AI Appreciation Day – insideAI News

Artificial Intelligence Appreciation Day is celebrated on July 16 each year. With discoveries in science, tech, and healthcare, AI offers the possibility of a more evolved future. AI tools already dominate the market making human life much easier. From travel and navigation to smartphone apps, AI has taken the world by storm and looks set to change the future. Although many believe that AI only emerged in recent years, its foundations reach back decades further. Artificial Intelligence Appreciation Day was created to celebrate the history and accomplishments of AI tech and raise awareness about its current and future use cases in human life.

In this special round-up, we’ve collected a number of commentaries from our friends in the AI industry ecosystem. We hope you enjoy reading them!

Madeleine Corneli, Lead Product Manager of AI/ML, Exasol

“This AI Appreciation Day, most of us are focused on the impact of generative AI (GenAI). However, this is also a great time to acknowledge the ongoing impact of classic AI. Classic AI excels at pattern recognition and often better meets stricter business requirements. Forecasting, categorization, and scoring are consistent applications of classic AI that will remain relevant to businesses and don’t necessitate LLMs. Furthermore, explainability and repeatability are regulatory requirements that cannot be met by GenAI and certain businesses or use cases can not tolerate the hallucinations that can come with GenAI. We should think of classic AI and GenAI as complimentary – each brings unique strengths and value.”

Jake Varghese, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Business Management, ConnectWise

“AI has already started to solve complex problems for Managed Service Providers (MSPs). The power of AI combined with Robotic Process Automation (RPA), all powered by a purpose-built platform for MSPs, is where the magic truly happens, generating automated workflows on organizations’ behalf and with their approval to drive bottom-line impact.

When organizations and MSPs are equipped with AI, these businesses can work smarter, become highly innovative, and be more responsive to their customers. In addition to benefiting operations, AI is also helping to improve customer experiences, productivity, and overcome knowledge fragmentation.

My advice is don’t wait until it’s too late and risk falling behind. This AI Appreciation Day, organizations must adopt AI-driven solutions that optimize and simplify business operations worldwide.”

Carl Froggett, CIO, Deep Instinct

“AI holds immense promise, but not all AI is equal. All AI, apart from deep learning, is currently being promoted to cover up failures of machine learning, specifically to reduce process overhead; plus, organizations expect customers to pay a premium for these services. AI holds so much more promise. When leveraged correctly, AI can streamline internal processes, alleviate repetitive and time-consuming tasks, and ultimately, transform industries.

However, the only way to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated attackers is to remove traditional AI tools and innovate with better AI, specifically deep learning. This advanced form of AI prevents threats from ever landing inside an environment with a prevention-first approach. SecOps teams are finally realizing deep learning’s true potential to leap ahead of legacy, reactive cybersecurity approaches and fight back in the continuous cat-and-mouse game against cybercriminals.”

Matt Psencik, Director, Endpoint Security Specialist, Tanium   

“Since becoming mainstream nearly two years ago, generative AI has served as a helpful, supplemental resource for cybersecurity professionals – reducing research time, sifting through mundane, time-consuming tasks, and making complex tasks easier to understand.  

A good example of this is the ability to take a snippet of code — whether hex, assembly, or a high-level language like python or C++ – and have generative AI explain each section of code. While there may be some errors, the technology can serve as an on-demand digital expert, educating those newer to the industry, expanding skill sets, and increasing efficiency for those bogged down with alerts. 

However, it’s important to note that AI is only as good as the data it’s fed, so the best use of AI is when it’s powered by real-time data. This reduces errors and gets cybersecurity teams the most up-to-date information they need to properly defend their organization.” 

