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2018 | Buch

The Executive Guide to Artificial Intelligence

How to identify and implement applications for AI in your organization

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Über dieses Buch

This book takes a pragmatic and hype–free approach to explaining artificial intelligence and how it can be utilised by businesses today. At the core of the book is a framework, developed by the author, which describes in non–technical language the eight core capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Each of these capabilities, ranging from image recognition, through natural language processing, to prediction, is explained using real–life examples and how they can be applied in a business environment. It will include interviews with executives who have successfully implemented AI as well as CEOs from AI vendors and consultancies.
AI is one of the most talked about technologies in business today. It has the ability to deliver step–change benefits to organisations and enables forward–thinking CEOs to rethink their business models or create completely new businesses. But most of the real value of AI is hidden behind marketing hyperbole, confusing terminology, inflated expectations and dire warnings of ‘robot overlords’. Any business executive that wants to know how to exploit AI in their business today is left confused and frustrated.

As an advisor in Artificial Intelligence, Andrew Burgess regularly comes face–to–face with business executives who are struggling to cut through the hype that surrounds AI. The knowledge and experience he has gained in advising them, as well as working as a strategic advisor to AI vendors and consultancies, has provided him with the skills to help business executives understand what AI is and how they can exploit its many benefits. Through the distilled knowledge included in this book business leaders will be able to take full advantage of this most disruptive of technologies and create substantial competitive advantage for their companies.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter
1. Don’t Believe the Hype
Abstract
This opening chapter describes the challenge of explaining AI, especially because of the inherent complexity, confusing terminology, inflated expectations and dire warnings of ‘robot overlords’. It provides basic definitions of AI, and differentiates between some of the most commonly confused terms. It talks about the different ways that AI can impact the way people work, and then goes on to describe the approach of the book in defining eight core capabilities of AI and how these can be combined into meaningful applications that businesses can use.
Andrew Burgess
2. Why Now?
Abstract
AI has been around for nearly 50 years but, up until a few years ago, has only had limited success. This chapter gives a brief history of AI and explains why AI’s time has finally come, describing the various forces at play that are creating a perfect storm. It introduces some of the barriers that organisations face when starting to look at AI. It then provides some key case studies where AI has brought significant benefits to existing and new businesses.
Andrew Burgess
3. AI Capabilities Framework
Abstract
This chapter introduces Burgess’s AI Capability Framework. It explains why this approach is important for executives to be able to understand and exploit AI. Each of the capabilities are described and explained in turn, including the relationships and dependencies between them. Technical jargon is kept to an absolute minimum to ensure that executives are able to understand and appreciate the uses and benefits. Real–life examples are provided to bring each of the capabilities to life. The final capability (understanding) is explained in the context of Artificial General Intelligence.
Andrew Burgess
4. Associated Technologies
Abstract
Artificial Intelligence can be implemented as a stand–alone capability but will often be used in conjunction with other technologies, such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Cloud Computing and the Internet of Things (IoT). This chapter explains what these associated technologies are and why they are important to anyone implementing AI. It provides examples of where businesses have used a combination of them as part of their overall automation strategy and the benefits they have achieved. In particular, it will look at how the benefits from RPA can be significantly enhanced through the additional deployment of AI. It will also cover the benefits and risks of using AI ‘in the Cloud’.
Andrew Burgess
5. AI in Action
Abstract
This chapter provides real-life examples of how AI is being used today by businesses in three different areas; enhancing customer service, optimising processes and generating insights. The first of these provides examples of chatbots, customer self–service and the ability to generate a single view of the customer. The second aspect includes the use of search capabilities to transform unstructured data into a usable structured format, automating judgement-based processes, and using speech and image recognition to streamline assessment processes. The final area includes examples such as credit decisioning, vetting, Know–Your–Customer and recruitment, as well as how AI can anticipate customers’ needs and behaviours to enable cross–selling and up–selling, and anticipating and detecting fraudulent activity.
Andrew Burgess
6. Starting an AI Journey
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the practicalities of what business executives need to do to get started with implementing AI. It provides a robust methodology for executives to follow that will help them develop their own Automation Strategy. It describes in detail the various elements that make up the strategy, including how to align it with business objectives, how to assess a business’s AI maturity and how to create a Heat Map of AI opportunities. It also includes details on how to create a business case that is relevant to AI, the specific challenges of change management with regard to AI, and how to develop a realistic roadmap to roll out the technology.
Andrew Burgess
7. AI Prototyping
Abstract
Following on from the creation of an Automation Strategy, this chapter describes the different approaches to developing AI applications, including the pros and cons of off-the-shelf software, platform-based solutions and bespoke builds. It describes the various approaches to prototyping and the importance of the training data.
Andrew Burgess
8. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Abstract
This chapter summarises the general risks, both perceived and real, that are associated with AI. It describes each of the major challenges, such as lack of transparency, unintended bias and malicious acts, and offers examples and ideas of how they can be mitigated.
Andrew Burgess
9. Industrialising AI
Abstract
This chapter focuses in the subsequent stages of the AI journey, and what the executive needs to do to industrialise their AI capability. It looks at the types of vendors, suppliers and advisors that may be needed, how to select each type, and how these can be combined into an AI Eco-System. It then goes on to look at the sorts of skills, both internal and external, that a company will need to have in order to make the most out of their AI capability. It describes the different organisational models and discusses the challenge of identifying and keeping the right sort of people.
Andrew Burgess
10. Where Next for AI?
Abstract
This book as a whole focuses very much on what opportunities there are for AI today, but this final chapter looks further forward at what the wider opportunities may be once the technology develops and matures even further. It describes which areas of AI are likely to advance quickest, and therefore offer more opportunities soonest, and where the real challenges are that AI needs to overcome before it can be considered ‘business–as–usual’. The book concludes by summarising what actions executives need to take now with AI to ensure that their businesses are fully future-proofed and can make the most of this transformative technology.
Andrew Burgess
Backmatter
Metadaten
Titel
The Executive Guide to Artificial Intelligence
verfasst von
Andrew Burgess
Copyright-Jahr
2018
Electronic ISBN
978-3-319-63820-1
Print ISBN
978-3-319-63819-5
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63820-1