How to Get Started with AI
Artificial Intelligence has become increasingly popular as businesses are more digital now than ever. So it’s important to find new ways to optimize operations, and it is actually easier than it seems to get started on using it in your small business; regardless of the background you have. AI contains many tools that work based on machine learning — meaning it can learn and improve on its own after it is trained by human specialists. Have you ever wondered “how to get started with ai?”
Tools within the AI umbrella can help you:
- Create content.
- Market your small business better.
- Improve customer service.
Schedule a call to find out more about BizHack’s AI-Powered services can help you grow your small business.
How AI Can Optimize Your Small Business Operations
Automating tasks like Ideas, research, writing and editing are only a few of the many ways AI can help with the creation of content marketing. It should not be used to replace the expertise of content creators, but rather augment their work since this intelligence cannot replace human creativity. AI allows you to personalize content by messaging individuals based on their interests and preferences. For example, if you own a bookshop and you have an app or website, you may be able to recommend tailored readings for different clients using AI based on what they click on. Two tools that work using this tailored system are Adobe Target — which creates personalized content — and BlueConic — which uses machine learning to analyze user data.
Another way your business operations could be optimized would be by making content more accessible for diverse audiences; whether it may be those who are hearing or visually impaired or simply translating to other languages. This can help in the customer service process as it would allow more people to benefit from what your small business has to offer.
Customer service could also be enhanced by using tools that allow you to create commonly asked questions, create pages that include the questions or use a chatbot as an assistant to answer them. It also provides 24/7 availability. If the chatbot notices that further help is needed, it can do what Amazon does which is direct the user to a specialist who may be able to continue the process. This provides an affordable way to save on employee costs while also keeping customer satisfaction and engagement high.
For any business, time is gold; even more for a small business. That is why AI can become extremely helpful when searching for qualified employees. AI tools can reduce the number of resumes and applications that Human Resource employees spend screening and give them the ability to focus on those who meet the company’s needs. The software can also be useful during the interview process to automate communication with applicants. Online interviews may now be done through hiring platforms like HireVue, which produce video interviews where candidates are asked questions and have to submit video responses, though there is also an option to ask for written responses. The videos can be timed and do not allow for the interviewee to return to previous questions, making them more authentic.
In a digital era, small businesses must be prepared for cyber attacks. Cybersecurity AI reviews patterns in information stored in the businesses’ software to interpret what employees and customers are doing with the company’s digital tools. This can help detect threats, whether they may be through links or email messages, and also improve security in the future. Using machine learning and its ability to store a lot of data, AI can help detect similar potential threats and block them.
Some AI Challenges To Be Aware Of
Although AI tends to improve with time, it still lacks human judgment and ethics, and may fall short in certain situations. Artificial Intelligence requires specialists to code software for it cannot understand human reality. Though AI can create content with the data it is fed, it cannot be creative and without a conscience, it also cannot make moral judgments or provide emotional responses. AI can aid but it cannot replace people because it is unable to make final decisions that may not be prone to mistakes. It is limited to drawing conclusions based on information and data it is fed but will not be able to come up with creative solutions or ideas.
With its increase in popularity, scammers have also found ways to trick businesses into buying AI that is fake. It is software that is sold as AI but in reality is only sophisticated conditional statements that lack benefits that real artificial intelligence can provide to small businesses. The fake technology can be sold at the same rate as the original but the best way to prevent your business from being scammed is by including someone who is skilled in the field in the meetings with the ones selling the AI.
In order to keep the technology up to date and be able to simulate human intelligence, AI needs time and resources, which may cost a lot of money. As well as having to be updated to meet the requirements and operate on the latest hardware and software may become expensive. Which is something that small businesses may not be able to afford.
You may also encounter issues if you have not done your research to understand AI, machine learning and deep learning (a method that imitates how humans gain knowledge). In order for AI to provide better results, it needs to be overseen, maintained and constantly improved. Placing false expectations of how much the tools will be able to help can also negatively impact the results as it may cause someone to give up on the technology instead of spending time trying to understand it. Sometimes small businesses will also try to hire data scientists to understand how the science from the technology can be used but realize it is too expensive. That is why it is important to start with a plan and get proper education on AI.
