Finding More Ways to Use AI in Our Business

I wrote a blog about using artificial intelligence (AI) a year and a half ago.

It started with this paragraph: AI has been in the news a lot lately. Some companies, such as Nvidia, are designing chips to make programs that use AI for almost everything. OpenAI’s ChatGPT has also been front and center. The program can do a lot for you, including, at the most basic, writing a thank you note or drafting a checklist for the dog sitter.

Since then, AI has come a long way in becoming an effective tool for small businesses and personal use. I have started using Copilot, which is now a part of Word, more and more. It usually gives you much more information than Google when looking for product and business information.

I also have it on my phone, which works better than Siri for getting information. Copilot is more like having a conversation with a real person. It even makes it hard to hang up, asking you questions and trying to keep you on the line.

I used it recently to assemble a training class on “making insulating glass replacement units in your shop.” I entered one sentence: “How to make an insulating glass panel.” In about ten seconds, it produced a 750-word document that covered the subject, starting with the subtitle “A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating High-Quality Insulating Glass Panels.”

The program created a complete training program structured in easy-to-follow sections. It began with an introduction and featured a step-by-step manufacturing process broken down into nine steps. It concluded with tips for success and types of applications. Although it wasn’t as detailed as I wanted, enhancing it with more detail didn’t take long. I added some videos and pages from our insulating glass manual, and the training class received excellent reviews.

As with most new technologies, we must consider the customer when implementing them. One of our service center managers used to tell his warehouse staff when they were trying to lift heavy boxes, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”

We must also consider customers when implementing AI in our businesses. It will be easy to get lazy and go with the first draft. AI is a tool; it still needs the personal touch and experience we bring. As I wrote last year, “No, I did not use ChatGPT or Copilot to write this blog,” but I might be getting close.