AI is not always right, but it's here to stay

In an era characterized by rapid technological advancements, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has become a topic of both excitement and concern, writes Henrietta Brealey.

As AI continues to evolve and integrate into various industries, it inevitably raises questions about its potential impact on jobs and employment. Birmingham, a city known for its resilience and adaptability, must proactively address these challenges to ensure a smooth transition into an AI-driven future.

Okay - I have a confession to make. I didn 't write that first paragraph, ChatGPT did. It also wrote another 800 words on what Birmingham 's business and civic leaders, including the Chamber of Commerce, should be doing about it. All in about 20 seconds. Because AI is no longer a concept for future business leaders to get to grips with. It 's here and now, and ChatGPT made it accessible to all of us.

From the most sophisticated ends of; data analytics, chat bots, virtual assistants, supply chain optimisation and much more besides, there are industries already jumping into the AI pool feet first to take advantage of the opportunities it offers. And of course, ChatGPT is just the most high profile LMM (Large Language Model), with others such as Google Bard racing ahead too.

There are also plenty grappling with what AI means for their futures - if AI can code, write a report, undertake detailed analysis and make recommendations, functions that would usually take a skilled professional hours, in mere seconds, what does that mean for the people and businesses that deliver these services?

A couple of weeks ago, I was discussing just that in a Birmingham caf� with a leader in the professional services sector. At the end of the conversation we spotted a lady next to us using ChatGPT and really had to ask “what are you using it for? ”.

Turns out, she was an entrepreneur using it to draft LinkedIn posts providing interesting nuggets of advice on using Salesforce - freeing up her time so she could keep building her personal brand, while working on other aspects of her business. She 's not the only one. If you 've recently spotted a LinkedIn contact who seems to have had a sudden change in tone of voice or appears unusually well informed on a wide range of topics - chances are not totally remote, they 're using it too.

So in many ways AI is all around us. It 's not quite all consuming yet. In fact lots of things that might look like AI are still just very well executed automation (I say “just ”, let 's be honest, there 's still plenty of us trying to get to grips with that level of digital adoption!). And there are still plenty of questions to be answered about ethics, quality control and when the legislation will catch up with its inexorable march forwards.

In fact many large organisations have implemented policies explicitly banning the use of tools like ChatGPT, that most topical of AI tools, particularly on client facing work. This is part to maintain credibility and standards and part because of one of the current potential pitfalls of the platform.

It uses web scraping, aka pulls stuff off the internet, to inform its responses. How can they be sure it hasn 't lifted content from a competitor 's website? You may have seen news coverage of similar concerns raised about plagiarism in AI generated art works.

And it 's certainly not flawless or always right- as just a minor example, ask ChatGPT to write a blog post on reasons to invest in Birmingham (one of the more basic commands it can be given) and it 'll cite our city 's low unemployment rate, when in fact Birmingham has a higher unemployment rate than the national average.

But it is, by definition, learning. In fact what 's taken most of us by surprise, is just how quickly AI has become quite so sophisticated. As a result it 's something that none of us can afford to ignore.

Much like the first industrial revolution transformed society and the businesses within it, this fourth industrial revolution - the digital revolution - is having the same effect. The unanswered question is “to what end result? ”.

Me? I 'm optimistic of the future with AI - and not just because ChatGPT told me to “be positive about the potential for collaboration between humans and AI ” something which definitely did not have any shades of sci-fi dystopia. Nope, none at all.

As history has shown time and time again, people are endlessly flexible, adaptable and creative. Despite all our advances in technology, huge swathes of our world, including in business, still thrives on relationships, networks and trust. AI functions on rules, logic and the parameters of its programming. Horses for courses as they say. And it has already spawned a whole new field of AI related consulting services.

The key is ensuring that as the world steams ahead through this latest industrial revolution, we bring as many people and businesses along for the ride as possible. Sharing that knowledge of these advances, what they mean for local businesses and how they can best adopt and adapt to them will be critical.

From a Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce perspective, watch this space - we 've got a few things coming this year, including a fringe event as part of Birmingham Tech week on digital transformation for SMEs.

As well as connecting businesses to build networks and learn from each other, we also act as the voice of businesses in Greater Birmingham, working with stakeholders to shape the environment. We, together with our fellow Chambers in Coventry & Warwickshire and the Black Country, are currently leading on the creation of a Local Skills Improvement Plan, using insights gleaned from existing research and new engagement with over 1000 local businesses, to inform skills stakeholders.

It won 't surprise you at all that digital skills have been at the forefront of it. We look forward to sharing the results later this year.

From a regional, national and global perspective; this one isn 't going away in a hurry. So, what impact do you think AI will have on your industry? If you 're not sure, you could do worse than starting by asking ChatGPT.

Henrietta Brealey is chief executive of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce

This column first appeared in the Birmingham Post