3 Practical Artificial Intelligence Applications We Use In Our Business Daily
In the previous three articles of our AI exploration, we ventured into the expansive realm of possibilities and the cautionary corners of integrating artificial intelligence (AI) applications into small businesses like yours, particularly within the burgeoning landscape of plant medicine niches.
These preceding installments address several core issues we don’t want you to miss. If you aim to stay well-informed, make strategic choices and impress your team during strategy sessions, don’t miss out on our trilogy: Article 1, Article 2 and Article 3.
Bias, Descrimination and Lack of Accountability
When looking at implementing AI tools into your business, one monumental hurdle needs to be addressed– lack of accountability. Most systems at play now defer blame regarding the integrity of the information they create or provide. Moreover, the dilemma persists as we navigate murky waters regarding who owns the intellectual property and what is created.
As mentioned in the previous article, let us distinguish the allure of eloquent outputs from practical, advantageous and lucrative outcomes. Within the context of emergent industries like the plant medicine space, grappling with remnants of outdated racially divisive narratives from half a century ago only adds to these challenges.
Getting Down to Brass Tacks
As someone who helps small businesses plan, budget, and implement automation, you can bet your ass I’ve done my best to stay up to speed on the so-called “artificial intelligence” revolution.
I don’t drink coffee all the time, but when I do, I write all day (with exercise breaks of course.)
The truth is, while internet gurus claim AI is leaving humans in the dust, this “revolution” is not happening as quickly as people believe. The viral hype surrounding it skews our perception of actual progress. A distortion further fueled by YouTubers and entertainment virtuosos peddling alluring clickbait, keyword-packed headlines and sensationalized subjects.
Suppose you sit and listen to what these YouTubers have to say. For people like you and me who are running profitable and valuable businesses, their content contains little, if no, practical depth or application. While this landscape may evolve in the years ahead, pragmatism and prudence should continue to anchor your stance.
I’ve spent no less than 40 hours (real study hours) understanding the mechanics of what makes today’s Large Language Models, Neural Networks, and Chatbots tick in general. Strangely, what I’ve found most alarming is humanity’s fear of these systems. We (as a species) tend to anthropomorphize things that resemble us or things we don’t understand.
You don’t have to look any further than Nick Bostrom’s 2014 book Superintelligence to know that this wave of progress was well mapped out then, including its implications.
So what does this mean for you and your business?
Continuing to Drill Down to the Practical and Pragmatic
As we’ve explored throughout the preceding articles, your business’s capacity to leverage these tools hinges fundamentally upon the quality of your data segmentation within your databases. The efficacy of a computer system is intrinsically tied to the datasets it engages with.
Q: If you don’t have good data what relevance to automation and ai tools have for your business?
A: Not very much.
The Good News:
Most small businesses don’t need to take big risks on bleeding edge automation tools (let alone artificial intelligence applications) to benefit from powerful and proven automation systems available TODAY.
Now, let’s move to the crux of our AI series. Here are three practical applications you should consader using today:
Practical Application 1: Sales Funnels (As an automation hub)
I’m sure you’ve heard the buzzword sales funnel being thrown around by anyone in the realm of business owners and entrepreneurs.
These dynamic systems promise affordability and practicality and will work even better with advanced chatbots in the future, making customer service smoother and more integrated with your entire company.
Again, if you fail to collect and segment good customer data, this revolution will pass you by.
The transformative potential inherent in these systems can produce a seismic shift in a company’s operations, profitability and scalability. So much so that a substantial portion of my workdays now revolves around aiding businesses in adopting and installing them.
A profitable sales funnel hinges on clear brand messaging, creative content and astute data points that warrant tracking and automation. It’s not rocket science, but it is a science nonetheless. Most of all, it takes a phased approach, typically spanning around 90 days for strategic blueprinting, construction and deployment.
In the business domain, persistence yields the sharpest sword in your arsenal.
Practical Application 2: Midjourney AI
Introducing Midjourney AI, an artistic tool that’s the wizard behind the whimsical illustrations gracing our articles. Midjourney is a fun-to-use, prompt-based interface that combines a plethora of creative manifestations, ranging from your vivid imaginations to those beyond your fathoming. If you can dream it, Midjourney can create it.
Practical Application 3: Research Starting Points
There is no question that tools like Chat GPT and other Large Learning Models have a potent ability to “understand” the context of your questions (prompts) and serve you with concise, comprehensive, and easy-to-understand information, albeit of questionable veracity.
A well-formulated question (prompt) is likely to produce unexpected or insightful answers to any question you may have. #entertainment
If you don’t think Google is worried and aware of this, you can bet your ass they are. Perhaps more than any industry, the search market is about to undergo a massive shakeup. Even as I write this article they are introducing a results bar titled “Generative AI.”
The Main Takeaway
Big sites like Google (and the 3-5 companies willing to fight and outspend for top search rankings) are about to be trounced, and honestly, it could be a good thing. The following 5-10 years will likely bring many changes—some good, and some not so good.
We have a choice: stay on the sidelines or get in there and be part of this exciting transformation. It’s about being helpful, asking the right questions and embracing the changes ahead to better serve our customer base and participate in the revolution.
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Kyle Dammann
Kyle Dammann is an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, team builder, and automation expert. After a family member fell into a life-threatening addiction to prescription medication and his own experiences with plant medicine, he decided to dedicate his time and skills to legitimizing and accelerating the birth of the plant medicine industry. Kyle believes that access to nature’s pharmacy is a fundamental human right and that all adults should have safe, reliable access to these proven and safe compounds.
