. It’ll only make their lives easier.
So are you ready to hop on the AI bandwagon? Start investing in AI for better results today!
Your bottom-line won’t regret it. And neither will your employees.
Author: Guillaume Deschamps – Content Manager, Wordable.io & PR Manager, uSERP.
Photo credit: ThisIsEngineering
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