The promise of Everyday AI

I’ve been around the IT Industry long enough to have seen my fair share of hype cycles. Whenever the next one comes around I’m reminded of Warren Buffett’s letter to his investors during the dotcom boom: ?"I will tell you now that we have embraced the 21st century by entering such cutting edge industries as brick, carpet, insulation and paint. Try to control your enthusiasm."

What I think a lot of the recent hype about AI ?- and the criticisms of it - misses is that AI (in its broadest sense) is already being used widely across business and government to solve problems quickly, efficiently and well. AI is used by our customers to ensure they lend the right amount to the right people, that citizens pay all the tax they owe, that manufacturing faults are spotted and corrected quickly. My team - to give just one example - is using GenAI to transform the way we provide research to our account teams and at the same time deliver large gains in productivity.

I saw a great example of this ‘Everyday’ AI today in this article on by James O'Malley on how local councils are using AI to detect potholes. These applications may not have the same hype associated with them as the wilder claims some are making. But they are making a material difference to the everyday lives of many people, making businesses more profitable and public bodies more productive. As the Sage of Omaha said, try to control your enthusiasm.