Artificial intelligence (AI) tools have exploded into the private and professional domains in recent years, with generative AI (GenAI) in particular predicted to become a $100bn market by 2028. Though its transformative potential seems clear, what remains to be seen is exactly how these tools will change the business landscape in the long term.

According to Deloitte's State of Generative AI in the Enterprise report from Q1 2024, excitement about GenAI remains high and many organisations have developed in-house expertise. Most current applications focus on efficiency, productivity and cost reduction, often through off-the-shelf solutions. However, there remains room for greater maturity in governance, risk management and collaboration.

Ensuring a strategic fit

This search for impact can be seen in the increasing sophistication of AI models and the number of organisations grappling with how to leverage their benefits. By focusing on the challenges that are most topical and relevant for your business, your business’s AI strategy will make the most impact.

According to the Deloitte report, the top three areas in which GenAI is currently deployed are IT & cybersecurity and marketing, sales & customer service, and product development & R&D. Where can GenAI make a difference in your business? Start by asking yourself three questions:

• How does AI fit your strategy and business challenges?
• What data is needed to achieve your ambitions?
• How can AI and data platforms accelerate this journey?
  

Where do you stand?

Besides identifying the focus area(s), evaluating your readiness can also be valuable. Where does your organisation sit on the following scale?

Taking the first steps with your data

With the scope and starting position defined, it's time to select the tools to get started. Often, this is where businesses have doubts about the best way to harness the technology, how to implement it responsibly, and whether their data is in good enough shape. There is a perceptible fear of being left behind if an organisation doesn't have it all figured out, and fast. But the good news is, your data doesn't need to be perfect to get started.

While predictive models need to be fed with well-structured data, some AI tools can help make sense of unstructured data so that it can be harnessed for business impact.

Generally speaking, predictive AI models require clear, structured data and are prone to bias. This means that a lot of manual work is needed to ensure fair and accurate outputs. However, Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools such as large language models (LLM) can analyse and generate human language and conduct sentiment analysis, using raw, unstructured data as input. This can take the form of documents, video, imagery or audio: think customer communication or transaction data, reports and policies, surveillance footage or training videos.

With an estimated 80-90% of new enterprise data being unstructured, there is already a wealth of potential value to be created. And as the technology matures, there is potential to use GenAI to further innovation and growth for the most transformative impact. We expect to see multimodal or interdisciplinary models emerging that can perform different activities for a range of applications, enabling businesses to deploy AI further.

Discover why AI is nothing without you!

At Sopra Steria, we believe AI’s true potential is unlocked with human collaboration. By blending human creativity with advanced AI technology, we empower people to address society’s most pressing challenges—from combating disease to mitigating climate change—while helping our clients achieve their digital transformation goals.

We emphasize critical thinking and education to ensure AI upholds core human values like respect and fairness, minimizing ethical risks. Together, we’ll create a future where AI inspires positive impact and enhances human brilliance. That's why we believe that AI is nothing without you!

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