Part 4: Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace Safety Program. Safely mixing real intelligence with AI - its coming to a workplace near you – what are its uses today?

Today “weak AI” is already being widely used specifically to:

• Cut costs by automating routine processes and repetitive tasks
• Increase revenues by using predictive analytics to produce information, such as which customers are more likely to buy products or what markets a business should pursue
• Add value by enabling existing products to perform better

Examples of AI’s real life application are for things like:

Chatbots for customer support

Sales tools to maximize cross-selling or upselling based on customer behaviour analysis

Data analytics to identify market trends and inform decision-making and forecasting (What are people most interested in buying for Christmas and so we start supplying early)

Recommender systems that enable users to make better decisions (Netflix)

Personalized emails for communicating quickly with certain individuals or groups

Employee training and development

Cybersecurity (is your hacking AI smarter than my security AI?)

Social media management and website optimization

These examples are just some simple things (complex under the hood) that we do with AI at our businesses already. To move forward with AI implementation, as a small company, you should likely start with ‘out-of-the-box’ AI solutions (such as those already embedded in your existing platforms or in software packages that you already use – like Word or PowerPoint).  Remember to start small and learn to walk before you try to run but don’t just try it for the sake of trying it.  For bigger companies or where your small company is going to make a huge win with this technology – invest in and seek professional help. There are AI consultants (maybe look up BDC (I’m not kidding the government is here to help) – Business Development Canada – as a starting point) who can size up your company and its goals and help you put together a business case for the use of certain AI technologies.

Recent studies by the Boston Consulting Group suggest that those who successfully implement AI in their business wasn’t because of their advanced algorithms, it was actually 70% dependent on people and processes, 20% on technology and data and only 10% on the algorithms.

Conclusion:  AI already exists in your everyday life and you may not have even realized it.  Just think - we are getting more comfortable around AI like with self drive cars … but would you get into an airplane with no pilot on board???  There are a lot of examples of how companies are using computers to simulate human interactions and make decisions to guide desired outcomes.

When you look at use cases for AI in your business you should first consider your people and processes, then cost and return on your investment along with timing.  AI may not be the solution for every business problem.  However, understanding what AI can do and how it can help your business may give you benefits that far outweigh the costs and that can drive your growth forward.  These business decisions can automate routine and also some complex tasks, and in doing so, could also significantly reduce areas in your operations that are subject to the highest safety incidents.

AI is reshaping our world, and there will likely be massive implications for technology, ethics, and society.  The least you should do is stay informed and get into discussions about AI and how to navigate its impact on our lives.

The Plug - Safety programs all have an aspect of data management.  Workhub is a leading provider of Compliance management software for SME’s (comprehensive, inexpensive and easy) and our customer support team is always available to help and its always free to book a demo at www.Workhub.com.

This is the fourth article of a five-part series on Safely mixing real intelligence with artificial intelligence. You can find the rest of the series at our website under “blog”.

Part 1: Introduction to AI in Safety

Part 2: How AI Works in Safety

Part 3: Ethical Considerations in AI, not just in Safety

Part 4: AI in the Workplace Safety Program

Part 5: The Future of AI in Safety