Artificial intelligence represents extraordinary possibilities. In 2022, the Standford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) underlined the quite exponential advances of this technology.
However, over the past few weeks we have witnessed a rather unhealthy use of this technology. However, what will have caught my attention more is this position taken by several leaders and experts who are asking for a pause in the development of AI.
A leader in the research and development of AI, Yoshua Bengio underlined “(…) I don’t think society is ready to face up to this power, the potential for manipulation of populations, for example, which could endanger democracies. (…) We must therefore take the time to slow down this commercial race which is underway.”
Shaking advances
It would be tempting to elaborate on the various oppositions to the development of this technology following this cry of alarm. However, this approach would not allow us to take the necessary step back in order to better define the issue.
Is this request for a time out justified? One thing is certain, she knows how to do useful work so that we can be careful and take a moment to reflect.
The surprising advances are shaking. Also last March, the Minister of Education mentioned that ” (…) The arrival of applications like ChatGPT is upsetting and raises many questions. We will increasingly see the emergence of this type of technology in the academic landscape and we must be vigilant.”
What will happen to our SMEs? First, AI is not destined to disappear, on the contrary. The question that remains is how it will shape the face of our businesses. Will it have an impact that will amplify telework? Will it change the internal and relational dynamics within our companies as AI makes a professional more autonomous when not so long ago we were praised for the coworking where the ” operated office. »
The challenge
This is the question where entrepreneurs are probably the key people who will determine both the positive and negative impacts that AI will generate.
The question may seem philosophical, even abstract. Yet it is embodied in what will be the daily life of our SMEs. I dare to bet that the human person will remain the one who will exercise control in the realization of a project and not the one who will become accessory to the AI in the consecration of this same project.
However the deployment of AI is promoted for performance reasons. Certainly, we cannot hide the fact that in a context of globalization, the companies that resist will find it difficult to maintain their competitiveness.
What strategic choice will we make?
The exit of Yoshua Bengio is not insignificant. While many believe that there is still a long way to go today before arriving at an AI comparable to human intelligence, the rapid advances of recent years show us that what was unthinkable can become reality. While being extraordinary for our SMEs, it is important to position ourselves on how we will integrate this surprising technology.
The real decision lies in our hands. Will AI be for the good of our organization for the benefit of the people who compose it or will we see our companies adapt to the requirements of the implementation of AI?
It is up to us to determine the benefits we want.
Michel Paradis Adm.A., Med.Acc., (IMAQ, B.Sc., LL.B.) Strategic Advisor and Mediator in civil and commercial matters, Oeconomia