Innovate with AI – Starting your AI Journey

Last week the School of Computing and Engineering hosted a business event around Artificial Intelligence, specifically focussed on starting your AI journey. Despite Storm Babet’s slight intervention, it was great to see lots of companies interested in implementing AI within their business.

Highlights from the University of Huddersfield's 'Innovate with AI – starting your AI journey' conference - the first in a series of events focussing on how businesses can engage with artificial intelligence.

Event highlights

We had a great variety of presentations from AI and funding experts:

"Designing AI Systems You Can Trust" by James Hall from Parallax
"Leveraging LLMs for Business Success" by Reo Ogusu from Seeai
"Artificial Intelligence: (Some of Our) Success Stories" presented by Professor Mauro Vallati
"Growth through Innovation" by Ann Storey from Innovate UK KTN.

Additionally, we had invaluable insights from Simon Milner, a renowned tech entrepreneur, and Keith McCabe from SimplifAi Systems Ltd during the interactive Q&A session.

Expert Recommendations

After the event I asked our experts for their top recommendations on implementing AI within a business, and here’s what they said:

Integrate ChatGPT into your everyday life
All business owners: Buy GPT-Plus for *all* your employees
Use low-code solutions (a software development approach that requires little to no coding to build applications and processes):
- Sign up to Zapier (builds automated workflows)
- Sign up to OpenAI Platform
- Sign up to Noteable ChatGPT Plugin (for data analysis)
Organise a 1-day Hackathon within your organisation. There are many tools to help you get started that you can find with a quick google search. Hackathon is a fun way to brainstorm and explore ideas on how AI (or LLMs) can be utilised in your business.
Don’t blindly use the trendy AI, but consider the problem that you want to solve, and its characteristics. With that in mind, you can pick the best approach that will maximise impact.

ChatGPT’s Advice

And with that in mind I also asked ChatGPT for its top tips and here are some of them:

1. Define Clear Objectives:

Identify the specific business goals you want to achieve with AI. This could be improving efficiency, reducing costs, enhancing customer experience, or increasing revenue.

2. Assess Data Readiness:

Ensure you have access to quality data. Data is the foundation of AI, so clean, structured, and relevant data is essential.

3. Identify Use Cases:

Identify specific use cases where AI can add value to your business. These could include predictive maintenance, customer segmentation, demand forecasting, or chatbots for customer support.

4. Start Small with Proof of Concept (PoC):

Instead of diving into large-scale AI projects, begin with a small-scale PoC. This helps in testing the waters, understanding challenges, and demonstrating value to stakeholders.

5. Select the Right Tools and Technologies:

Choose the AI tools, frameworks, and technologies that best suit your needs. Popular choices include TensorFlow, PyTorch, and scikit-learn for machine learning.

6. Educate Your Team:

Train your employees to understand AI and its implications for the business. It's important that the workforce is aligned with the AI journey.

Closing Thoughts

The world of Artificial Intelligence is vast, promising, and ever-evolving. With the insights shared by our experts and the practical tips provided, we hope you now have some knowledge and tools to help you embark on your AI journey.

If you have questions, need advice, or further guidance on your AI journey, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. You can also sign up to receive emails about Artificial Intelligence related events and information.