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Benefits and Traps of Artificial Intelligence in IT

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Benefits and Traps of Artificial Intelligence in IT
AI

Artificial intelligence is one of the most innovative and dynamically developing fields in IT. In practice, the use of AI technology can be found in almost every industry, from medicine and finance to education and entertainment. However, it is in the IT field where artificial intelligence finds its greatest use, enabling the creation of intelligent systems that recognize patterns, predict user behavior, and automate complex processes. Due to the progressive development of AI technologies, increasingly advanced tools are being created that allow programmers to easily implement new technologies in their projects.

Laptop with code snippet standing on desk

Like any technology, AI has its pros and cons

Pros:

  1. Automation and optimization of processes are one of the biggest advantages of using artificial intelligence in the IT field. AI enables the automation of many processes, which means that businesses can save time and costs associated with hiring people in order to perform these tasks. Additionally, AI can work continuously, which means that businesses can operate 24/7. Process automation also allows for optimization of operations. As a result, businesses can speed up processes and streamline internal operations. Consequently, businesses can deliver better quality services to their customers in a shorter time. Process automation can also help increase productivity, which means higher profits for businesses.
  2. Predicting trends is another advantage of using artificial intelligence in IT. AI can analyze enormous amounts of data generated by consumers, as well as other sources such as social media, websites, or even IoT sensors. Thus, AI can detect trends and patterns that may indicate changing customer needs and preferences. For businesses that have this information, AI enables the adaptation of business strategies and offerings to changing customer needs. Therefore, businesses can compete more effectively in the market because their offerings are better tailored to customer needs.                                                            
  3. More effective software testing – AI can help automate software testing, allowing for faster detection of errors and improvement of development processes. Artificial intelligence can help automatically detect errors in code and increase test coverage – it can assist in creating more complex test scenarios, which allows for an increase in the quality of software. As a result, businesses can prevent problems from arising in later stages of software development. AI can help improve the software testing process by analyzing test results and adapting tests to changing user requirements and preferences.
  4. Artificial intelligence can help design and develop software by analyzing and processing large data sets. Automatic code generation is an area of artificial intelligence that enables the creation of source code based on patterns and input data. This is particularly useful for large projects, where manual coding would take a lot of time and effort. With many tools available on the market, programmers and engineers can customize their projects to meet the needs and preferences of users.
  5. Improvement of automated customer service – with AI, businesses can offer automated customer service through bots that can quickly and efficiently answer customer questions and provide technical support.
  6. Improving productivity – AI-based tools, thanks to process automation and quick access to information, significantly impact the productivity of individuals working with artificial intelligence. Numerous studies on performance, productivity, and the quality of AI-driven work have been conducted recently. Noteworthy are the studies conducted using GitHub Copilot, which demonstrate a substantial improvement in work speed while maintaining comparable software quality. A similar experiment was conducted using ChatGPT, where a group of individuals working with this tool also significantly enhanced their efficiency.

Business Transformation through Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence brings numerous benefits in the field of IT. One of the biggest advantages is the automation and optimization of processes. As a result, businesses can save time and costs associated with task execution, as well as accelerate operations and deliver better quality services. AI is capable of analyzing vast amounts of data, enabling the prediction of trends and the adjustment of business strategies to changing customer preferences.

Artificial intelligence would be the ultimate version of Google. The ultimate search engine that would understand everything on the web. It would understand exactly what you wanted, and it would give you the right thing. We’re nowhere near doing that now. However, we can get incrementally closer to that, and that is basically what we work on.

Larry Page - Co-founder of Google

Cons:

  1. Lack of transparency or context understanding – In the field of AI, lack of transparency refers to situations where decisions made by artificial intelligence systems are difficult to understand or explain by humans. Often, AI operates based on complex algorithms that are difficult to understand by non-experts. Lack of transparency can lead to customer reluctance who do not understand why the system made a certain decision. This, in turn, can lead to loss of trust and ultimately revenue for businesses. However, to prevent this, companies increasingly use methods of “explainable AI” which allow for easy understanding and explanation of the decisions made by the system. These methods involve analyzing the decision-making process of the AI system and explaining why a particular result was achieved.
  2. Lack of control over outcomes – On the one hand, AI enables faster and more precise results, but on the other hand, if not properly controlled, it can lead to undesirable consequences. One of the problems associated with the lack of control is that AI may learn from inadequate or inappropriate data, leading to inaccurate results. For example, if the AI system is trained on insufficient data, it may lead to incorrect conclusions or decisions. Similarly, if the input data is flawed or incomplete, the results obtained by the AI system may be inaccurate.
  3. Costs – Implementing AI requires time and costs, which can be problematic for smaller businesses or startups. The costs associated with implementing AI can be significant, and their amount depends on many factors, such as the amount and quality of data, the type of AI algorithms, and the necessary hardware and human resources. Therefore, the implementation of AI is often reserved for larger enterprises that have access to greater financial resources. However, it is worth noting that the costs associated with AI can be compensated in the long run. Introducing AI can bring many benefits, such as improving process efficiency, increasing service quality, or reducing operational costs. In the long run, these benefits may outweigh the initial costs of implementing AI.

It is important to thoroughly analyze before implementing AI whether and what benefits it can bring, as well as what costs and risks are associated with this process. Therefore, companies should prepare properly for the implementation of AI and conduct a detailed cost-benefit analysis. Ultimately, artificial intelligence can contribute to increasing the efficiency and quality of IT services, but the key to success is proper management of this process and implementing AI in a thoughtful and customer-oriented manner.


About The Author
Izabela Węgrecka

Izabela is a Project Manager and Scrum Master with 6 years of experience in the IT industry. She has experience in leading diverse projects and effectively managing teams. She's a leader with the ability to create cohesive and efficient teams based on Scrum values. Regardless of the project's scale, she's able to establish a dynamic environment where collaboration, innovation, and delivering valuable products take precedence.