Could A.I open the door to new levels of human interaction, community service and skill?

ChatGpt has recently caught the imagination of many and it’s fair to say that whatever its capacity today, the odds are that its capacity will be considerably enhanced within the next year, let alone five years.

There was an interesting discussion on the radio over the weekend when a Head teacher was noting that it will become increasingly difficult for teachers to know if students are using ChatGpt, or other A.I, for their homework. Apparently, the skill of A.I today includes the ability to replicate a student’s linguistic cadence or tone, making it increasingly difficult to differentiate between original student work and ChatGpt generated work.

Can you imagine homework being done in minutes and in your own voice? One can see why this could be of real concern to many teachers.

Interestingly, the Head teacher was arguing that rather than being a negative, it potentially opens a whole dimension in teaching. As so much more knowledge will be at the fingertips of learners the need for students to be vastly knowledgeable will decrease, and the emphasis will be placed on cultivating empathy and human skills.

Will it change education? The Head argued not. The Head went on to note that it will see schools return to the use of paper and pen and promote handwritten skills as the only true way to know if a student has prepared their own work.

It creates almost a 360-degree journey. One of the frustrations of many in business and industry over the last twenty years has been that the increased application of process and technology in business has invariably focused on control, process and management overseeing a system. The view, rightly or wrongly, was that many networked less and had less of an overall knowledge base as those in previous times – estimated at around 30%.

The belief now, with the introduction of ChatGpt, is all this will change with a stronger emphasis on human interaction. Younger talent will be trained and more conscious of networking, building relationships and working to fostering an increased understanding of service and care in the community.

There are many who believe that this will open all kinds of new dimensions which will facilitate genuine movement from the days when hotels were seen almost as a perishable retail commodity. Where once the focus was on selling a room, the new possibility will be an enhanced focus on customer experience, as well as selling the room.

It ties with the general movement that the real differential for many operations will be experience, as this is what many guests are seeking today.

Another perspective recently advocated was that A.I is creating a generation who prefer to watch life take place rather than actively ‘do’ themselves. They have grown up watching videos of others rather than actively participating themselves. They are, as a result, influenced more by the experience provided rather than by direct brand interaction.

There are a plethora of debates and theories in play, but it does seem that the key is how the A.I is used – used to control, as so many processes have done over the past years, or used to enhance customer service?

One can see easily how Call centres can be easily improved. One can see how the aged and lonely can find solace in chatting via A.I. One can see how hotels can easily access more background on each guest to enhance service. One can see how 24/7 service can be improved.

However, the challenge is to ensure that A.I is a tool and does not become more.

It does seem that there is an exciting new world ahead.

Written by Chis Sheppardson, Founder of EP Business in Hospitality