AI is Here, Smart, and Helping with… Paperwork?

According to the latest McKinsey Global Survey, about one-third of organizations have started using generative AI tools regularly in at least one business function. One-third is a LOT.

So, what's generative AI up to? Primarily it's helping companies be more efficient. From drafting emails to crunching numbers, AI tools are becoming the Swiss Army knife of the digital world, but keep in mind, master chefs do not use Swiss Army knives.

So while these tools are being employed in marketing and sales, product development, and service operations such as customer care and back-office support, they are typically employed only during the first part of a business process. To stretch our metaphor even further, AI is the prep cook but nothing the prep cook does gets in front of a customer before passing through multiple other hands.

Which is not to say, people haven’t tried. Recently it’s been reported that Sports Illustrated published articles by AI-generated writers. Yes, they were caught, but keep in mind the latest revolution in AI-generated content is only about a year old. So while AI may be our prep cooks today — they could be trading up their knives and running the kitchen in the not-too-distant future.