How Should Organizations Take Advantage Of Generative AI Like ChatGPT?

For instance, generative AI improves healthcare in several ways, including genome sequencing. When the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) was established in 2000, the science of genomics—the study of DNA instructions found in cells—was in its infancy. The discipline has come far since then.

Now scientists can treat medical ailments on a single-cell level, sequence entire populations, synthesize chromosomes and develop individual evaluations and treatments guided by gnomonic data. However, there remains much to learn about genomes and how manipulation of them can improve health outcomes worldwide.

Massive amounts of data must be harvested, stored, and correctly analyzed to harness the power of genome sequencing. GIS, which already employs cloud computing and Singapore’s National Supercomputing Center to help manage the petabytes of data it collects, is now looking to generative AI to help it identify patterns and relationships that may otherwise go unnoticed. 

With biological data being extensive, complex, heterogeneous, and ever-changing by its very nature, AI algorithms can speed up and enhance analysis, predict organic mutations, and suggest new genetic sequences, such as vaccines, that don’t exist in nature. All this could help generate valuable insights and identify remedies for degenerative diseases like cancer, dementia, and Parkinson’s, and viral outbreaks like coronavirus and MRSA.

But are some leaders being too hasty in trusting AI? For example, in March 2023, Romania’s prime minister, Nicolae Ciuca, unveiled a “new honorary adviser” named ION, an oval, mirror-like AI device tasked to scan social media and use public opinion to inform policy-making.

Ciuca hailed the world’s first such AI minister, and according to Romania-Insider.com said: “[ION’s] role is to help us better serve citizens by informing the government in real-time about proposals, problems, and desires of Romanians.” He added: “I have the conviction that the use of AI should not be an option but an obligation to make better-informed decisions.”

Within a week of launch, close to half a million messages and tags on social media—including through the project’s website—had been directed towards ION. Romanians used hashtags to raise discussions on improving education, access to healthcare, disability rights, and pensions.

The project is a collaboration between Humans.ai, a deep-tech company, universities, and the Romanian government. It relies on deep neural networks and natural language processing to analyze data and generate suggestions.

Experts warn that such initiatives can quickly escalate into something more sinister. “They [Romanian government] use the term’ public space,’ [but] it seems like they are equating social media as the public space, which is problematic because not everyone is represented there,” Dr. Kris Shrishak, technology fellow at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, told Euronews.

Dr. Shrishak warned against skewed insights depending on who’s loudest online. Not only that but fake accounts and bots can easily push individual agendas under the guise of “public opinion.”

In Venezuela, generative AI is seemingly being misused to further pro-government narratives. In February 2023, an English-language news report about the South American country’s supposed economic improvement appeared on the House of News YouTube channel. It was delivered by deep-fake, human-like avatar presenters known as Noah and Daren, generated using technology from Synthesia, a London-based AI firm. Venezolana de Televisión, the state broadcaster, shared the content.

This questionable use of generative AI to push the Venezuelan government’s agenda was not a one-off happening. Two months later, Nicolás Maduro, the president since 2013, premiered a show called Maduro+. His co-star was an AI bot called Sira, who asked carefully worded questions so the president could validate and share unchallenged claims.

“There will be many surprises with AI, which is here to stay,” Maduro told his audience before introducing Sira, whose avatar was a woman of African descent. “We are at the technological forefront of things that appear in the world, always turning them around to put them at the service of truth, the creation of awareness, communication,” he added, with no hint of irony.

Among the numerous ways in which generative AI is being used creatively—for good or bad—Nigerian Malik Afegbua’s application stands out. He and his studio, Slickcity Media, became a household name across Africa in early February after launching The Elder Series, a set of AI-assisted visual art depicting black elders in vibrant locations such as beaches and fashion shows. 

Afegbua says adopting AI in his art and business is one of the best decisions he has ever made. Usually, visual art is produced in different stages and across multiple platforms. Yet, by using AI as an assistant—much like the Amarillo agency does—Afegbua and his team effectively cut down on the required steps, increasing the quality and quantity of output.

“One AI tool can serve the function of multiple conventional software programs like cleaning, fine-tuning, and other minor stuff,” says Afegbua. His work primarily involves the visual sector, where he uses generative AI tools like Midjourney and the previously mentioned Synthesia to create the rudimentary part of projects. This allows the Slickcity team to focus on the most essential aspects of the artistic and business decisions. 

“I produce more work, qualitatively and quantitatively, and definitely make more money than ever,” says Afegbua. “Slickcity has done more between December and now than we did in 2022.”

Leaders should be mindful not to rely too heavily on AI, Afegbua warns. Besides, he argues human invention and imagination are more powerful than technology. “I don’t think AI can ever replace humans,” he states. “AI can’t make new knowledge; only humans can.” That said, Afegbua reckons even the most staunch AI contrarians will eventually realize human and AI jobs must merge. “Change is inevitable.”

Afegbua’s experience with AI in his business is a valuable example for leaders in other industries looking to improve efficiency and productivity. It also highlights the need for workers to evolve. Now is the time for self-investment.

Notably, the demand for tech skills is high in Africa as many international firms seek talent and investment beyond their local shores. For forward-thinkers, generative AI can help them gain better-paying jobs in multinational firms before they even exist. Many of these workers, Afegbua says, will need to adopt AI and perform beyond the rudimentary level to avoid being replaced by technology.

• How have you empowered your managers and teams to explore and use generative AI?
• What safeguards are in place to ensure that humans remain in the loop and that technology is enhancing workers’ jobs?
• Could you do more to educate leadership team members—yourself included—to better understand the threat and opportunity presented by generative AI?
• Should you partner with domain experts to use nascent technologies and accelerate innovation? 
• Regarding identifying partners, do you need to rethink who the organization should collaborate with to speed up progress while not compromising security?