How To Spot Fake AI
AI and non-AI automation vary in the work and outcomes they produce. AI includes machine learning, deep learning and natural language processing. It relies on algorithms and models to find patterns in the data it is fed and can even provide predictions or recommendations. Whereas automation focuses on task-oriented with structured data and rules.
One red flag to pay attention to when determining if something is not AI, is if it does not require much training. The technology employed in AI requires examples to train on; deep learning models may even require millions of examples.
Considering that automation responds to structured data and rules, if the technology your small business invested in asks for business rules in order to work, then it is most likely not AI. Models that work with machine learning, deep learning and natural language processing improve over time as they learn what the system needs to perform better.
Lastly, if the vendor doesn’t have a large team of engineers and data scientists who helped create the AI, that could also be a sign. Just like when providers do not provide clarity as to how the AI works. They should be able to explain (even if not in simple terms) how the models and algorithms function.
Steps To Use AI In Your Business
First, you should make a list of everything that is done in your business and specifically the areas that need the most improvement, along with the time it takes to complete that task. Then learn how to use existing AI technology to fill in the gaps where your business needs help. Maximize AI by experimenting with the tools you think will have the highest impact through minor projects.
As explained above, it is crucial that you do your research and consult an expert so that you may not be scammed into buying fake AI. It is better to spend money with an expert than to lose. Only fully adopt the technology when you have already considered all of the above and have the resources, time and expertise to manage it — or else you would most likely be adding problems to your list.
Since the technology in AI can become expensive, it is important to also conduct a cost-benefit analysis to see if AI will help your small business generate more profit or differentiate your work in the market (which may lead to more revenue). However, there are ways to get started in AI with your small business without having to spend much money. There are AI engines that do not require large software development teams, but rather are open source and simply require training so that they may deliver desired results. You can start by investing in simpler AI tools like Grammarly that aid in the writing process and take advantage of any free trials so that you can find out if the cost outweighs the benefit.
An AI Tool Your Small Business Can Get Started On
One way to include artificial intelligence in your small business is through a tool that can aid in the writing process for areas such as content creation, customer service and more. Chat GPT is an auto-generating tool that interacts in a conversational way allowing it to respond to prompts, data and follow-up questions. But it cannot provide answers containing emotion.
Instead of adding tasks to your list, focus on using this tool to complete tasks your business was already doing — like sending emails and creating social media posts and ads. Chat GPT is a great starting point to use a text and adapt it. A few examples of what the chatbot can generate include lists, titles for your content page based on the audience you want to target, frequently asked questions, blog posts, ads, social media posts, promotional emails, scripts and step-by-step processes.
That is why it is important to ask questions with good prompts. The auto-generated response will be as detailed as you tell the chatbot to be. In the prompt, make sure to include what kind of text, style and tone and characteristics you want in the answer. For example: “write me a 500-word blog post enticing customers to buy chocolates on Valentine’s Day,” or “create a list of headlines for a content page of a cleaning company using the script and data below.” Other options include modifiers like “write the email as a 5th-grade level text.”
Although it may take a few attempts to get the specific text you want to receive, the chatbot will provide responses as detailed as the prompts. Chat GPT can also translate texts into other languages like Spanish, Portuguese and Mandarin. For businesses who are looking to create or modify a website, Chat GPT can also help. The chatbot can generate codes by simply asking. For example: generate code to add a pop-up ad every time someone accesses the website.
Some issues to watch out for are that the bot is still in its initial stages of research and is using data from years prior to 2021, therefore, information may not always be entirely correct. For example, if Chat GPT is asked how many times France has played in the World Cup, it will write three because the most recent games took place in November of 2022. This is crucial for businesses working in fields dealing with cutting-edge technology since there may be some limitations in terms of content and coding. That is why it is also important to fact-check the information that the chatbot provides and use it as a starting point. Another issue to look out for is that Google tends to mark auto-generated content as spam.
You Don’t Want To Miss Out On The AI Revolution
Investing time into learning more about artificial intelligence, how it works and its benefits will help you be better prepared and improve your business operations. Do not miss out on the opportunity to grow, AI is the future of business and has already begun its reign. Make sure to research which tools can aid you best to stay competitive, better manage your business and maximize your time and efforts.
To find out more about ai how to get started and how BizHack AI-Powered Services can help you, schedule a 1:1 call with Dan here.
