55% of Employees are Using Unapproved AI Tools

The Big Idea: Three hidden gaps that could be affecting your company's AI strategy

What if the lack of stock market buzz around Google's sleek Gemini demo is actually a sign of something bigger in the AI landscape? And we’re not just talking about the pre-recorded nature of the demo. The muted market reaction reflects a larger trend: AI's dazzling demos often don't translate into actual business outcomes—especially if they’re built without regard for real-world implications.

Heading into 2024, we’re seeing AI’s growing pains most starkly in three areas.

1. Regulatory: The European Union's AI Act will change how AI is governed, and it has big implications for enterprise leaders. After an intense 37 hours of negotiations, this landmark legislation is setting a new standard for AI usage in Europe and potentially worldwide. However, these new requirements for data quality, bias management, and extensive documentation could slow the rollout of new AI products. It's a double-edged sword: higher operational costs for more equitable AI systems.

Non-compliance carries hefty penalties (like a fine of €35 million or 7% of global turnover), pushing companies to reassess their strategies, especially those using now-restricted technologies. But these new rules mostly affect closed-source models—open-source models were given broad exemptions—which is great news for companies like Meta and European AI startup Mistral.

2. Security: Vanta's State of Trust report provides another angle, focusing on digital security in the AI era. Surveying 2,500 IT and business leaders, the report uncovers a contradiction: while 67% of leaders acknowledge the need for enhanced security and compliance, they don’t always have the staff or the budget to meet those needs. Despite these challenges, many businesses are eager to deploy AI for security enhancements, underlining AI's potential to streamline processes and safeguard our digital spaces.

3. Rogue AI usage: On the ground, there's a quiet yet significant shift in how employees from mid-sized companies are using AI. A recent Salesforce survey reveals that over half of workers are integrating AI into their work, often without official approval. This trend is on the rise, with an additional 32% planning to use AI in the near future.

But here's the catch: most organizations aren't ready. A staggering 70% of workers globally haven't been trained on ethical and safe AI use. This training gap is especially pronounced in sectors like healthcare, where clear AI usage policies are often missing.

With the questions around ROI, the recent regulatory changes, added security concerns, and widespread grassroots adoption in the workplace, it’s clear that companies need a more cohesive approach to AI integration, governance, and understanding.

Are you ready to recalibrate your strategies and expectations for an era where AI quietly (but profoundly) changes the game?

AI is taking December off

There was online speculation that GPT-4 might be slacking off in December, mimicking human holiday work habits. Rob Lynch put this to the test with GPT-4-turbo by creating two system prompts, one that told the API it was May and another that it was December, then he compared the distributions. It wrote a statistically significant amount of more code when it thought it was May.

The big question: What happens when spring break comes around? We’re all going to have to band together to tell ChatGPT that it’s grounded and absolutely CANNOT go with Grok to Daytona Beach. (He’s such a bad influence.)

62% of enterprise companies plan to add a Chief AI Officer

The Social Media Ninja of the AI age? The AI Whisperer.

Yes, the AI-related job titles just keep getting more and more ridiculous. Case in point: the majority of enterprise companies now say that they need to hire an AI whisperer inside of their organization. 

That’s according to the latest study by Alteryx, The Future of AI and Humans in the Enterprise, offers a clear view of AI's evolving role in business. Surveying 2,800 data and tech leaders across nine countries, it reveals pivotal trends shaping AI in the enterprise for 2024:

1. 62% identified a Chief AI Officer as the top emerging role, and companies not currently using generative AI were more likely to consult a CAIO.
2. Generative AI's usage is expected to jump from 32% to 53% in three years, impacting even traditionally AI-resistant departments.
3. Already, 80% of businesses report that AI significantly influences their goals.
4. However, ethical concerns are prevalent, with 73% wary of AI-generated answers, driving a strong push for regulatory frameworks.
5. By 2024, the focus shifts to enhancing human-machine collaboration, with unique human skills complementing AI's capabilities.

How a Fortune500 Health System used AI to Supercharge Nurse Productivity

Nurses are drowning in paperwork.

Picture a dedicated nurse who spends hours after every shift sifting through notes, preparing reports for the billing team, and, if needed, composing lengthy dispute analyses for insurance providers. It's a cycle that wastes their time and energy, leaving them with less time for what really matters: caring for patients.

Earlier this year, a renowned Fortune 500 health system faced this challenge: their nurses were burnt out due to the relentless demand of clinical reporting. They needed to build a solution that would reimagine the entire process and help liberate nurses to focus on patient care. But, like 75% of employers, they lacked the AI expertise necessary for a breakthrough. That's when they decided to reach out to A.Team’s network of elite AI experts.

A.Team's response was to create a generative AI-driven data platform, transforming the way clinical reporting is conducted across a network of hospitals. By developing a Large Language Model to assist in dispute resolutions, the platform didn’t just cut down on time-consuming tasks; it elevated the quality of reports, ultimately benefiting patient care.

But the vision for this AI-driven platform extends even further: The ultimate goal is to evolve into a comprehensive, intuitive system. A central hub for medical records, seamlessly integrating disparate healthcare systems. This innovation promises a future where healthcare professionals can fully dedicate themselves to their patients, supported by technology that understands and enhances their mission.

Read the full story to discover how AI is changing the day-to-day work of healthcare professionals, enabling them to focus on what matters most: patient care.

The Generative AI Salon: The ROI of AI

Heading into 2024, one question is dominating board rooms and leadership meetings across the globe:

"How can we use Generative AI to transform the productivity and efficiency of our business?"

Efficiency and productivity gains are the first horizon of AI adoption, but most companies aren't sure how to proceed. We'll crack the code together as we assemble 100 top tech leaders in NYC for our invite-only Gen AI Salon on January 24th at 5 pm in NYC. (If you're not in New York, you can join virtually via livestream.)

Register here.

AI Discovery Zone

From Amazon-backed VC firm Growth Warrior Capital, Elevo is an AI-powered pitch builder helping first-time founders craft compelling narratives, structure financials, and align their vision with potential investor expectations-–for free!

Deep Dives from the Archives

- How Will D.C. Regulate AI? Check the 1964 Civil Rights Laws

- Decoding Generative AI’s Privacy Paradox

Meme of the Week

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