Patrick Harding, Chief Product Architect, Ping Identity

“AI has opened doors for nearly every industry, including cybersecurity, as it has allowed organizations to become more proactive against threats, create more frictionless user experiences, and stop attackers in their tracks faster than ever before. Yet, just as AI has been a force for good, it’s also been a catalyst for threat actors to increase their sophistication, putting identity under attack. This kind of activity is on the rise, with 41% of IT leaders expecting cybercriminals’ use of AI to significantly increase identity threats over the next year. That said, today should serve as a reminder that while AI has created challenges for security, there is also a great opportunity to embrace the emerging technology. More specifically, organizations can (and should) use AI to combat AI-related threats and stay one step ahead of cybercriminals, to protect their customers and employees alike.” 

Jim Palmer, Chief AI Officer, Dialpad 

“The growth of AI over the past five years alone has been tremendous, and this year was the year AI became real and tangible for businesses and consumers. Beginning to demonstrate its true ROI, AI has begun to transform the way we work, communicate, collaborate and innovate. AI tools have already started to revolutionize industries, like sales and customer service, to save users time, unlock invaluable insights and deliver experiences that we could only imagine years ago. 

When used for good with human oversight, AI adoption has the power to boost businesses to new heights. In fact, 77% of leaders believe AI will provide them with a competitive advantage, allowing them to increase productivity and customer satisfaction to significantly grow their business. And while there is so much more to refine and improve about the emerging technology, I look forward to the advancements the coming year will bring and am hopeful for continued investment in responsible AI.”

Ugur Tigli, CTO at MinIO

“Successful AI demands scale and speed – as companies grow, they need a fast and easy way to manage and store all of their data. The limited availability of GPUs is pressuring many companies to move their AI operations to the public cloud, but this could be a mistake depending on the workload, especially AI workloads.

As AI continues to progress, leaders must consider how their data storage will impact their long term AI strategy. With data storage requirements reaching exascale, there is no public cloud model that supports keeping data in the cloud with its data access and egress charges. Everything you do in the public cloud, you can do on the private cloud – at a savings of 60% plus. Additionally, when flexibility and control are a high priority, locking your enterprise into a public cloud ecosystem that will be difficult to extract from once the bills start arriving is not the ideal choice.

The private cloud, whether colocation services or datacenter, is the path forward for AI workloads that the CTO, CIO and CFO can all agree on.”

Kaarel Kotkas, Founder & CEO at Veriff 

“Over the past year, almost 78% of US decision-makers have seen an increase in the use of AI for fraudulent attacks. AI technology enables cybercriminals to up their game, from stealing our data to copying our likeness. However, AI technology is both the sword and the shield. AI can also help an organization combat fraud, and 79% of CEOs are actually using it to do so.

This AI Appreciation Day, leaders should focus on the benefits of the technology while preparing for impending fraud attacks. An effective fraud defense must be dynamic and multi-faceted. Incorporating AI as a layer of defense against fraud will keep bad actors at bay and limit any potential friction in the customer journey. It’s important to remember that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to combating fraud, so leaders must implement multiple types of solutions that can complement and augment existing security measures. Technology has yet to evolve to a point where it requires no human intervention, and AI systems will likely always need some level of human touch for quality control. Human feedback in AI decision-making is necessary in its formative stage to ensure the models improve. If an AI system isn’t 100% positive that a potential user’s ID is fraudulent, a human needs to determine the next steps. 

Fraudsters constantly evolve their technology, so fraud techniques will continue to become more sophisticated. When it comes to improving cybersecurity while countering these new AI-powered attacks, companies cannot be afraid to invest in tech. Using AI-powered technology to combat fraud and build out your deepfake detection capabilities opens up opportunities to stay ahead of the curve. If leaders follow this process, their defenses will continue to get stronger.”

Rick Vanover, VP Product Strategy, Veeam Software

“AI Appreciation Day 2024 is a newly recognized event, but this will be one that sticks around. In my professional experience, AI (like any new technology), has to align to an organization’s risk tolerance balanced with business benefits. In fact, I put these two as the deciding factor to determine if an AI-enhanced or AI-powered solution is worth pursuing. So much AI activity today gravitates to an awareness and education exercise, and you may soon find that moment where the business benefit becomes clear. Never forget the risks with the data flow of AI (or anything for that matter!). Further, should this business benefit become something your organization depends on, how is it being kept resilient and available? All of that considered, I’m super excited for the AI innovation in the market.”

