استراتيجية الذكاء الاصطناعي
استراتيجية الذكاء الاصطناعي
استراتيجية الذكاء الاصطناعي
AI Strategy:
A Step-by-Step
Guide
March 2024
dai.ki
Table of Contents
I. Introduction 1
8. Feasibility Analysis 24
9. AI Risk Assessment 29
Stage 4: Implementation 38
I. Introduction
Many organizations need help identifying the right artificial intelligence (AI) or
machine learning (ML) projects that align with their business goals. The technical
complexities of AI can make things even more daunting.
Organizations may find themselves in awe of the immense power and capabilities
that advanced AI systems possess.
For smaller businesses, the big question is whether terms like Artificial Intelligence
and Machine Learning are just trendy buzzwords or essential parts of their daily
operations that could influence their future success and competitiveness.
The answer to this question depends on each business's specific industry, business
model, and goals.
How to effectively integrate AI into existing workflows and processes can also pose
a hurdle for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, with the proper
guidance and resources, these challenges can be overcome, allowing SMEs to
harness the full potential of AI for their benefit.
According to the IBM Global AI Adoption Index 2022, only 35% of companies
have integrated AI into their business operations. An additional 42% of companies
are actively exploring AI adoption as part of their strategic considerations.
According to the annual McKinsey Global Survey on the current state of AI from
August 2023, the overall adoption of AI technology remains relatively constant, with
55% of respondents confirming that their organizations have embraced AI in some
capacity.
Still, many organizations have yet to extend AI's reach beyond a single
business function. This indicates that AI applications continue to be limited in
scope, underscoring potential opportunities for broader AI integration across
industries. While the adoption of AI offers immense potential for organizations, it is
not without its challenges.
Lack of AI expertise, data quality issues, alignment with business goals, and
regulatory considerations are common hurdles that organizations must
overcome.
Crafting a successful strategy that aligns with compliance and governance can be a
complex undertaking. By implementing strategic approaches and fostering
collaboration between various stakeholders, organizations can navigate these
challenges and unlock the transformative power of AI, paving the way for
enhanced competitiveness and innovation.
An AI strategy is a
comprehensive plan for how an
organization will deploy artificial
intelligence to achieve specific
goals.
While some use cases may yield immediate benefits, such as improving customer
service through chatbots, others may represent longer-term endeavors, such as
optimizing supply chain operations for sustained cost savings.
An AI strategy aligns the use case discovery process with the organization's
overarching goals and objectives.
It provides the framework to identify use cases that are directly relevant to
achieving these strategic outcomes.
With the help of an AI strategy, use cases can be prioritized based on their
potential impact on the organization's goals. This ensures that AI investments are
purpose-driven and are chosen based on their alignment with strategic
objectives rather than personal preferences.
A good AI strategy also includes evaluating use cases for ethical, legal, and
operational risks and integrating risk mitigation into the plan.
It also sets clear timelines for each use case, detailing when they will start, develop,
be tested, and launched. This approach ensures that AI projects are executed
systematically and strategically.
It also helps organizations quantify the impact of AI initiatives and make data-
driven decisions about scaling, optimizing, or discontinuing projects.
AI Use Case they are aligned with business goals and values.
Each element within this questionnaire is
How does this use case align with the organization's Which AI approach (e.g., machine learning, natural
overarching strategic goals? language processing) will be used for this use case?
Describe the specific strategic objectives this use case What data sources and types are required to support
aims to address. this use case?
What are the specific objectives of this use case? Are there any ethical/legal considerations associated
with this use case?
How do these objectives tie into the overall business
goals? How will ethical concerns and legal compliance be
addressed during execution?
What are the (end) users of the AI system, and how do
they benefit from the use case? Are there any legal/ethical risks that should be included
in the risk impact analysis?
How does this use case align with the organization's What technology and infrastructure requirements and
strategic goals? challenges are associated with this use case?
Describe the specific strategic objectives this use case Is the organization equipped to support the technical
aims to address. aspects of this use case?
Who will be responsible for overseeing and What skills and expertise are required to execute this
championing this use case? use case?
How does their role impact the successful execution of Does the organization have the necessary capacity and
the use case? resources to implement this use case effectively?
How will the use case be implemented (e.g., in-house, Estimate the potential impact of this use case on
outsourced, partnerships)? achieving business objectives.
What is the proposed implementation approach, and Consider factors like increased revenue, cost reduction,
why was it chosen? improved customer satisfaction, operational efficiency,
and any ethical and privacy implications.
