Exploring AI: A Business Bites Session with ITPI

At ISS Innovation Hub, we are committed to exploring and educating others on the transformative potential of AI. In collaboration with our valued partner, Health Innovation Campus, Lancaster University , we recently hosted a highly engaging Business Bites session focused on the use of AI in business. This workshop was attended by various businesses keen to understand and harness the power of AI. In this article we share and explore the highlights and key takeaways from the event.

On Thursday 27th June, Ava Sims and Dulcie Brewer from our team led the insightful two-hour workshop. Dulcie Brewer kicked off the session by presenting crucial information about AI and its potential benefits for businesses. Ava Sims followed, guiding participants through her expertise in prompt engineering and the thoughtfully designed workshop tasks.

Broadening Horizons

One of the primary goals of the workshop was to expand participants' knowledge of AI beyond popular platforms like ChatGPT. Ava Sims and Dulcie Brewer explored a variety of AI tools and platforms, showcasing the diverse capabilities of AI technology. They emphasised that AI is much more than just chatbots, demonstrating its various applications and potentials.

Mastering Prompt Engineering

A significant portion of the workshop was dedicated to teaching participants the art of prompt engineering. Ava Sims shared valuable insights on how to craft effective prompts, explaining the importance of clarity, context, and intention in interacting with AI models. Her carefully designed prompt engineering diagram was well-received as a useful resource.

Hands-On Demonstrations

To bring AI’s capabilities to life, Ava Sims and Dulcie Brewer demonstrated our innovative Interview Sim x Smart Statement tool. This session illustrated how AI can be interactive, engaging, and far more than a simple text response system. The demonstration provided participants with a practical understanding of how AI can be integrated into various aspects of business.

Interactive Discussions

Participants were then encouraged to share their current use of AI within their businesses. Most feedback highlighted AI’s role in completing administrative tasks. However, this exchange of ideas inspired attendees to think of new ways to incorporate AI into their operations and think about areas where AI is under-utilised. From this, we identified that many businesses are not using AI in creative tasks, sparking discussions on preconceptions and risks associated with AI, such as fears of AI replacing human creativity and thinking.

The consensus was that while AI can both constrain and enhance creativity, it ultimately serves as a powerful tool to push creative boundaries and generate new ideas. However, the uniqueness of AI-generated outputs can be limited since they are derived from the same database, underscoring the need for human creativity to refine and develop these ideas.

Conclusion and Q&A

The session concluded with a Q&A segment led by Brian Green and Anthony Humphreys from our senior team. They addressed more in-depth, technical questions, particularly in software development and the reliability of AI-generated code. The discussion reinforced that while AI has its risks, it remains a powerful and invaluable tool for modern businesses.

Key Takeaways

Participants left the workshop with a balanced understanding of AI's potential and limitations. The key takeaway was that AI, when used wisely, can significantly enhance business operations but should be viewed as a complementary tool rather than a replacement for human ingenuity.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Health Innovation Campus, Lancaster University for allowing us to host this impactful Business Bites session. Stuart Powers , Health Innovation Community Manager, highlighted the success of the event:

"A really great session for our partner organisations to explore different uses of generative AI and how they can implement them within their day to day business all backed up with excellent advice on using it safely."

We look forward to continuing our collaboration and hosting more workshops to demystify AI and encourage its safe and effective use in business.

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