Humans + Artificial Intelligence = Augmented Intelligence

This month we are talking about a different type of AI - Augmented Intelligence.

While this term isn't thrown around as often as Artificial Intelligence, it is arguably much more common and applicable today. And I have a real life story to share about how augmented intelligence can help someone in memory care live a better life.

Before diving in, I have some resources, links, and more to share with you!

You can now access my ChatGPT whitepaper (without joining my mailing list) - A Sales Rep's Guide to Selling with ChatGPT

If you're already in the Sell Smarter Community, you got an email that shared the live recording of a new Sandler Podcast releasing in 2024, How to Succeed with ChatGPT+

Need a speaker for an upcoming event in 2024? I'd be glad to have a conversation to see if AI would be the right topic.

And to see a summary of ALL of the AI content I have released in 2023, you can check that out here.

What is Augmented Intelligence?

Augmented Intelligence is the enhancement of human decision-making and abilities through the use of artificial intelligence. Also referred to as intelligence amplification, Augmented Intelligence simply combines the best of humans and AI.

For more context and an example, check out the clip below:

If you're in a place where you can't watch the video, here is the big picture.

Human Intelligence is like a car with no technology or features. No GPS, no lane assist, no blind spot detection, etc. Completely manual.

Artificial Intelligence is comparable to an autonomous or self driving car. You program in the destination and the machine does all of the work and decision making to end up at the destination.

Augmented Intelligence is the middle ground - and what most of us probably have in our cars today. You are the primary decision maker when it comes to operating the vehicle, but technology is there to assist.

It uses a GPS to guide you to a destination and find heavy traffic areas to suggest better routes - then you pick the route.

It has lane assist that can beep or vibrate your seat when you veer out of your lane - and then you make the correction.

Our cars augment the driving experience by using tech to help us make better decisions and ultimately operate our vehicles more effectively and efficiently.

This is augmented intelligence.

At its core, augmented intelligence represents a harmonious blend of human cognitive skills and AI's computational power. It's not about machines replacing human roles; instead, it's about AI supplementing and supporting human intelligence.

Anytime I use "AI" I am referring to artificial intelligence.

I know what you may be thinking "So what, we've already talked about this!"

And if you are thinking that, you would be right. But being able to understand this concept can help answer the question I get most often,

Where can I use AI in my sales process or business?

Answering this question is not easy. But investing your time to find the answer is worthwhile.

Humans vs. Machines (technology)

It's no secret that AI isn't perfect.

Most of us have seen the AI generated images with 8 fingers or the ChatGPT output that sounds like a robot wrote it (to be fair, it did).

And while AI is getting smarter, there are some areas we shouldn't allow it to replace what we do.

But if we are honest with ourselves, there are things computers can do much better and faster than we can.

Would you rather find the answer to 18704*9702/80=X in your head? Or use a calculator?

While we could find the answer, is that the best use of our time? Just because we can do it, does that mean we should? Especially if a computer can do it faster and more accurately?

The key is identifying our unique strengths (and weaknesses) and augmenting them.

Human Strengths and Skills:

Emotional Intelligence: Humans are better at understanding emotions, empathy, and social cues, which are key in building trust and relationships.

Creativity and Innovation: The human brain is able to think outside the box, generating new ideas, and applying creative solutions to problems.

Strategic Thinking: Humans are capable of long-term planning, understanding broader contexts, and making decisions based on a mix of logic, intuition, and past experiences.

Adaptability: Humans can quickly adapt to new situations, learn from diverse experiences, and apply their knowledge in varying contexts.

Computer and AI Strengths and Skills:

Data Processing: Computers can process and analyze vast amounts of data far more quickly and accurately than humans, identifying patterns and insights that might be missed.

Consistency and Precision: AI systems operate without fatigue, ensuring consistent performance and precision in tasks, especially those that are repetitive or require high levels of accuracy.

Scalability: Computers can handle tasks at a scale and speed that are impossible for humans, such as monitoring thousands of data points simultaneously.

Predictive Analytics: AI can forecast future trends based on historical data, providing valuable insights for decision-making.

We could go on here but these are some of the key strengths to consider as we think about how to best implement the concept of augmented intelligence into our own businesses or lives.