Dr. Torsten Staab, Principal Technical Fellow at Nightwing

“While the capabilities of AI are tremendous and the potential under its influence seems vast, AI Appreciation Day is the perfect time to reflect on how this groundbreaking technology has shaped our day-to-day lives and the ways in which we operate. There is no question that AI will have a profound impact on the future of technology, but with all of its buzz and excitement also comes recognition of its limitations.

For example, addressing AI bias is crucial for building trust in AI systems and ensuring they work fairly for everyone. It involves a combination of technical solutions, diverse teams, and ongoing monitoring to ensure biases are identified and mitigated. Unfortunately, there is no easy-button solution to solving AI bias risks. Addressing bias in AI-powered systems or services requires a multifaceted approach, encompassing technical, organizational, and ethical strategies.

Of course, the goal is not to instill fear or distrust of AI, but rather, to foster an environment of informed and responsible use. AI is a tool, and like any tool, it has its intended uses and its limitations.  And how effectively it is used depends on the skill and knowledge of the person using it. Ultimately, we can harness the power of AI while still safeguarding against its pitfalls if we remain dedicated to the continuous improvement of this technology, ensuring these systems are not only intelligent but also impartial.”

Kevin Bocek, Chief Innovation Officer at Venafi

“Many organizations appreciate AI because of its positive benefits on day-to-day tasks. It helps save time, automate tedious tasks, increase creativity, and more. But with that comes security concerns, increased risks, and malicious activity including AI-generated code, reverse engineering existing programs, and injecting incorrect or harmful content into otherwise legitimate models. To keep organizations secure, I recommend ensuring an AI “kill switch” is in place to quickly turn off any AI models to prevent destruction or security implications. We need to uniquely identify each model, control its use, and what it is allowed to do based on its unique identity. AI is just another machine, and understanding this will eliminate breaches we’ve seen time and time again where identity security – of APIs, of code, of cloud, of malware – has been an afterthought.” 

Assaf Baciu, Co-Founder and President, Persado

“While businesses have raced to adopt AI to improve operations and performance, many are still struggling to find a way to prove the value. In marketing, however, AI has been making an impact for a while–and we already have the data to back it up. At Persado, we have a decade of proof of value for AI. We’ve had a front row seat to GenAI actively helping brands personalize on-brand marketing content to increase engagement and conversions across channels.

By applying learnings to make precise changes in words and phrases, brands can drive completed transactions, applications or enrollments, and unlock a new lever for growth. This use of AI not only drives relevant, engaging customer experiences; it’s easy to measure, empowering business leaders to make better decisions and drive sales. In fact, Persado has worked with the world’s top banks and card issuers for years, driving $2.5 billion in incremental revenue using purpose-built AI proven to increase productivity and performance.

Chris Savage, CEO & Co-Founder, Wistia

“When it comes to AI, AI-generated videos are top of mind for me right now. They hold a lot of promise for video creators, and the demand is there: more than half (66%) of organizations are eager to use AI for their video projects. But with AI-generated videos comes the risk of losing the human element; which is something we need to hold on to in order to keep the trust and integrity of the content. 

The best way to leverage AI is to improve existing offerings, integrating it into every day user interfaces. Listen to customer feedback and identify pain points that you can supplement with AI. Pinpoint where you can streamline workflows, increase efficiency, and create more personalized and intuitive user experiences. This will not only improve the customer experience and build trust, but also evolve the product – instead of solely jumping into the hype that comes with AI-generated videos.”

Prukalpa Sankar, co-founder, Atlan

“The CDOs and CIOs I talk to are mostly getting asked the same question by their CEO, ‘What’s our AI roadmap?’. It’s a complex question to answer because it involves so much more than which AI model to use and what systems to connect it to. The enterprise companies we work with are at varying stages of maturity, but for the ones who have defined and prioritized use cases for AI, the big challenges we’re helping them with are first, getting to AI-ready data – data that’s enriched with context, trust signals, and security that an AI model can consume – and second, governing AI models to ensure they use the right data and provide the right response. In addition to the familiar ‘Garbage In, Garbage Out’ risk with using data, AI has the added risk of ‘Garbage In, Gospel Out’, making AI-ready data and AI governance essential to successfully using AI.”

