Augmented Intelligence: Blazing a Trail in Business Enterprises
But whilst AI isalready a household name, Augmented Intelligence is a term that we’re a little less familiar with. So what exactly is Augmented Intelligence – and more importantly, how is it different from AI?
With number of headlines suggesting that AI will soon take over a great number of jobs, thereby leaving a large proportion of the workforce’s skills redundant, this advanced technology is often more feared than revered. However, our research shows that over half of UK workers (59%) don’t actually believe their jobs are at risk of being replaced by AI in the next decade, and instead, embrace it as a tool to help enhance the way they work. 64% of UK employees say AI as making them more efficient. This is the definition of Augmented Intelligence – a combination of human power and AI to achieve stronger results, time after time. Above all, this concept relies on a seamless collaboration between people and AI to innovate, solve problems, and improve workplace processes with precision and ease.
London’s black cab drivers are a prime example of how Augmented Intelligence can assist workers in performing their roles better. For decades, drivers have been required to pass the gruelling knowledge test, which demands a virtually encyclopaedic mastery of London’s streets. However, GPS technology is now so advanced that it could eliminate the need for this extensive familiarity – and the tradition of acquiring it – in one fell swoop.
This is where Augmented Intelligence comes in. Rather than replacing cab drivers’ expertise, GPS can work alongside them to enhance each journey; interpreting traffic patterns and identifying delays that the drivers can’t yet see to help inform their decision making. The cab drivers can then use their own experience to assess the information provided by the GPS and act accordingly. As such, the optimum output and performance is achieved by a fusion of AI and human input; using the respective skills of each to maximise results.
When it comes to contact centres, Augmented Intelligence is fast becoming part and parcel of the day-to-day environment. Increasingly, Augmented Intelligence is being embedded in employees’ desktops to act as a form of digital personal assistant; providing real-time suggestions and insights as needed, enhancing the ability to offer more personalised experiences to consumers, and make the employee’s job’s easier all at the same time.
Augmented Intelligence is particularly relevant when it comes to more complex queries. As an example, a customer may query an unexplained extra payment on their water bill by initiating a digital exchange with their water supplier’s chatbot. If the bot can’t solve the question by itself, it can then transfer the query to a human customer service representative.
