Artificial Intelligence: Buzzword or Reality? – ElPropósito2 min de lectura

My first steps toward understanding technologies that, one way or another, are changing the world and our lives

2010 was the year I first came across the term data mining, as I was finishing my MBA at INCAE in Costa Rica, in a spectacularly good course with a brilliant person, Professor Carlos Quintanilla. I had no idea what I’d discover after opening that door. Over these 8 years I’ve taken an interest (as a hobby) in studying how to create value and competitive advantage in companies through data. Today, terms coined many years ago, such as artificial intelligence (AI), are coming to life.

The road hasn’t been easy. Talking about AI means trying to understand all the technologies that orbit around it (machine learning, neural networks, deep learning, robotic process automation and a long list more). Yet that’s exactly where companies like Amazon, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, IBM and Apple invest about $54 billion a year combined, according to Thomas Davenport in his latest book, The AI Advantage.

Fortunately, I’ve found good authors to help me understand all this, among them Professor Thomas Davenport, whom I admire and follow for his ability to synthesize and simplify what could be a thorny path (for a non-technical person like me).

Here are a few resources I’d suggest for getting started and building a solid base of knowledge on these topics:

Article: Artificial Intelligence for the Real World. It offers a framework for implementing AI in a company, starting with an analysis of which type of technology to implement, moving through project portfolio management and then putting pilot projects into practice

Book: The AI Advantage. Just published (October 16, 2018), and I’m reading it now. Like all of Professor Davenport’s books, it’s written with simplicity and breadth on AI terms and strategies, and it’s a practical guide to taking the first steps and putting these technologies to work for companies

Videos: two short (2-minute) Harvard Business Review videos on how to extract value from the data a company generates, which activities are already shifting to AI, and which human skills are becoming more valued and in demand in business. Video 1: Artificial Intelligence Could Give Managers Half of Their Time. Video 2: Big Data and Analytics

I hope these are useful. Is there anything you’re reading or watching about artificial intelligence you’d like to share with me?

A hug,

Rodrigo

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

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