Caroline Wilhelmsen, Manager of Insights and Data at Capgemini Norway did not leave room for doubt; there is no escaping the impact of artificial intelligence. It will hit you hard! Either you act now, or you will lose in competition with companies who make use of the new technology. Why? Because AI can increase profitability by more than 20 percent if used strategically, according to Wilhelmsen.
Thursday morning, close to 100 people attended the breakfast seminar on Artificial Intelligence at Capgemini’s offices in Kristiansand. Hosted by GCE NODE, Sparebanken Sør and Capgemini, the seminar Artificial Intelligence and the future of data focused on the immense possibilities, but also the ethical implications of AI.
Wilhelmsen pointed out that less than three percent of available data are systemized and put to use. In years to come, the amount of data will grow dramatically. To succeed, businesses need to systemize, analyze, and use the data strategically.
“You need data assets that you can trust, and employees who are motivated to learn how to use them. Your employees must be part of this journey of change,” said Wilhelmsen.
THE FIGHT FOR WORLD DOMINATION
Which value sets should guide the development and application of artificial intelligence? Elisabeth Austad Asser is Head of Sustainability at Sparebanken Sør and has a PhD in responsible use of AI. She emphasized that AI technology is not neutral, but rather a tool built by people who want to achieve something. Technology can be used to do good or bad things.
“Vacuuming the world for data, a small group of tech giants compete for world domination. They become puppet masters who take away our autonomy. They make choices on our behalf, without us finding out what has been left out,” said Asser.
A BRAVE NEW WORLD
“2023 represents a technological turning point. The world will never be the same. Generative artificial intelligence will absorb us all”, said Thordur Arnason, Vice President of Capgemini Invent and an AI expert.
Having worked with information technology for almost 30 years, Arnason says innovation was never faster than in 2023. AI-driven services emerged in large numbers. Today, AI can create visual art and music, simultaneously translate telephone conversations in a dozen languages, and write precise minutes of meetings.
“In March 2023, Chat GPT.4.0 was launched, only three months after the first prototype. The improved language model beats humans in almost every type of exam, even the angler exam. Midjourney image generation service is so good that it blurs the distinction between real and generated images. And this is just the beginning. ChatGPT has gained sight, hearing, and the ability to speak. Soon it will also have its own sense of smell,” said Arnason.
One of the challenges for us humans is to distinguish truth from falsehood. What you see and hear can be fake, and content that is real can be presented as false.
“In fact, you can’t trust anyone anymore. And if – or when – nothing you see or hear is certainly true or false, our confidence in society evaporates. 2024 will be coined the year of deepfake”, said Arnason.