A real story about how Augmented Intelligence can help in the real world.

If you've read previous newsletters, you've seen me reference a good friend of mine, Kyle Ramer , who has either the pleasure or misfortune of hearing most of my AI rants and ideas before they are fully worked out and still "half-baked". And he himself is pretty savvy with tech and AI himself. I sold him a HubSpot which he onboarded for the company he works for and he's been able to use it in great ways to increase their structure as he's built their solar and renewable energy division.

He gave me permission to share a personal story about how he was able to use AI to help his grandmother (what a good dude right?). His grandmother is in memory care and has recently been struggling to remember when to go downstairs for meals or different events and activities.

When he heard this, he went and got an Amazon Alexa to act as his grandmother personal AI assistant to help her remember important events and make her life easier. He was able to program in reminders to go off at certain times each day for meals or regular events and sync it to her calendar so she could see the different activities on her schedule.

And to make it better, instead of having to learn how to navigate a new technology interface, she simply says, "Hey Alexa..." and asks any question she would like.

Now, his grandmother doesn't need to remember her schedule or keep up with the different activities. AI can do that for her. And she can chose which events and activities to attend.

What a cool way to use AI to augment a very real and common issue seen every day.

And this is just the beginning, the applications are literally endless.

AI vs. Automation

I have noticed some confusion between AI and automation. Many people attribute AI to things that are simply automated. And I wanted to clarify the difference and the power when combining the two.

Definitions:

AI - computer systems that can perform tasks that typically attributed to human intelligence. This includes learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and language understanding.

Automation - technology that can perform tasks with minimal human intervention. It involves the application of systems, devices, or processes to carry out repetitive tasks, usually following pre-defined rules or scripts set by a human.

Characteristics:

AI is characterized by its ability to learn and adapt. It's not just about following a set of programmed instructions; AI systems can analyze data, learn from it, and make decisions or predictions based on that learning.

Automation is typically rule-based and doesn't require learning or adaptation. It's about efficiency and consistency, doing the same task the same way every time.

So what is the real difference?

Imagine an email system that automatically sorts incoming emails into predefined folders based on keywords. This system follows specific, pre-programmed rules (e.g., all emails with "invoice" in the subject line go to the 'Invoices' folder). This is automation – it's efficient and saves time but doesn't learn or adapt.

Now, consider an email system that not only sorts emails but also learns from your behavior. It observes which emails you read, which you delete, and how you categorize them. Over time, the system begins to predict and categorize emails more accurately, even identifying which emails you're likely to consider important based on your past interactions. This system is using AI – it's not just following rules; it's learning and adapting its behavior based on data.

Where should I start?

I don't know...

But to be honest, it may not be with AI. For some, the first place to start might be automation. Or for others, the first step might be to add a CRM.

While AI can be enticing as it promises a lot of value for a business and individual, you need to be able to crawl, then walk, then run.

And implementing AI into your business before implementing a CRM or basic technology is going about it a bit backwards if you ask me.

So instead of asking the question, where should my business start, ask this question,

Where are the bottlenecks in my business? And where could tech be used to mitigate these bottlenecks or resolve them completely?

It's an easier question to ask than it is to answer.

And that's why there are many people, like myself, offering AI consulting and services to help business pull together these resources to act as an "outsourced AI expert".

Looking forward

AI has come a long way in 2023 and I don't see any signs of it slowing down. There will be plenty more to share with you next year and I am always open to feedback or ideas on topics or things you would find interesting.

A few things to look forward to:

• I am working on building an AI Powered HubSpot with automation and sequencing built in. What does this mean? If all goes as planned, meetings end up on your calendar every week and you simply adjust the AI and automations to refine the results.
• AI Notetakers - one of my first newsletters was on AI notetakers and that is a bit outdated today...kind of. While some notetakers are still a great option a year later, new competitors have entered the scene to offer even more features and functionality.

And maybe even a few other things that need to get a bit further along before any announcements are made.

Until next year, have a great Christmas, a wonderful holiday season, and a strong finish to 2023! And if you're setting goals for next year, don't forget to lean on ChatGPT to help brainstorm.

Good Selling,

The AI Sales Guy