Nabil Hannan, Field CISO, NetSPI

“AI is a polarizing topic in the cybersecurity industry, as it has simultaneously driven a surge in cyberattacks and served as a transformative tool for defending against them. In the past year, we’ve seen an immense increase in companies adopting AI technologies. In the proactive security industry in particular, AI capabilities have enhanced the ability to monitor threats, analyze user behaviors, and identify potential risks/exposures in real-time. Ultimately, these advancements have created a better user experience and enabled organizations to accelerate innovation faster than ever before. Looking ahead, I’m excited to see how AI will continue to grow the cybersecurity landscape and better equip security teams with the resources they need to discover, prioritize, and remediate threats of the highest importance.”

Jeff Gallino, CEO and Founder, CallMiner

“Automation technology has long been used in contact center and customer service applications, but the promise of large language models and generative AI ( ChatGPT, anyone?) have renewed this focus. While AI is not a cure-all, when used thoughtfully and responsibly, it can enhance both the contact center agent and customer experience (CX). 

With the goal of augmenting human capabilities, rather than replacing them, AI is already helping organizations sift through large volumes of structured and unstructured customer data to uncover trends and opportunities – those needle-in-a-haystack moments – and deliver better CX. It is also guiding and delivering knowledge to agents in real time, uncovering important signals such as vulnerability or dissatisfaction, and helping them connect with customers on a deeper level.

There is a lot to appreciate when it comes to AI, and in many respects, we’re just getting started. Yet, we can all recognize the value AI will undoubtedly bring to a wide range of industries and use cases, while also staying mindful that the most powerful applications will be those that are carefully considered, tested and implemented.”

Alex Triplett, CFO/COO, Appfire

“AI is making an undeniable impact across industries and organizations, and will dramatically transform how business is conducted for years to come. Just like any phenomenon that has the potential to transform our work, it is critical to incorporate it into a company’s strategy across the organization at every level, and not keep it siloed to one dedicated individual or team. Whether your company has a strong tech focus or not, it would be a misstep to hire one sole individual who is responsible for overseeing AI’s adoption and implementation within your organization.  AI, like the internet before it, will change everyone and should be championed by everyone!

On AI Appreciation Day, it’s important to recognize that AI should be an integral part of your organization’s holistic thinking, and every C-suite member should be an expert in their own domain. This is a better way to ensure that everyone within your organization can keep pace with the innovation and changes associated with AI, and most importantly embrace and understand such changes.”

Matt Forrest, Field CTO, CARTO 

“When GPT-3 was introduced to the world, the overwhelming public response was a clear indication of the transformative potential of models like ChatGPT. However, with individual users and many businesses immediately reacting to the generative AI boom, we’ve learned a critical lesson about the importance of context and integrating first-party data when deploying AI. Unlike a year ago, we now have a better understanding of the necessity to integrate AI with proper context, supported by advanced vector databases, and underscored by robust security, privacy, and ethical frameworks to ensure the effectiveness of any specific use case.    

As we celebrate the strides made in AI, it’s evident that our journey is just beginning. Looking ahead, I’m eager to see the development of more specialized tools leveraging AI models and, more broadly, how AI technology will mature alongside those using it. Specifically, a use case I’m excited about is the ability to use AI to pull insights from digital maps and geospatial insights. For example, using AI in Spatial Data Science in the telecommunications industry can help users determine the number of individuals in a certain location who are experiencing below-standard 5G coverage or towers in the path of a wildfire. I expect organizations across every industry to continue exploring AI’s capabilities to identify ways to improve their operational productivity, product quality, and beyond.”  