How will implementing this use case impact employees Is a PoC necessary to validate the feasibility and
or processes? technical aspects of this use case?
Which stakeholders should be included early on in the If so, outline the key components of the PoC and its
use case development and implementation to facilitate objectives.
successful change processes?
Evaluate the overall feasibility of implementing this use How does this use case rank in terms of its potential
case. business impact and alignment with organizational
goals?
Assess the following factors:
data availability, Define a clear prioritization metric, for example, by
technical capabilities, combining issues like business value, feasibility, risk,
resource requirements, strategic goals, effort, and others as a weighted sum.
legal and regulatory constraints, and
ethical considerations. Explain why this use case should be considered a
priority.
AI Strategy: 4 Stages
This involves aligning AI goals with overall business objectives, securing necessary
resources, and fostering a culture that embraces and adapts to AI advancements.
Leaders need not be tech experts but should understand AI's impact on the
business. They should foster a collaborative environment where business and IT
teams work together, ensuring that AI initiatives align with both technological
capabilities and business objectives.
It also ensures a seamless alignment between the selected use cases and the
capabilities and goals of AI within the organization.
The aim is to ensure that the business strategy set at the executive level
seamlessly translates into IT execution.
Leaders also navigate the complexities and challenges of implementing AI. They
are responsible for obtaining the necessary resources and fostering collaboration
across different departments. Their role is key in ensuring the organization
adapts to and evolves with new AI/ML technologies.
This decision should be influenced by factors such as the organization's size and
culture.
Next to an AI team lead, a successful AI team should include not only data
scientists and engineers but also individuals with a deep understanding of the
organization's operations and challenges, including executive leadership and, if
necessary, external industry specialists.
Having all hands on deck ensures AI efforts align with strategic objectives, secures
resources, and promotes responsible AI practices throughout the AI lifecycle.
For example, during the Use Case Prioritization or Feasibility Analysis steps to
ensure comprehensive assessments, risk mitigation, and cost-benefit analysis.
These domains include law, ethics, and design, among others.
Diverse teams are also important to address bias and increase the likelihood of
creating a well-rounded and forward-thinking AI strategy aligned with
organizational goals and industry trends.
It ensures that relevant policies guide the entire lifecycle of AI systems, including
development, purchase, operation, and use. Additionally, an AI policy assesses the
impact of AI objectives on other policies, especially in domains intersecting with AI,
such as quality, security, safety, and privacy.
This policy incorporates guiding principles that shape all AI-related activities and
outlines procedures for handling deviations and exceptions. Additionally, it typically
delves into topic-specific aspects, covering areas like AI resources, AI system
impact assessments, and the development of AI systems.
RAI Guidelines go beyond compliance. They are a strategic asset for aligning
AI practices with business values and societal expectations.
While ML Developers and Software Developers are integral to nearly all ML in-house
projects, roles like Data Steward and AI Designer may not be commonly found in
smaller teams.
If your organization hasn't established KPIs yet, it's essential to start developing
them. This critical step lays the foundation for identifying AI use cases that can
effectively address specific challenges, capitalize on potential opportunities, or
generate cost savings.
Make it a rule to establish the precise objective that any AI project needs to help
your organization achieve tangible business outcomes and measurable results.
Some general use cases of AI/ML across various business functions include
automating tasks in data and analytics, customer support through chatbots and
NLP-driven call systems, operations via robotic process automation, marketing
benefits from deep learning analytics, using AI for lead development in sales, or
using AI in human resources to improve candidate profile reviews and employee
satisfaction surveys.
Consider using techniques like anonymous idea submission to prevent bias and
ensure that a broad range of perspectives is considered during the ideation
process.
During the use case discovery stage in AI, it is essential to keep KPIs in mind
to identify and prioritize use cases that align with strategic goals and
measurable success criteria.
Integrating KPIs into the use case discovery process ensures a focused and
goal-oriented approach, facilitating the selection of AI applications that can
deliver tangible value and positively impact the organization's overall
performance.
Before the final assessment, use case discovery should be open and always
start with the user of the future AI system in mind. User-centric design
can be a valuable instrument for guiding use case research and selection.
Engage in a healthy debate within the C-level team and the overall team
to discuss and determine which activities are worth pursuing and which
ones are not.
Once the foundation has been set, you can begin identifying a compact set of use
cases.
It's important to remember that it's not about the quantity of use cases but rather
the quality and alignment with your overarching business goals. These use
cases should address specific goals, challenges, and the unique context of your
industry.
