While AI is a hot topic, many companies have yet to realize the urgent need to incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their operations. Another group of companies has yet to understand the importance of driving a more comprehensive transformation related to innovation, going beyond simply adopting AI on a one-off basis.

We are facing a revolution in the way many conduct their business and how professionals are used to working. But what makes this so urgent and complex? Wouldn’t it be enough to just acquire AI tools and integrate them into daily operations? Well, it’s far from that simple!

The phases of innovation

To discuss urgency, it is necessary to understand how the timeline of disruptive innovation works. I recently saw a course that discussed the subject and presented four steps for disruptive innovation:

Eruption: In this phase, the emergence of innovation occurs, but we still do not fully understand its behavior or if it is, in fact, disruptive.

Key Turn: This is followed by the “key turn” in the market, when everyone realizes the potential of innovation and rushes to understand and implement it as soon as possible. We are in the Excitement stage, also known as the “Turn Point” or “Golden Age.”

Synergy: In the midst of the race to implement disruptive innovation, a synergy arises in the market. Companies begin to learn from each other’s trials and errors, copying what really worked, in the stage known as Synergy.

Maturity: Finally, innovation reaches maturity, ceasing to be a mystery and becoming a reality for the market in general.

The challenge of continuity in the age of AI

Now, considering these phases, the crucial question is: In which one do we find ourselves? Companies widely recognize the benefits of AI, and can address the challenges of implementation, as well as deal with the risks associated with its inappropriate use. The element that brings urgency to this equation is the need for “continuity.” The “Turn Point” is lagging behind, and businesses that don’t move toward AI in this synergy phase will struggle to stay in the market.

And what makes this implementation complex, a word that scares entrepreneurs and harms their investment intentions? Businesses face additional challenges when dealing with the complexity of innovation in general, making it even more challenging when it comes to AI, due to the rapid evolution of this technology.

How to implement AI in business?

Deploying AI in business requires significant commitment from senior leadership to make it an integral part of operations, avoiding siloed approaches. This starts with the team, which must understand the risks and benefits of innovation, becoming convinced of the need to create a broad and comprehensive movement within the company so that innovation occurs in a solid, consistent, safe and profitable way. We are talking about:

Innovation Process

Expressing the company’s ability to generate ideas, evaluate them in line with its business strategy, and identify justifiable values and benefits for the investment. At this stage, it is crucial to have a team capable of leading the initiative, identifying value drivers and designing a consistent roadmap for the execution phase, clearly demonstrating to executives the need for investment.

Agility

Agile methodologies are essential to minimize waste with trial and error. Complexity is managed through an agile methodology, allowing quick adjustments in the face of errors. With increasingly complex problems, the construction of the path and the objective must be done with an approach that allows for a healthy and constructive dynamic.

Systematized data

Systematically organized companies face fewer difficulties with the lack of reliable information. AI further benefits from functional data management systems such as Data Lake. This ensures that AI consumes solid, continuously organized data, allowing for constant learning and improvement of its algorithms.

Training

It is not just a matter of an innovation team, but rather an innovation that impacts all layers of the company. It is crucial that everyone shares a common understanding, seeing the implications of their activities on the business and identifying opportunities for improvement with the use of AI. The company must be deeply engaged with this technology, as it can be applied in various processes and activities, ensuring that the company is attentive to all tasks, whether operational or strategic.

These points clarify how AI should be treated in business, dispelling the fear of complexity and promoting consistent and solid action, which will certainly result in benefits for the company. However, a crucial aspect is the need to implement a culture of innovation in business to ensure organic and continuous change. Creating movements that encourage employees to engage with AI is key, as demonstrated by Programmers’ “Initia’s” program

AI-enabled professionals

We have issued a warning for a new era in the market with the presence of AI. What skills do we want in our professionals in this new era? With automated operational tasks, data consumed and presented by AI, it is crucial for professionals to acquire skills to meet the new demands of the market. Some skills, once useful, have become strategic. Professionals need to have:

Attitude: The ability to move quickly in the face of this new dynamism, adapting to changes and constantly seeking improvement.

Critical Sense and Curiosity: Constantly question the results generated by AI, ensuring the use of information with quality and coherence.

Complex Analytics: Given the increasing amount of data presented by AI to provide insights to the business, it is essential to conduct more in-depth and comprehensive analysis. We can’t fully trust the data, and thorough analysis is crucial.

Organization: Avoid dispersed and non-standard creation of data, as this undermines the proper functioning of algorithms and compromises the effectiveness of AI.

Business and Strategic Vision: Ability to interpret and apply data in the context of the business in an intelligent and profitable way. Look beyond the numbers and understand the strategic impact of information.

Communication and Personal Relationships: Amid the growing presence of machines, it is vital that professionals have interpersonal skills to connect different areas, using assertive and effective communication to convey analysis and interpretations clearly and objectively.

Final Thoughts

We are facing new times and challenges. By facing the new landscape with clarity, courage, and agility, your business will not only continue, but it will also be profitable and consistent.

Diogo Leonardi has been a financial manager at Programmers for over 10 years. Occupying an important role in strategic management, its main objective is to support managers in decision-making through data and generate value for the business. In his free time he always has space to practice various sports and a meeting with the family to enjoy a good restaurant.