Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) is already a reality in companies. Administrative tasks, such as writing memos, official letters, and reports, are carried out much more quickly. However, the scope of Gen AI goes beyond these activities. It can be used, for example, in the development of customized commercial proposals, in the creation of chatbots for customer service, in the analysis of large volumes of data, and in the automation of repetitive tasks. It turns out that, to truly add value to the business in the current scenario, not only by speeding up work and improving its quality but also by enhancing creativity and innovation, organizations will need to modify their processes and structures.
"AI has been a flexible tool for service innovation across various sectors; the issue is that most companies have not yet defined a plan in this regard, and they have been slow to adopt it, as some recent research indicates, showing that employees are far ahead of their organizations in the use of these tools," noted the professor from the University of Brasília (UnB) and researcher in the field of technological innovation, Dr. Paulo Henrique de Souza Bermejo. He emphasized that the time to make these changes is now, because falling behind means losing the potential benefits of this technology, and as time passes, this state of delay only widens.
He stated that, to harness this enthusiasm and even the curiosity that AI sparks, it is essential for the company to adapt the way it works with it, as the tool alone will not generate positive results. "This means planning and applying generative AI in ways that support the organization's strategy, reinventing operational models, reimagining talents and skills, and creating change through robust governance and infrastructure," he explained.
Currently, it is common for employees to experiment with generative AIs using free and public versions, such as ChatGPT. "This is an indicator of how much people are interested, and this should already encourage companies to bring this innovation into their daily lives, whether by adopting this technology in a widespread manner or through gradual implementation," he added.
According to the professor, to capture the full potential of generative AI, the company should consider how this technology could redefine the way the organization works. Some important steps in this context would be to reconfigure the company's operational model, adapting and translating it according to organizational needs and vision; to reformulate qualification strategies; and to promote the reinforcement of these changes, aiming to ensure continuous adaptation.
Prioritizing areas
To begin, as the researcher pointed out, companies should prioritize the right area of transformation, focusing on specific domains such as product development, marketing, and customer service, among others. Through this activity- and area-centered approach, it is possible to perform end-to-end technological transformations, integrating multiple use cases into a single workflow or process.
One can also focus on activities that have greater effort and impact on results, using, for example, the Pareto Principle, as highlighted by the researcher. For those unfamiliar, this principle, also known as the 80/20 Rule, suggests that 80% of the consequences are generally attributed to 20% of the causes. The Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto identified this pattern in the 19th century, observing that 20% of the Italian population held 80% of the country's wealth, and this concept was later expanded and applied to various fields such as business and economics.
From another perspective, the professor emphasized that within this new scenario, organizations need to clearly understand which skills are essential for the team in order to fill competency gaps, investing in training and qualification. It is worth emphasizing, as Bermejo pointed out, that this is not a challenge that companies can overcome by hiring new employees, as it affects the entire organization and the way work is done within it. "This will require a personalized approach, focused on motivating employees, as well as close collaboration between those leading, the technology sector, and HR, which, given the enormous importance of personnel issues, plays a crucial role in these changes," he said.
Since it is a rapidly evolving technology that is easily and widely accessible, the idea is that everyone can adapt to the skills it requires, such as knowing how to craft prompts and make data-driven decisions. "Although the new required skills vary greatly depending on the company, all organizations will need a dynamic approach. Training is a progressive and continuous process, and it involves the improvement of various skills to complement and validate artificial intelligence," he said.
The Advantages of Organizational Strategy in Gen AI
Basically, with an organizational strategy, the company sets clear guidelines on when, how, and why generative AI should be used. "This enables control, ensuring that its management is aligned with the organization's objectives and meets quality and safety standards. Without a strategy, employees use AI independently, which can lead to inconsistencies in application and resource waste," highlighted the professor.
Furthermore, with a strategy, the organization can implement data protection policies, establishing what can or cannot be shared with AI tools, especially considering that many of these platforms use data to improve their models. Thus, this would help prevent the leakage of confidential material. "Without proper use of Gen AI in the company, employees may input sensitive or confidential data, unknowingly, such as information about clients, projects, or financial data, into AI systems that lack the necessary protection, exposing organizations to risks of privacy breaches and compliance issues," he endorsed.
Alignment with corporate goals is also essential. "In this way, the use of Gen AI is aimed at solving specific problems. The company can, for example, use AI to increase efficiency in specific tasks, such as customer service, report generation, or support for the development of new products. Without a strategy, employees may use this tool in a scattered and superficial manner, without focusing on the company's priorities. On another aspect of the problem, important decisions can be made based on results generated by AI without proper validation, compromising the quality of the work," he highlighted.
As emphasized by the professor, adopting an organizational strategy for the use of generative AI not only brings tangible benefits in terms of security, efficiency, and innovation but also avoids risks associated with unstructured use. "Allowing employees to use AI on their own can compromise information integrity and company security. A well-thought-out approach ensures that AI serves organizational purposes while protecting its reputation and assets," he concluded.
