5 Hello, My Name is AI. How May I Help You?

The workplace is always evolving. Recently, the way we work with each other and with
customers has changed. The way we communicate with our coworkers and costumers has
shifted from face to face to behind a screen. But this change starts even before we walk into a
store or into work. When applying for a job, your resume is needed so employers know can
understand what you bring to their company. As soon as you hit submit on your application,
your resume is put through an online database where artificial intelligence scans your resume
for certain words that can put you ahead of the competition. Those resumes with the buzz
words move on while those without are moved to the back of the line. Employers don’t have
time to sit down and read every resume so turning to artificial intelligence saves time and is
more efficient. From there interviews conducted online via artificial intelligence apps. As soon
as you get the job, your interactions with customers is going to be done on a computer and
from there could be followed up by an in-person meeting. This change in the process does have
its weaknesses but the limited interactions with people can have beneficial effects on the way
customers/clients communicate efficiently with businesses. “AI technology has created more ways for customers to interact with business and can better facilitate how communication is done.”

The old saying, “the customer is always right” has been a controversial line used by customers to get their way when they believe they aren’t getting the service they deserve. But how do you know what a customer wants? Unless a customer is extremely transparent about what they want from the business, there is no way to truly understand their needs. This inability to comprehend a customer’s needs can be a life-or-death situation. Although, most of the time the action required of the business will not be to save a life. This idea of understanding what a customer truly needs can be found in hospitals all over the world. But the concept of it has only just began to expand. The call button on a hospital bed in the best way to get the attention of a nurse. But how does a nurse know that you just want water or that you can’t breathe? This lack of information can manipulate how nurse can communicate with their patients. By not understanding the need of a consumer we are less efficient when it comes to completing their needs. “DeloitteASSIST, a patient care communication technology that uses AI-fueled natural language processing and speech recognition, changes the waiting game. Patients state their requests to the Amazon Alexa-based device, which uses AI to prioritize and route requests. According to pilot results, more than 90% of patients feel the technology improves staff responsiveness, while 87% of nurses say they are more confident knowing how to meet patient needs.” (MIT Sloan Management Review). This use of artificial intelligence gives both the patient and nurse an understanding of what is needed by both parties. This same technology can be used in a business setting. This same idea can be used for when a customer is coming into a store. By giving a customer a tool to communicate via artificial intelligence, they will feel less pressure and anxiety in talking to a person about what they need. By doing this people in the workplace will perform better and will have better information to share with their customers. The ability for a business to have the tools to analyze what customers want by understanding the trends of the customer can elevate their business and make the customers experience more enjoyable.

Artificial intelligence collaboration tools and platforms can increase communication and
efficiency while not hindering the ability to accomplish the task at hand. Companies want to get an edge over their competition, and the best way to accomplish this is have customer satisfaction continually rise. This can be done by strategic marketing strategies, community inclusion, or by altering how things are done within the company. The way a company conducts their business can affect how well they communicate with their customer base. In a PwC survey conducted in February of 2018, “67% of business executives believe leveraging AI will amplify human intelligence and allow for more high-level thought, creativity, and decision making by allowing us to better process and analyze the constant increase of data in today’s world.” (Forbs). AI can make the decision-making process easier for those who struggle their indecisiveness. By have a second opinion backed by numbers, can give a consumer more confidence that the product or service that they are purchasing will be worth the price they pay for. Chatbot applications that are powered by AI can be used to increase communication between businesses and customers. “AI-enabled communication platforms like Drift are utilized to help organizations communicate with customers through live chat and automated marketing campaigns.” (Forbes). These applications not only help businesses gather data on what customers wants, it enables there to be more effective communication inside and outside of the business. Expanding and creating more of these AI powered communication apps can put the customer in control while giving an employee exactly what is needed of them. This technology can help create a more positive experience for those who are unable to shop on their own or for those who are still worried about Covid-19.

Covid-19 has affected every aspect of our lives for almost two years. The world has shifted the way we communicate with people. People had to leave the office and head to their living room, Amazon became the best way to buy anything, and our cars mileage didn’t move. Our ability to communicate in person with someone almost became nonexistent except with people inside of where you were living. Social isolation and an increase in social anxiety bolstered the need for AI technology that creates a safe and efficient way to communicate. Zoom and chatrooms are great ways to stay connected to family and friends while being at home, but there is still a missing piece to when it comes to communicating while from the comfort of their homes. In a study conducted by Cornell University, researchers found that people would rather use the help of AI to get themselves and others in the business back on track. Jess Hohenstein, the author of the study and an information scientist had this to say about people using AI. “We find that when things go wrong, people take the responsibility that would otherwise have been designated to their human partner and designate some of that to the artificial intelligence system,” (National Science Foundation). This idea can be used to incorporate AI as somewhat of a mediator in the way businesses communicate with customers and vice versa. Limiting the personal aspect eliminates the ability to blame a human within a business on a potential problem. Providing a platform that can achieve everything a human can do without interaction can create a better experience. Even if something does go wrong there a still humans available to help and accomplish the same goal. This idea can be used while we continue to live with Covid-19 and create a safer and more inclusive experience for both sides. Even when there is a return to normalcy, these concepts can still be incorporated in everyday business activities to accomplish all tasks at hand.

By incorporating artificial intelligence into all aspect of business, the ability to effectively and efficiently communicate with a business and customer are increased. Giving a customer the ability to give a business what they want before walking through the door can enable a more positive experience for a customer. This idea can be incorporated in solving a problem outside of what a human is capable of doing. Businesses can now provide everything a customer needs without hindering the company’s capability of running a smooth and profitable business. AI will become a bigger part of everyday life and the quicker a company gets involved and incorporates it into their plan the better the communication between business and consumer will be.