Aviral Verma, Lead Threat Intelligence Analyst, Securin  

“We are on course towards Artificial General Intelligence, or AGI, where AI goes beyond imitation and can exhibit human-like cognitive abilities and reasoning. AI that can grasp the nuances of language, context and even emotions. I understand the side of caution, the fear of AI replacing humans. But I envision this evolution to enhance human-AI symbiotic relationships, where its true potential lies in complementing our strengths and weaknesses. Humanity is a race of creators, inventors, thinkers, and tinkerers; AGI can help us be even better at all those things and act as a powerful amplifier for human ingenuity.    

To promote safety for all users and responsible AI deployment, developers must uphold Choice, Fairness, and Transparency as three critical design pillars:  

• Choice: It’s essential that individuals have meaningful choices regarding how AI systems interact with them and affect their lives. This includes the right to opt-in or opt-out of AI-driven services, control over data collection and usage and clear explanations of how AI decisions impact them. Developers should prioritize designing AI systems that respect and empower user autonomy.  
• Fairness: AI systems must be developed and deployed in ways that ensure fairness and mitigate biases. This involves addressing biases in training data, algorithms and decision-making processes to prevent discrimination based on race, gender, age or other sensitive attributes. Fairness also encompasses designing AI systems that promote equal opportunities and outcomes for all individuals, regardless of background or circumstances.  
• Transparency: Transparency is crucial for building trust in AI systems. Developers should strive to make AI systems understandable and explainable to users, stakeholders and regulators. This includes providing clear explanations of how AI decisions are made, disclosing limitations and potential biases, and ensuring transparency in data collection, usage and sharing practices. Transparent AI systems enable scrutiny, accountability and informed decision-making by all parties involved.   

The tech industry is on the edge of something truly exciting, and I am optimistic about the advancements individuals and organizations can achieve with AI. To build confidence in AI, we should focus more on Explainable AI (X-AI). By clarifying AI’s decision-making processes, X-AI can alleviate the natural skepticism people have about the “black box” nature of AI. This transparency not only builds trust but also lays a solid foundation for future advancements. With X-AI, we can move beyond the limitations of a “black box” approach and foster informed, collaborative progress for all parties involved.”  

Anthony Cammarano, CTO & VP of Engineering, Protegrity  

“On this AI Appreciation Day, we reflect on AI’s remarkable journey to an everyday consumer reality. As stewards of data security, we recognize AI’s transformative impact on our lives. We celebrate AI’s advancements and democratization, bringing powerful tools into the hands of many. Yet, as we embrace these changes, we remain vigilant about the security of the data that powers AI.   

Vigilance takes understanding the nuances of data protection in an AI-driven world. It takes a commitment to securing data as it traverses the complex pipelines of AI models, ensuring that users can trust the integrity and confidentiality of their most sensitive information. Today, we appreciate AI for its potential and challenges, and we renew our commitment to innovating data security strategies that keep pace with AI’s rapid evolution.  

As we look to the future, we see AI not as a distant concept but as a present reality that requires immediate attention and respect. We understand that with this great power comes great responsibility, and we are poised to meet the challenges head-on, ensuring that our data—and, by extension, our AI—is as secure as it is powerful. Let’s continue to appreciate and advance AI, but let’s do so with the foresight and security to make its benefits lasting and its risks manageable.”  

Kathryn Grayson Nanz, Senior Developer Advocate, Progress  

“This AI Appreciation Day, I would encourage developers to think about trust and purposefulness. Because when we use AI technology without intention, we can actually do more harm than good. It’s incredibly exciting to see Gen AI develop so quickly and make incredible leaps forward. But it’s also a responsibility to build safely with a fast-moving technology.  

It’s easier than ever before to take advantage of AI to enhance our websites and applications, but part of doing so responsibly is being aware of the inherent risk – and doing whatever we can to mitigate it. Keep an eye on legal updates, and be ready to potentially make changes in order to comply with new regulations. Build trust with your users by sharing information freely and removing the “black box” feeling as much as possible. Make sure you’re listening to what users want and implementing AI features that enhance – rather than diminish – their experience. And establish checkpoints and reviews to ensure the human touch hasn’t been removed from the equation, entirely.” 