After identifying your AI use cases, develop a detailed implementation plan. This
plan should include a timeline, resource allocation, and key performance indicators
(KPIs) to measure success.
It's also crucial to consider the ethical implications of your AI applications and
ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards.
Not all use cases are created equal in terms of their potential business impact.
Prioritization of business objectives enables organizations to allocate resources and
focus their efforts on the most promising AI projects that are closely aligned with
their business goals.
You can apply a scoring system to these criteria so your organization can later
objectively assess the potential return on investment (ROI) for each use case.
Here, it's crucial to recognize the need for scaling AI use cases to realize
substantial returns on investment.
This approach aims to ensure that the organization will only invest in AI projects
that are not only technologically feasible but also strategically beneficial and
financially sound.
This involves narrowing down the number of AI use cases to only 2-3
opportunities before moving to the next stages of Feasibility Analysis,
the AI Risk Assessment, and Proof of Concept (PoC).
The focus should be on selecting a few key use cases that are most
closely aligned with the organization or team’s specific strategic and
business goals.
This approach allows for more efficient use of resources and a higher
likelihood of successful implementation.
Quick wins involve optimizing simple touchpoints, often using off-the-shelf ML,
to expose the organization to AI potential and build consensus.
8. Feasibility Analysis
A feasibility analysis:
Data Availability
The foundation of successful AI/ML use cases lies in high-quality data. The
Feasibility Analysis evaluates whether the necessary data is accessible and of
sufficient quality to support the use case.
Another issue is data centralization and data silos which limit potential, increase
security risks, and add complexity to data accuracy.
Address missing data by identifying gaps with tools like surveys, online tracking,
and analytics.
The actual data preparation occurs in the Proof of Concept (PoC) and later
phases.
In the PoC and Implementation phases, data engineers and scientists must
clean, preprocess, and transform data for training and inference.
Technical Capabilities
The feasibility analysis scrutinizes your infrastructure and tools to evaluate your
organization's technical readiness for AI.
Resource Requirements
Cost-Benefit Analysis
It's essential to determine whether the project is economically viable and aligns
with the organization's financial goals. Conducting a cost-benefit analysis assesses
the business value and ensures the project is still on track with the defined
objectives.
Data Privacy
Consult with legal experts on whether the proposed use case and the data sources
it involves are also feasible in this regard. Strategic decisions in this phase
impact the credibility and success of the AI system.
Failure to address these constraints adequately from the onset can result in legal
liabilities, financial penalties, reputational damage, and disruptions to AI projects.
By evaluating these factors, a feasibility study can ensure that the AI initiative
aligns with ethical practices and societal values, addressing the potential risks and
societal impacts.
It also helps identify potential risks and challenges that may need to be
addressed early in the project lifecycle, minimizing future disruptions
and legal liabilities.
9. AI Risk Assessment
This step has become increasingly important due to growing awareness and
concern over the ethical implications of AI. The evaluation is usually proportional
to the AI system's potential impact.
The risk assessment aims to identify risks that prevent the organization from
achieving its AI objectives and to conduct an AI system impact assessment to
assess the potential consequences of AI to the organization, individuals, and
society at large.
Proceeding in this manner, the AI Risk Assessment might reveal risks leading to
unfairness for specific individuals or groups, disclosure of personal data, increased
costs, diminished customer satisfaction, or operational inefficiency, highlighting
negative impacts on AI objectives.
The results of these impact assessments are then incorporated into the overall
AI Risk Assessment.
During the entire AI risk assessment, including the AI System Impact Assessment,
thoroughly document potential consequences and the likelihood of adverse
events.
This will result in levels of risk referring to the degree of potential harm or impact
associated with specific risks.
4. Evaluation of Risks:
In the next step, the level of risk should be evaluated, comparing results with the
organization’s predefined criteria and risk appetite.
5. AI Risk Treatment
To manage the prioritized AI risks effectively, the organization needs to choose
suitable risk treatment options.
It justifies the inclusion and exclusion of controls, ensuring they align with
organizational objectives.
The risk treatment plan serves as a guide for addressing identified AI risks
within the organization.
6. Follow-Up
While an AI Risk Assessment needs to be done before putting an AI system into
operation, it is essential to review and adjust it periodically to reflect changes.
Based on the outcomes of the assessments of the business value, risk, and
feasibility of AI projects, one or a few use cases and potential projects for the use
and implementation of AI will naturally emerge as more promising.
