I think there is a misunderstanding in today’s world regarding what AI is and what it can do. The latest trend is generative AI, a form of artificial intelligence capable of generating new content. This can be seen from things like ChatGPT, which can write entire novels when given a prompt on a particular subject, or DALL-E, which can create amazing images. Not every AI falls into this category, though. Other types of AI, such as predictive analytics and machine learning algorithms, are also relevant. This distinction is helpful in realizing that AI cannot independently generate completely new ideas; AI models are trained on existing data and patterns. Recognizing this fact will help set realistic expectations for what AI can and cannot do. It will not create an unknown product that the world has never seen.
“If the hot new fad is AI, surely there must be some way to incorporate that into our current business to make us more efficient.” The answer is yes! AI algorithms can analyze large datasets to identify trends, assess environmental impacts, or evaluate organizational social governance practices.
AI can make all aspects of your company’s environmental, health, and safety goals more efficient. You can leverage current AI tools with no platform by feeding it your data and asking for suggestions on improvements. For example, you can train generative AI with your current accident data. With a few of the correct prompts, it can generate a safety plan to help improve worker safety or perhaps identify vulnerabilities you haven’t even thought of.
In the future, AI will not only interpret existing data but also predict our future goals. Using predictive analytics and AI-driven forecasting models, we can anticipate environmental risks, forecast resource demands, and predict social trends. Looking further into the future, I can envision a scenario where workers wear AI components to help them identify hazards, prevent injuries, or even maximize their productivity.
There are some drawbacks to AI that also need to be considered. Ultimately, the predictive models are only as good as the data given to them. Companies are also responsible for protecting private individual data. It’s essential to make sure the data is high-quality and ethically handled. Companies must have a transparency and accountability policy regarding sensitive data.
AI technologies will have a positive and profound impact on sustainability, social responsibility, and corporate governance, and I encourage you to begin researching how AI data-driven models can help your company right now.