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Exploring new AI tools in business: What is the newest technology in AI?
Everybody is talking about AI, and almost everybody is using it, at least according to our latest research. The 2023 Process Optimization Report reveals close to 90% of enterprises are already using or actively implementing artificial intelligence (AI) in one form or another.
So what types of AI applications are they using, and what are the new AI tools available for businesses looking to drive real value from their AI investment? Let’s start by looking at an AI technology that’s gotten a lot of attention, generative AI.
Generative AI is becoming the norm
It’s a little over a year since generative AI exploded onto the scene, but it has already accelerated AI adoption across the globe and is quickly becoming synonymous with general AI use. According to McKinsey’s latest global annual survey on the state of AI, a third of businesses are already regularly using generative AI tools in at least one function. The study also shows that 40% of organizations intend to increase AI investments due to advances in generative AI.
The term generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI or GenAI) is used to describe deep learning models or algorithms that can be used to create new content like images, text, videos, audio and code. Generative AI tools tend to come in the form of chatbots, powered by large language models (LLMs). LLMs apply this deep learning to vast data sets to understand, summarize, and generate new content.
Generative AI chatbots
The model that’s caused the biggest stir is undoubtedly ChatGPT, from artificial intelligence research organization OpenAI. Recent NBC News analysis reveals how mentions of AI during earnings calls with investors skyrocketed following the chatbot’s November 2022 debut. But it’s far from the only generative AI chatbot. Here are some of the more common ones:
ChatGPT: OpenAI’s generative AI chatbot is continually being updated and, at time of writing, the latest generation is GPT-4 Turbo.
Google Bard: Described by Google as “an experimental conversational AI service”, Bard is a large language model powered by Google Gemini.
Microsoft Copilot: Previously known as Bing Chat, this large language model-based chatbot is a built-in extension for Microsoft Edge.
Claude 2: Built by Anthropic, Claude 2 is an open-source AI agent built through Constitutional AI principles and intended for broad implementation across platforms.
Enterprise tools for generative AI
Various solutions empower enterprises to experiment with integrating generative AI workflows into their business operations. Vertex AI, for example, is available in Google Cloud, and provides models and fully managed tools that allow users to prototype, customize, integrate, and deploy generative AI into multiple applications. Potential alternatives include IBM Watson Studio and Azure Machine Learning.
Here’s a little generative AI recommended reading to help you learn more about this new AI trend – particularly if you’re considering AI options for driving process intelligence or process excellence:
A wide variety of AI tools and capabilities combine to enable generative AI. These include both conversational AI and content creation.
Tools for conversational AI
As the name suggests, conversational AI is a type of AI that simulates human conversation. It uses natural language processing (NLP) to process human-created text, to extract data insights and meaning from text-based content. NLP is the technology that allows humans to ‘talk’ to AI, usually through a chatbot, and engage in meaningful conversation. When it is integrated with speech recognition technology, it’s possible for humans to engage vocally with AI.
NLP is a type of neural network that enables data to be processed in a layered structure of interconnected nodes or neurons that is inspired by the human brain. Much like a human brain, neural networks improve continuously by learning from their mistakes.
In addition to being used to power chatbots or virtual assistants, and to extract data from written documents, NLP is also used for sentiment analysis. It enables AI to understand the human emotions behind text-based content and is useful for analyzing, for example, the sentiment of social media comments or reviews.
Conversational AI platforms currently in use include IBM Watson Assistant, Kore.ai, Avaamo.ai, Amazon Lex, Oracle Digital Assistant, Microsoft Bot Framework, Cognigy.AI, and Yellow.ai.
Celonis Process Copilot is a generative AI companion that uses conversational AI to make interacting with Celonis as seamless and intuitive as conversing with a colleague. Because it uses NLP it can infer what users want even if their queries aren’t perfect. For instance it can determine the slice of data they’re asking for even if they don’t specify which filter to use.
AI tools for content creation
Content creation is one of the most popular business use cases for AI in general, and particularly generative AI. Before we take a look at some of the newest AI tools for content generation, it’s worth mentioning that as of publication all AI-powered content creation tools should be used with strict human supervision to ensure content is accurate and commercially safe.
AI image creation
AI image generators are increasingly used by businesses to create on-brand photos or illustrations. Using text instructions they can craft images from scratch that can be used across various marketing channels including advertising, social media, blogs and websites.
AI tools can also be used to easily edit existing images. Perhaps enhancing their appearance, changing the background, or resizing images without losing quality. This is particularly useful for creating high-quality, varied product images without the need for costly and time-consuming photo shoots.
Magic Studio is an AI-powered tool that includes an image generator, but also enables existing photos and illustrations to be enhanced. Other content creator tools that use AI to generate images from text include DALL·E 3, Midjourney, DreamStudio, Firefly and Generative AI by Getty Images. Alternatively, Microsoft Designer is an AI-powered graphic design app that helps people create or edit graphics for social media posts, emails, and websites.
AI video creation
As with image creation, AI-powered video creation tools help businesses to quickly and easily generate useful video content for sales and marketing, as well as for other purposes such as training. Text-to-video functionality means video content can be created from scratch. Alternatively AI can be used to generate elements of a video, such as an avatar or voiceover, to be combined with existing footage. Or it can be used to edit existing video content.
AI tools for generating video content include DeepBrain AI, Descript, HeyGen, Veed.io, InVideo and Elai.io.
AI text creation
Using AI to generate written content can save businesses a lot of time. But the risk of hallucinations means any written content (or any content for that matter) should be carefully fact checked to ensure accuracy. At the current time it may be that AI tools are more effective at creating shorter pieces of written content, such as product descriptions or social posts, than longer articles or ebooks.
AI tools for business can also be used to edit existing text-based content and adapt it for use in different ways. Notion AI, for example, can transform existing written content by adapting its tone, fixing spelling and grammar errors, adding variety by finding synonyms, or translating text into another language. In addition to Notion AI, AI text creation tools include Jasper, Writesonic, and Copy.ai.
AI reporting tools
In addition to content creation, businesses frequently use AI reporting tools. This is because AI tools for business intelligence can process greater volumes of data, more quickly and at increased accuracy than humans and – assuming the data they are fed is impartial – can deliver objective insights. AI is effective at discovering meaningful patterns and trends in complex data structures, which can help businesses make better strategic decisions grounded in data.
Many enterprises are already using machine learning in business intelligence (BI) to deliver meaningful insights. Many BI tools, such as Microsoft Power BI, Polymer, Sisense and Tableau, offer AI capabilities. Microsoft Power BI users can also take advantage of the Celonis Connector for Power BI, which supercharges Microsoft’s business reporting platform with process intelligence.
Enabling new AI tools with process intelligence
Innovative new AI tools and technologies are emerging all the time. But the results businesses get from these technologies will only ever be as good as the information that feeds them. To make AI work efficiently, enterprises need AI to speak the language of their business, and that means feeding it with process intelligence.
Get in touch today to find out how Celonis can help you make AI tools and technologies work for your enterprise, with intelligence that knows how your business flows.
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