Arti Raman (She/Her), CEO and founder, Portal26  

“Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) offers employees and the C-suite a new arsenal of tools for productivity compared to the unreliable AI we’ve known for the past couple of decades, but as we celebrate these advancements this AI Appreciation Day, it’s less clear how organizations plan to make their AI strategies stick. They are still throwing darts into the dark, hoping to land on the perfect implementation strategy.   

For those looking to make AI work for them and mitigate the risks:  

1. The technology to address burning security questions regarding GenAI has only been around for approximately six months. Many companies have fallen victim to the negative consequences of GenAI and its misuse. Now is the time to ask, ‘How can I have visibility into these large language models (LLMs?).’  

2. The long-term ability to audit and have forensics capabilities across internal networks will be crucial for organizations wanting to ensure their AI strategies work for them, not against them.   

3. These core capabilities will ultimately drive employee education and knowing how AI tools are best utilized internally. You can’t manage what you can’t see or teach what you don’t know. Having the ability to see, collect and analyze how employees use AI, where they’re most using it and what they’re using is invaluable for long-term strategy.   

AI has marked a turning point globally, and we’re only at the beginning. As this technology evolves, so must our approach to ensuring its ethical and responsible usage.”  

Roger Brulotte, CEO, Leaseweb Canada  

“In an age where “data readiness” is crucial for organizations; the rapid adoption of AI and ML highlights the need of cloud computing services. Canada stands as a pioneer in this technological wave, with its industries using AI to drive economic growth. Montreal is quickly establishing itself as an AI hub with organizations like Scale AI and Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute.  

Companies working with AI models need to manage extensive data sets, requiring robust and flexible solutions to manage complex tasks, training large datasets and neural network navigation. While the fundamental architecture of AI may remain constant, scaling the components up and down is essential depending on the model’s state. As the data-driven landscape keeps evolving, organizations must select data and hosting providers who can keep up with the times and adjust as needed, especially as Canada implements its spending plan to bolster AI on a national level.  

On AI Appreciation Day, we recognize that superior AI outcomes are powered by data, which is only as effective as the solutions that enable its use and safeguarding.”  

Steve Wilson, CPO, Exabeam  

“My recognition of AI Appreciation Day is part celebration, part warning for fellow AI enthusiasts in the security sector. We’ve seen AI capabilities progress dramatically, from simple bots playing chess, to self-driving cars and AI-powered drones with a spectacular potential to truly change how we live. While exciting, AI innovation is often unpredictable. Tempering our enthusiasm is the sobering reality that rapid progress — while filled with opportunity — is never without its challenges.   

The fascinating evolution of AI and self-learning algorithms have presented very different obstacles for teams in the security operations center (SOC), to combat adversaries. Freely available AI tools are assisting threat actors in creating synthetic identity-based attacks using fraudulent images, videos, audio, and more. This deception can be indistinguishable to humans — and exponentially raise the success rate for phishing and social engineering tactics. To defend, security teams should also be armed with AI-driven solutions for predictive analytics, advanced threat detection, investigation and response (TDIR), and exceptional improvements to workflow.  

Before jumping headlong into the excitement and potential of AI, it’s our responsibility to evaluate the societal impacts. We must address ethical concerns and build robust security frameworks. AI is already revolutionizing industries, creating efficiencies and opening possibilities we never could have imagined just a few, short years ago. We’re only getting started and by proceeding with cautious optimism, we can remain vigilant to the obvious risks and avoid negative consequences, while still appreciating AI’s many benefits.”  

 Anthony Verna, SVP and GM, Cubic DTECH Mission Solutions   

“In the ever-evolving landscape of modern warfare, the role artificial intelligence (AI) places in dictating the trajectory of military operations must be emphasized. As we continue to see the complexities of an AI-accelerated battlespace intensify, AI combined with Machine Learning (ML) and advanced data processing have become indispensable to ensure the success of critical missions.  

