The news reads: ‘Leaders of the G7 member countries called on Saturday for the development and adoption of international technical standards for reliable artificial intelligence.’ However, without waiting for global regulation, every entrepreneur and manager should gather all relevant information and predictions about the mega-disruptor – artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence, which has only recently attracted real attention from the masses aimed at by ChatGPT, should be viewed on one hand as a new partner for companies, but also as a competitor. After getting acquainted with AI in the company, they may conclude that it is neither an opportunity nor a threat and simply ignore it. The other extreme is to embark on a radical business change under the impression of global obsession with AI. The wise will not ignore AI, but they will not burst ‘like popcorn’ because of it.
The consulting market is becoming increasingly crowded with experts and ‘experts‘. Who offer brilliant general advice on AI to everyone, from agricultural family farms to small service companies to large corporations. To avoid falling into advice like ‘our ideas, your gasoline’, here is some concrete thinking. Using the example of business journalism.
Pakistani Workers in the Plaster Room
So, it is widely written and said that artificial intelligence will deal a death blow to existing journalism. AI will write texts almost for free, anyone will be able to launch a portal online and fill it without editors and journalists.
Technically yes. This is already proving possible. When it comes to portals aimed at the broadest, long-prepared non-demanding audience, this could work. Fortunately, there will still be that ten or twenty percent of readers who seek and recognize added value. Here, teams of journalistic professionals can even profit.
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The key advantage of us humans is that, at least for now, we have empathy, non-verbal communication, and what is important for journalism – imagination. Artificial intelligence, for now, cannot sit in a car, go to Varaždin, hold the ‘Lider invest’ forum, and hear four or five yet unpublished entrepreneurial stories.
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One scientist asked ChatGPT to write a political manifesto. And what did he get when it comes to the economy? I quote: ‘Focus on promoting sustainable economic growth, creating jobs, and encouraging entrepreneurship. Promote policies that foster competitiveness, innovation, investment in education, and infrastructure development.’ How does it go: ‘Garbage in, garbage out!’
The key advantage of us humans is that, at least for now, we have empathy, non-verbal communication, and what is important for journalism – imagination. Artificial intelligence, for now, cannot sit in a car, go to Varaždin, and hold the ‘Lider invest’ forum. And talk to a former EU fund consultant who got bored and invested in a microbrewery with her husband. Then hear from an entrepreneur, a second-generation family business, who shares the experience of employing Filipinos in food production. It turned out that local workers constantly had to watch over them to prevent accidents. And then for some future topic in Lider, the next day, at another gathering, a passing remark from a doctor is heard that recently almost every day they are plastering construction workers who are falling from scaffolding in large numbers. Again foreign workers. More Pakistanis (grown in the plains), fewer Nepalese, who are used to slopes. Then the editor waits for another occurrence related to foreign workers – and here comes an exclusive topic.
Imagination as an Advantage
So next week, a journalist follows Lider’s conference on ESG. During the third panel, when usually some participants lose concentration and step out into the hallway, the journalist sees that the hallway is completely empty. Everyone is inside. They are so interested in the topic. This is an important business signal that day that ChatGPT, which was not at the gathering, could not notice and interpret. Of course, when we publish this, it will be on the menu for him. But we were faster.
Until ChatGPT and its relatives learn to be autonomously critical and cynical, it will be difficult for them to notice the ‘joy’ in the statement of the new (10 percent) co-owner of the struggling Varteks when he explains that his brilliant plan is to act on local influencers to quickly convince young people that they should buy Varteks products. Will ChatGPT take this brilliance seriously or with caution and suspicion that it is something strange?
Or, will some friend reveal to him the possible causes and background of the tragic departure of an entrepreneur who recently successfully sold his business but could no longer cope with the new circumstances?
Cooperation and competition with artificial intelligence will be exciting for us in the media. As long as AI is not capable of conducting interviews with live people – employers – and reading their non-verbal communication, we have the advantage. And if and when it masters that? We will manage. We are imaginative people.
