Since the recent rise of LLMs, the word “AI” has become ingrained in almost every piece of software and hardware. However, many companies have incorporated AI into their products just to follow the trend, without necessarily providing anything truly useful. This trend has gone so far that you can now buy a computer mouse with AI functionality. But when the advertising says “AI,” it often means adding a ChatBot, which users can call by pressing a button on the mouse. Of course, the ChatBot has no idea about the mouse itself—what it can do, or how it might help you with the product you’ve bought simply because it had an “AI” feature. Just as every AI needs some context to be more accurate, this story needs more context too.
The Sun Peaks at Dawn
When we imagined AI in the 70s and 80s, we had a completely different vision—one that, in some ways, thankfully hasn’t come true (yet). There were AI labels long before the rise of LLMs, but their ease of use and mainstream appeal has now made AI ubiquitous. In a technology market that had become somewhat stagnant, there was a desperate need for a new buzzword that could be sold to consumers as a reinvention of the wheel.
Luckily for manufacturers and developers, LLMs rolled out the red carpet for the return of “AI.” As a result, in 2024, we now have AI in:
- Computer mice: As mentioned earlier, these open a basic ChatBot that lets you talk about anything—except, ironically, the mouse itself because it doesn’t have access to that data.
- Washing machines and dryers: Manufacturers have rebranded regular logic and moisture sensors as “AI.”
- Air conditioning systems: Similar to washing machines, where simple logic is rebranded as AI.
- Smartphones: While AI in phones seems to enhance user experience, it’s usually just a set of precompiled AI solutions running from the cloud—another way for manufacturers to charge extra in a declining industry.
- Toothbrushes: Yes, there are toothbrushes that use sensors to detect areas you haven’t brushed enough. But calling it AI is a stretch.
- Thermal paste: Perhaps the wildest example. While thermal paste itself can’t have AI (since any silicon would make it conductive and dangerous), one manufacturer labeled it “AI thermal paste” because it can be applied to processors with integrated AI cores.
This list could go on, but most of these so-called AI features share one major flaw (except, perhaps, for smartphones to an extent): they don’t help you with the product or service you bought. One might argue that, just at the second dawn of AI, the technology has already peaked. This is largely due to the laziness of manufacturers and idea creators. However, this perspective only reflects the mainstream consumer world. In the enterprise sector, the story of AI is far more complex.
Repeating the Success
Manufacturers have repeated the success of the “AI” label, which was all the rage 40 years ago. In enterprise, success often relies on repetition. Just as individuals find success through daily tasks and rituals, enterprises multiply this across hundreds or thousands of processes.
Even the simplest AI can mitigate wasted time in the enterprise by automating repetitive tasks. However, only a well-thought-out, not rushed AI can truly enhance the tools you already use, making them more efficient or easier to operate. That’s why it’s often better to take the time to rethink every new trend and its viability in an enterprise context, rather than jumping on the bandwagon with a solution to a problem no one had. Hence…
Introducing Scheer PAS Chatbot
Thanks to our skilled developers, Scheer PAS—with all its capabilities—has an AI feature you’ll actually want to use.
Yes, it’s the PAS Chatbot, and no, it’s not just for small talk or answering everyday questions. It helps you tap into the full potential of Scheer PAS, bridging the gap between developers who are PASsionate (sorry, couldn’t resist!) about our platform, and those just trying it out to see if it fits their enterprise.
After the latest update (24.2), the PAS Chatbot can assist with your first integration, process design, or any of the extensive capabilities Scheer PAS has to offer. It’s been trained on Scheer PAS’s official documentation, so it knows exactly how to help.