It’s also essential to recognize how vital next-generation tactical edge-based technologies are in providing decision advantage and how AI’s integration at the edge marks substantial advancement in military operations. The capability to process and interpret data instantaneously at the point of collection offers commanders prompt, actionable insights, facilitating rapid and well-informed decisions.  

Modern operations demand immediate and precise data-to-decision capabilities to support mission-critical decisions at the swift pace of conflict today. This edge-based approach is crucial in denied, disrupted, intermittent, and limited (DDIL) environments where traditional communication channels may be compromised or unreliable.   

As we celebrate AI Appreciation Day, let us acknowledge AI’s profound impact on our military capabilities, ensuring our forces are equipped with the most advanced technology to face the challenges of modern warfare and maintain a strategic advantage.”  

Dave Hoekstra, Product Evangelist, Calabrio   

“AI Appreciation Day is a day to honor the past and present accomplishments of artificial intelligence (AI). AI is not a novel creation, but a product of decades of inquiry and invention. It improves our lives and efficiency, by allowing us to interact and obtain information quicker and easier than ever.  Recent AI breakthroughs have opened up exciting opportunities in education and innovation, providing powerful tools to analyze data and act on insights like never before.   

From early chatbots to advanced voicebots, contact center customers have interacted with AI technology. But the latest innovations in AI helps companies make sense of the data customers provide, like reviews, surveys or calls. Modern models can offer human and virtual agents ongoing feedback on customer interactions to improve them. Workstation copilots can also work with agents and help them find answers. While a helpful human touch will always be required in the contact center, these AI enhancements are becoming more and more essential for agents to perform their jobs effectively and to create a positive customer experience.     

While the contact center is poised for significant improvements with AI, there are still important questions remaining: How do we make sure AI tools are impartial, transparent and accountable? How do we maintain a human-focused and cooperative method of customer service? These are some of the challenges we are addressing as we work towards a more advanced, AI-driven future in the contact center.”  

Cris Grossmann, CEO and founder, Beekeeper   

“Each year, AI Appreciation Day serves as a reminder to embrace the transformative and powerful potential AI holds for frontline industries. The adoption of AI-powered tools by frontline businesses can provide managerial visibility, which is crucial for a more connected frontline workforce. Automated features like real-time evaluation of employee sentiment allow companies to proactively address concerns and prevent employee burnout. Utilizing AI to gauge employee sentiment not only improves retention and engagement but also unlocks new levels of operational efficiency that traditional methods cannot achieve.    

No matter how many advancements in technology we make, AI will never be able to replace frontline workers. But it does have the power to enhance the experience of both frontline workers and managers through smart, people-first strategies.”   

Richard Godfrey, co-founder and CEO of Rocketmakers

“This day honors AI’s positive contributions to humanity and raises awareness of its current and future use cases. AI offers transformative possibilities but embracing AI in your business operations is an investment, both in terms of resources and time. So what can it deliver for your organization:

• Efficiency Gains – Streamlining operations helps teams get more done in less time. Whether it’s automating routine tasks, improving workflows, or expediting decision-making, AI has the capability to refine and accelerate numerous business processes. These efficiency boosts aren’t just about speed; they can lead to more informed decisions, fewer errors, and a more agile business overall.
• Financial Returns – Integrating AI can translate to tangible monetary benefits. For instance, think about the long-term cost savings from automating repetitive processes, or harnessing AI to personalise user experiences, leading to increased sales or heightened engagement.
• Non-Financial Benefits – Incorporating AI can elevate the overall experience for both your clients and your team. Plus, there’s the aspect of brand reputation; companies at the forefront of tech innovation often enjoy a perception of being forward-thinking and customer centric. For your customers, AI can result in more personalised and satisfying interactions with your brand. For the internal team, automating mundane tasks can bolster employee morale, allowing them to focus on more creative and impactful work.”

