AI Innovation in the digital era is focused on being people-centric

The past decade, particularly, the past few years has been a progressive time for artificial intelligence. Some believe that it all started in 2007, when mobile phones became common. However, artificial intelligence has crossed the bar of just being a futuristic technology, available only for researchers and scientists. Today, a lot of daily tasks are built around technologies like predictive analytics, machine learning and cognitive computing. For a very long time, tech geeks ran after artificial intelligence to streamline and make it successful. In that lengthy plight, they forgot the fact that humans were the centre of these innovations. Fortunately, the scenario is changing today. People are becoming more aware of the concept that ‘AI innovation should revolve around humans.’ Even though it took a lot of time for realisations, innovation in the digital era is now focused on being people-centric.

The adoption of artificial intelligence has received traction across various industries starting from healthcare to automobile, manufacturing, telecommunication, finance, etc. In combination with the ubiquity of digital sensors, networks, and software-based automation, AI is transforming our economy and defining a new digital age. AI is improving the efficiency of humans by taking over all dangerous and tough labour jobs. Technology is providing humans with space to improve creativity and engage in intellectual works. In the healthcare sector, AI is leveraged to monitor patients and diagnose disease even before a physician finds it. An estimate by McKinsey concludes that big data could save medicine and pharma up to US$100 billion annually. Facial recognition technology is becoming as common as fingerprint. Facial recognition is used in everyday life starting from unlocking smartphones to shielding critical information. Data analytics is helping businesses find the right answer for everything. With the help of artificial intelligence, organisations can now focus on marketing and approaching the right customers with the right products. As technology has come to the extent where it outperforms human skills, the very concept of why researchers took the effort to unravel AI fades away. Fortunately, the resurfacing of people-centric AI concepts is bringing light to innovations that need humans at its core.

Humans at the core of AI innovation

2020 was a very rough year. With the pandemic at everyone’s doorstep, people were restricted from free movement. This sudden shift in the routine way of functioning had two impacts in society- jeopardised businesses and businesses that switched to online modes. With researchers and scientists running after technology without an end goal for a long time, the Covid-19 gave some space for them to think about why they started the journey. During the lockdown, AI solutions began to reflect on people’s preference. However, the remote working mode is slowly withering. Even though some companies plan to make employees work from home for a long time, majority of them are moving to physical spaces. Once again, humans are cornered to think about how we are moving forward with people-centric AI innovations.

Physical offices in the new normal working environment seem different from how it was earlier. To be precise, the workspace is filled with both physical and tech solutions. For example, even when employees moved back to office spaces, they continue to work on cloud platforms. Functioning on the cloud has some setbacks like cyber threats and inconvenience. However, employees have to break the ice in those cases and try to adopt it.

Despite the fact that the front office performs the final work, the back office holds the key to all company information. With technology knocking everyone’s door, company executives are bound to make data available for everyone who needs it within the organisation. When everyone in a company enjoys the luxury of data availability, the business will progress faster.

“Technology alone doesn’t transform a business, people empowered by data and technology do,” wrote Susana Duran, Vice President of engineering- emerging tech & mobile at Sage in an article. Her points are reflecting in today’s tech world. Even though AI solutions play a big role in transforming business, the core of all changes is people who create and utilise it.