Matt Hoffman, vice president of product and industry solutions with John Galt Solutions, offers advice on how companies can drive their AI journey.

Companies looking to set off on their artificial intelligence journey need to focus on several key steps, Hoffman says. First is “defining what the roadmap is going to be.” Many AI projects fail because the organization lacked a clear objective in adopting the technology. “Define what you want to do, the problems to be solved and how much you’re willing to have AI augment,” he says.

Second is the importance of managing data. Organizations might be reluctant to proceed with an AI initiative because they fear that their data is lacking in quality. But AI can actually help to improve the data, Hoffman says. In this regard, one might conjure up the age-old “chicken-or-egg” question: does good data drive AI, or does AI drive good data? Hoffman says it works both ways. “It’s very much a recursive opportunity,” he adds, as the model keeps getting better in accuracy and value of data.

The third step involves people, and how they expect to fare in the age of AI. Many fear being replaced by automation. Hoffman acknowledges that AI will change the way that people work, but says it will give human experts “new power” in their roles, rather than replacing them outright. “It’s a great way to get people thinking,” he says.

Hoffman’s advice to companies just now embarking on their AI journey: “Define the roadmap — what’s important, what decisions you’re comfortable turning over [to AI]. Once you put that together,  you can create a plan that makes sense for you, and understand what data is going to drive that roadmap.”