To what extent can competitive intelligence, understood as the early capture of appropriately categorised business indicators to stay ahead of the market, find an excellent ally in the increasingly fashionable artificial intelligence (AI)? Many forums have argued that the impact of AI is still extremely limited and that its development is still in its infancy. But even in these early stages, there is no shortage of signs that artificial intelligence is here to stay, and to join disciplines such as digital transformation in radically altering the experience between business reality and its environment.
These days we have come across an extensive study by Deloitte on exponential technologies in the manufacturing market, which addresses such disruptive paradigms as the unbeatable future of blockchain technology in the short term, the lavish growth of 3D printing, or the multiplication of spending on advanced robotics. In addition to these headlines, however, we would like to highlight a much more symbolic prediction: the one that refers to the growth of the AI market, which is expected to reach 72 billion dollars in market volume by 2021.
El estudio señala que actualmente la AI se utiliza «para permitir la robótica colaborativa, los flujos de trabajo automatizados basados en el análisis predictivo, la mejora del reclutamiento y la retención de los expertos en fabricación y la optimización de la efectividad de los equipos y las plantas». ¿Nos suena de algo si lo queremos aplicar a inteligencia competitiva? Sí: son todas ellas señales que en un abrir y cerrar de ojos pasarán a formar parte de las commodities empresariales, si es que no lo han hecho ya. «Existen cientos de casos de uso potencial para AI en la fabricación actual, lo que convierte a esta área en una de las más invertidas por la comunidad mundial de capital de riesgo», prosigue el informe. Y allí donde hay inversión, posiblemente convenga dirigir las miradas si no queremos llegar los últimos a la cita.
Technologies emanating from AI, called cognitive technologies, include, among others:
- Machine learning;
- Computer vision;
- Natural language processing;
- Voice recognition;
- Robotics;
- Rule-based systems;
- Planning and programming.
It is too good a cake not to want to be a part of it. And not only that: a cocktail that allows companies that invest in AI to use precisely their capabilities to stay permanently in the lead; in other words, to be the first to continue applying competitive intelligence formulas, since it will be the machines themselves (machine learning, anticipation capacity), which will perceive the incipient signals of the market. Self-fulfilling prophecy or hitherto unexplored capabilities? While time will tell, it is worth keeping an eye on these options.
On the other hand, and lest we be left with the false impression that the IA debate may be too ethereal, or not subject to the day-to-day, we should also be left with a recent survey by the London-based consultancy Feefo, from which the following juicy data emerge:
- 2 out of 3 IT decision-makers believe that failure to adopt artificial intelligence will lead to a loss of competitiveness.
- With near unanimity (96%), all respondents consider that IA does indeed have a positive effect on customer engagement.
- And almost half (45%) say that these technologies applied to personalisation will be responsible for the greatest benefits when it comes to improving the customer experience... which is precisely one of the disciplines we are most used to dealing with at BrainTrust. And it will not be by chance.
AI y CI. Dos binomios que tienen algo más que el término «inteligencia» en común. Ambas son disciplinas que buscan ver más allá de lo que nuestras percepciones, sean humanas o sean de máquinas, nos dan en el momento actual.
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