The decision of which AI use cases progress to the next stage is essentially a
management decision, typically made by a board or committee and should involve
key stakeholders such as IT, business unit leaders, and risk management teams.
Developing PoCs for these selected use cases involves creating small-
scale prototypes that showcase the value and feasibility of applying
AI to address specific business challenges.
This phase is vital in determining the effectiveness and viability of the AI models
and solutions developed during the PoC stage.
During this validation process, organizations should actively seek feedback from
stakeholders, including business users, subject matter experts, and other
relevant parties.
This feedback loop helps evaluate whether the ML models deliver the expected
results and meet the predefined objectives.
This phase serves as a critical bridge between the Proof of Concept and the full-
scale implementation, ensuring that the AI solution is not only technically feasible
but also capable of delivering the desired business outcomes.
Just as a feasibility study and Proof of Concept (PoC) play crucial roles in AI
project validation, conducting a cost-benefit analysis represents a pivotal step in
ensuring the viability and value of AI use cases.
While a feasibility study evaluates the technical feasibility and a PoC validates the
concept, a cost-benefit analysis delves into the financial aspects to assess the
potential return on investment (ROI) for each use case.
This includes not only the initial implementation costs but also ongoing
maintenance expenses.
This analysis is a vital tool for assessing whether the potential gains outweigh the
investments, helping organizations select and prioritize use cases that align
with their strategic objectives and offer the most substantial value.
Stage 4: Implementation
The use case discovery and selection process isn't one-size-fits-all; it varies
based on an organization's size, available resources, and overarching
objectives.
In larger organizations, the breadth of resources and capabilities often allows for a
more comprehensive approach.
By adopting this method, smaller teams can make significant progress with their AI
initiatives, even with limited resources.
It enables them to stay focused on their most impactful goals, ensuring that their
efforts are both effective and aligned with their broader business strategy.
In this process, business owners are responsible for steering the AI strategy, while
technical teams like data engineers work on specific PoC use cases.
This approach ensures that the roadmap is both strategically aligned and
grounded in practical, achievable steps.
A Proof of Concept (PoC) and a pilot phase are sometimes confused; they are
similar but not exactly the same.
The pilot phase, on the other hand, comes after the PoC. It involves
implementing the solution on a slightly larger, but still limited, scale to test its
effectiveness and operational feasibility in a real-world environment.
The pilot AI system can also provide valuable insights into required change
processes inside the organization that are needed to deploy the system fully.
The pilot phase is about fine-tuning, identifying potential issues, and assessing
operational consequences and user acceptance before full-scale
implementation.
After the pilot phase, where the solution's effectiveness and operational feasibility
are tested on a limited scale, the focus shifts to full-scale execution.
This adaptive approach allows for timely adjustments to the strategy, ensuring
alignment with the organization's evolving goals. It requires continuous refinement
and adaptation.
As the market evolves and new technologies emerge, the AI strategy should
be regularly revisited and updated.
Once a successful ML use case is established, the next step is to scale its
implementation across the organization or specific units.
The core business strategy and AI capabilities should evolve, with leaders
progressively refining their goals to actively leverage AI and ML as tools for
gaining a competitive advantage.
This agile approach helps organizations stay ahead of changes and ensures
that AI initiatives remain effective and aligned with current and future
business objectives.
Case studies demonstrating positive impacts and ROI can provide insights into the
platform's effectiveness.
Only if the platform provides an effortless entry into AI strategy management will
your employees actively use it and benefit from the offered processes. The SaaS
solution should therefore come with a user-friendly design and provide a smooth
user onboarding and online help system.
As with any software, the SaaS solution will only provide value if it is used
regularly and integrates seamlessly with existing workflows.
Thirdly, organizations should explore the platform's approach to AI, data, and
project management.
Finally, understanding the cost structure and potential additional costs and
seeking examples or case studies showcasing the platform's positive impact and
return on investment can guide organizations in making informed decisions about
their AI implementation strategy.
SaaS solutions not only address complexity but also provide essential features for
role assignment, task management, skill profiling, and knowledge sharing,
facilitating responsible AI implementation aligned with organizational objectives.
Originating from a research project with the University of Vienna and machine
learning company Gradient Zero, Daiki was created to help teams successfully
implement AI projects and comply with regulations by incorporating the principles
of responsible AI into the development process.
The Daiki Copilot, based on our own private LLM, guides users through each step
of the process with context-sensitive, proactive guidance.
Get in touch to learn more about how Daiki can help your organization.
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