Alasdair Anderson, Vice President at Protegrity

“With AI Appreciation Day, it is necessary to appreciate the value this technology brings to business while at the same time addressing potential data risks. AI is driving business growth, which is seeing increased adoption. This is set to continue, as supported by Gartner which states that approximately 80% of enterprises will have used generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) application programming interfaces (APIs) or models by 2026. AI is a disruptor and presents breakthroughs in the ability to process logic differently which is attracting attention from businesses and consumers alike who are experimenting with various forms of AI today. At the same time, this technology is attracting similar attention from threat actors who are realizing that it could be a weakness in a company’s security while it could also be a tool that helps companies to identify these weaknesses and address them. 

Employees, who are seeing the benefits of AI in their personal lives, are using tools like ChatGPT to improve their ability to perform job functions. At the same time, these employees are adding to the complexity of data security. Companies need to be aware of what information employees are putting onto these platforms and the threats associated with them.   

As these solutions will bring benefits to the workplace, companies may consider putting non-sensitive data into systems to limit exposure of internal data sets while driving efficiency across the organization. However, organizations need to realize that they can’t have it both ways, and the data they put into such systems will not remain private. For this reason, companies will need to review their information security policies and identify how to safeguard sensitive data while at the same time ensuring employees have access to critical data.  

To mitigate this risk organizations must protect their data using Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETS) which include encryption and tokenization. This replaces identifiable data with values that do not allow personal or sensitive data to be recognizable. 

Organizations would also benefit from Government agencies setting standards for protection and control. The recent guidance from the EU Agency for Cyber Security detailing how to migrate data to and from the cloud while enforcing privacy is an excellent example of how Government agencies can provide cyber guidance for businesses to aim towards. Agencies like GCHQ are experts in protecting critical security assets and allowing others to benefit from this expertise, which strikes me as a low cost and high impact change that the Government could sponsor.  

With several data protection methods available to companies today, the value of AI technologies can be leveraged with peace of mind that personal data remains safe and secure. This is significant for businesses as they experience the true benefits that data brings to improving efficiencies, decision making and the overall customer experience. ”

CYPHER Learning CEO and Founder Graham Glass

“AI is clearly in the proving-ground stage, where organizations must demonstrate practical applications that earn confidence. We’re seeing practical AI applications in HR hiring, training and development and healthcare. As organizations build these applications, the users must be kept at the forefront and remain in control of the final product.

With AI iterations more profuse, expectations will grow. As AI evolves beyond being a diverting novelty to eventually assume central roles in our work and personal lives, people will be – they should be–more concerned with accuracy, privacy, security, control, and usable, valuable results. Think of how internet search, a quarter century ago, changed the way we find things out. This is that at warp speed. It’s going to be faster, more naturalistic, with more focused results and less chaff. When wisely deployed in business, trustworthy AI can help enable an era of more rapid innovation, with better-trained, more adept people using it to create great things more quickly.”

Marc El Khoury, CEO at aifleet

“The trucking industry has good reasons to appreciate AI. It can help us operate more efficiently and drive major improvements in ground shipping such as fewer accidents, safer roads, less congestion, and less pollution. Our drivers benefit from AI-optimized plans that offer better pay and reduce long-haul trips away from homes and families.” 

Kirsten Stoner, Product Strategy Technologist, Veeam Software

“Cyberattacks have become more advanced, often going unnoticed for months or even a year. To stay protected, organizations should adopt a hybrid approach to detection, combining their existing security systems with AI-driven technology. AI-powered detection can analyze various data sources, like network traffic logs and user activity records, to identify suspicious patterns and anomalies. With the use of AI, organizations can detect current threats and provide predictive analysis. By training AI models with quality data sets, the detection process is accelerated, resulting in more accurate identification of anomalies, and reducing false positives. This allows organizations to detect threats early and respond faster to reduce data loss and avoid downtime associated with attacks.

By training AI models by using machine learning algorithms, the model can learn how to filter through the noise and differentiate between normal and malicious activities. This can help with predictive analysis and detecting unknown or emerging threats while improving over time.”

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