by Josh Carlton
July 10, 2023
Generative AI is transforming industries across the globe, and Analyst Relations is no exception. Because Spotlight sits at the nexus of the world’s leading technology vendors, service providers and industry analysts, we have a unique vantage point on disruptive market trends such as Generative AI. It’s only natural to consider how this rapidly evolving technology will transform Analyst Relations. With that in mind, here are four key insights for AR pros who want to better understand Generative AI and its implications for our Industry.
To put it simply, Generative AI is a type of artificial intelligence that learns from data and then uses that knowledge to generate new content—like artwork, music, or text—that’s original and unique. That might sound like something straight out of science fiction, but it’s already here and making a significant impact. A study published in the Journal for Global Health (JOGH) demonstrated how Generative AI could help health researchers accelerate the drafting of their papers. The researchers used a Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT) to handle simulated data and draft a research paper about vaccine effectiveness. The JOGH study is just one of numerous examples demonstrating how this technology can impact research workflows. It’s not hard to imagine industry analysts using Generative AI to quickly draft reports, analyze data, and generate insights.
There’s a strong consensus from the research community that Generative AI holds immense potential to increase efficiency and productivity across every industry and application imaginable, including analyst research. At the same time, analysts agree that Generative AI requires human oversight and governance in order to navigate potential risks, challenges, and ethical pitfalls. Gartner has identified myriad Generative AI use cases in industries ranging from Automotive and Manufacturing to Media, Architecture, Engineering, Energy and Utilities, Healthcare, Electronics, Pharmaceuticals, and more.
As we learn more about this technology and its implications for our industry, it’s a good idea for AR Pros to be aware of how it could change the pace of researching, report writing, and content generation as these will have a direct impact on the way analysts and analyst firms produce research.
The ability to quickly synthesize insights and generate comprehensive suggestions are powerful tools in the tech-savvy AR pro’s arsenal. At Spotlight, we’re already using Generative AI to streamline workflows and increase efficiency. If you haven’t had the opportunity to use Generative AI yet, publicly available tools like ChatGPT can be used to brainstorm ideas, outline and create rough drafts, and craft personalized questions to drive nuanced discussions.
Analysts agree that companies should be experimenting with Generative AI, and we think AR Pros should, too. It’s important to understand how these tools can augment your current workflows—mundane and repetitive tasks can be easily automated and brainstorming new content is easier than ever with Generative AI as a collaborator. Just be sure you’re not exposing any proprietary or confidential information to public models (like ChatGPT), since that data is not private or protected.
Generative AI is amazing at handling complex data and tasks, but it isn’t meant to be a replacement for human connections and relationships. In fact, the human elements of Analyst Relations are becoming even more vital in this new AI-augmented era. We’ve heard many analysts express skepticism about Generative AI replacing human creativity, instead arguing that “AI cannot truly create something new.” In other words, ChatGPT is only simulating creativity and creating approximations of original content. Although, between you and me, some of its simulations are pretty darn convincing.
The Artificial Intelligence community at large is on the fence about the philosophical and ethical implications of Generative AI. Meanwhile, analysts are researching how it will impact the future of work. Human-centric soft skills like creativity, interpersonal communication, and critical reasoning are already becoming more vital in the short term as Generative AI becomes a ubiquitous part of our daily work. It’s been said that, “Generative AI won’t replace you, but someone using it will.” The takeaway is that if you want to remain competitive and thrive in the future, you need to learn how to collaborate with AI so you have more time for the human elements of AR.
The field of Generative AI isn’t new. In fact, the earliest machine learning models emerged in the 1950s, and chatbots capable of sophisticated, human-like conversation have been around since the late 1960s. However, with the advent of OpenAI’s ChatGPT application, the massive surge in public interest has fueled a rapid evolution in this technology, with new research and developments emerging almost daily. AR professionals need to stay up to date on the latest news and developments to leverage the full potential of Generative AI in their work (and know what to expect in the months to come).
Analyst firms are already recommending that organizations should modernize their technology architectures, develop skills in prompt engineering and responsible AI, and manage internal resistance to successfully and safely adopt generative AI tools. Marketing-owned functions (like AR) are likely to be among the first jobs impacted by Generative AI, so it’s important to understand what these new tools can do and how they can augment your workflows to stay ahead of the curve. AR Pros should take this opportunity to engage with analysts to learn best practices, use cases, risks, and competitive advantages of implementing Generative AI into your organization.
The disruptive potential of Generative AI on business and AR cannot be overstated. These new tools speed up collaboration, streamline workflows and improve efficiency. Generative AI can’t replace the human skills and connections that AR pros bring to the table—but it can help us offload mundane tasks and enhance our work so that we can focus on the aspects of AR that require our uniquely human touch.
As we dive headlong into what IDC calls the Era of AI Everywhere, AR pros are uniquely poised to learn, experiment, adapt, and innovate. Embracing Generative AI with an open mind and a clear understanding of both its use cases and risks is key to unlocking new opportunities and co-creating the future of Analyst Relations.
Check out the other post about the AR Industry from The Spotlight Way today.
