Adaptability: The New Key Skill for Businesses in the Age of Generative AI
The rapid evolution of generative AI (GAI) is forcing businesses to adaptat an unprecedented pace. While GAI offers immense potential for boosting productivity, automating tasks, and improving customer experiences, the speed at which the technology is developing presentsa significant challenge for businesses.
According to a recent iThome CIO survey, a majority of businesses in Taiwan are ill-prepared for the GAIwave. Only 10% of companies reported high readiness in data and strategy, while a mere 4.6% have sufficient GAI talent. Even in the financial sector, known for its high IT budgets, only 17% of companies have adequate data preparation, and 80% of CIOs admit to lacking sufficient technical and strategic readiness.
The impact of GAI is fundamental, extending beyond technical advancements. It’s transforming business operations, from boostingoffice productivity and automating code development to optimizing complex infrastructure management.
Walmart’s Generative AI Strategy: A Case Study in Adaptability
Retail giant Walmart has embraced GAI, recognizing its transformative potential. They are using GAI to manage their massive product catalog, which encompasses over 400 millionitems. Walmart’s Senior Vice President, Stephanie Wissink, stated that without GAI, it would take nearly 100 times the manpower to complete the same task in the same amount of time. This improved data quality not only enhances product search and recommendations but also optimizes warehouse management, order fulfillment,and customer service.
Walmart’s GAI initiatives extend beyond data management. They have developed an internal GAI assistant for employees to answer questions related to store operations, inventory, insurance, benefits, payroll, and training. They have also created a GAI-powered shopping assistant that provides personalized recommendations and are developing acustomer service chatbot for third-party sellers.
The Rapid Evolution of GAI Technology
The rapid evolution of GAI technology is a significant challenge for businesses. Tech giants are investing heavily in developing AI hardware and training large language models (LLMs). For example, Meta trained its Llama 3 model, with405 billion parameters, using 3,000 servers and 25,000 GPUs in just 54 days. This rapid pace of development means that businesses struggle to keep up with the latest advancements.
The Need for Adaptability
The iThome CIO survey revealedthat while businesses are eager to adopt GAI, most CIOs feel unprepared. This is largely due to the lack of resources and manpower to keep pace with the rapid advancements in GAI technology.
To effectively leverage GAI, businesses need to embrace adaptability. This includes:
- Rapidly acquiring new skills: Companies need to invest in training and development programs to equip their workforce with the necessary skills to understand and implement GAI technologies.
- Agile development practices: Businesses must adopt agile development methodologies and DevOps practices to quickly integrate new GAI tools and technologies into their existing systems.
- Cloud-native infrastructure:A cloud-native infrastructure is essential for businesses to access and leverage the latest GAI services and tools offered by tech giants.
Walmart’s Generative AI Playground: A Model for Adaptability
Walmart has implemented a GenAI Playground to foster adaptability within its organization. This internal platform provides employees withaccess to the latest GAI development tools and testing environments, allowing them to experiment with GAI technologies. The platform also includes no-code development tools, enabling even non-technical employees to participate in GAI innovation.
Walmart’s approach demonstrates the importance of fostering a culture of adaptability and experimentation. By providingemployees with the tools and resources to explore GAI, Walmart is empowering them to become active participants in the company’s digital transformation journey.
Conclusion
The rapid evolution of GAI presents both opportunities and challenges for businesses. Adaptability will be a critical factor in determining success in the age of generative AI.By embracing agility, investing in talent development, and fostering a culture of experimentation, businesses can navigate the GAI landscape and harness its transformative power.
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