I’m sure it currently feels like a statutory requirement that organisations must have an AI strategy to compete and every Western country is aiming to be the global leader in AI technology – it is, what can only be described as “The Great AI Scramble”.

So do you embrace the US version or go for the OpenSource Chinese model – or just run away and champion the human being? Well, probably all of the above – we all need to be aware that we are victims of the huge marketing spends of the big tech companies – billions of dollars have been invested and those Tech Oligarchs’ need, and will get a ROI. Remember when we thought social media was going to be a positive influence in ours and our children’s lives?

The very same people are championing AI, not sure they really care about the long term, social effects of giving up all our creative and critical thinking to AI, or indeed, the impact of these data centres on a country’s water and energy resources – a critical concern in today’s climate. And if you value privacy – well that’s a whole other debate!

That doesn’t mean we turn our back on AI. Echo-U has been quietly embracing the technology and witnessing both its successes and limitations over the last year. Are we advocates or in the words of Public Enemy “Don’t believe the hype” – in our opinion we think the answer is yes and no.

At the heart of Echo-U and our client partnerships, has always been a commitment to satisfying their customers needs first – and what we have found over the years is customers love to access information quickly and in their own time – this is what AI is just perfect for – no-one needs a friendly chat to tell you what your balance is, when your parcel will arrive or how you return a pair of trainers.

When the AI model doesn’t work is when something goes wrong which in all businesses it does from time to time – this is when HI (Human interaction) is vital. It’s counter productive at this point to allow AI technology to try and help – none of us want to be in a loop of doom and frustration when we need help.

The resounding feedback from us all, as consumers, is that we do not want to speak to a “robot” at this point. Yes, it is a cheap option to switch on but it’s counter productive if it is frustrating a customer at a time when they want help. You will lose trust from the customers, and when trust in customer service is at an all time low – this is not going to help improve your relationship with customers or add value to your business.

However, our advisors really enjoy using it in their non-customer facing work – no more typing up notes or having several systems open to try and find information. This has reduced handling times significantly and allowed a more cost efficient resourcing model – saving our clients significant spend. It cannot replace expertise, but it can make volume data transactions, insight, and quality reviews so much more efficient. Dare we say it, our Resourcing and Planning team is operating better by embracing AI.

What has grown is the need for human overview and control, as we find 50% of the work needs some amendment and interpretation, so do not switch on and leave, or you will pay the price.

There are some concerns around bias in the initial creation of AI – we have not seen evidence of this, but we have an awareness that it is a “one size fits all” solution and it is not yet sophisticated enough to think of humans as individuals with bespoke wants and needs. It can only work with data it has been given so you must always challenge the source.

We all need to adapt to the new ways of working, we cannot deny we are entering into a new phase but lets not lose sight about what makes life worth living – yes positive HUMAN interaction, everyone needs to find a place for their customers to speak to a fellow human.

So we would advise you to sit back and observe the scramble – the AI landscape will be distilled in a couple of years and the good solutions will rise to the top. Rushing out now and investing big budgets in AI solutions may mean you are left with legacy systems that do not deliver in a few years. So quietly adopt some small areas in the AI arena and see how it delivers – move slowly with caution and watch the big tech companies and global economies fight it out.

Have an awareness that tech companies have sales targets to hit regardless of the quality of their product, so don’t be pressured into flinging your organisation down a path it may be difficult to retreat from.

Keep your customers at the forefront of your CX journey, it needs to work for them not just your IT & Finance departments.

This article has been written by a human and if you would like a practical view of how AI has helped Echo-U please give us a shout at: matthew.clarke@echo-u.co.uk