Accenture’s Lan Guan on navigating the AI path responsibly

Accenture’s chief synthetic intelligence (AI) officer Lan Guan works carefully with firms throughout industries and geographies to develop knowledge and AI methods that drive worth and development.

She additionally leads the Accenture Heart for Superior AI —the AI epicentre that allows enterprises to seize and create worth from their AI funding by leveraging deep experience, differentiated scalable property and options underpinned by knowledge prowess and {industry} information, and market-leading thought management and analysis. Guan additionally serves on the advisory board of the AI4All, a nonprofit organisation devoted to rising variety and inclusion in AI schooling, analysis, improvement and coverage.

Gulf Enterprise spoke to Guan, who was at LEAP 2024 not too long ago to showcase how AI needs to be driving enterprise reinvention. Listed below are excerpts from the dialogue.

Inform us what Accenture showcased at LEAP 2024. What did you concentrate on throughout your speak?

At Leap 2024, we turned the highlight on our Gen AI technique, emphasising the agency’s dedication to driving enterprise reinvention via knowledge and AI. As chief AI officer, my focus is on highlighting the numerous influence of AI throughout numerous fronts. We’re investing $2bn in knowledge and AI over the subsequent three years, underscoring Accenture’s dedication to scaling influence and driving worth throughout all the worth chain.

Throughout my presentation at LEAP, I emphasised the significance of shifting past siloed use circumstances and specializing in scaled influence.

We mentioned how companies ought to prioritise enterprise reinvention and leverage cloud, knowledge, and AI capabilities as foundational components. Moreover, I underscored the significance of addressing workforce reskilling and upskilling to thrive within the period of Gen AI, emphasising the significance of accountable AI practices.

We additionally delved into the societal influence of Gen AI, discussing its function in bridging the digital divide and selling inclusion and variety. I shared examples of startups utilising Gen AI to enhance meals security and inhabitants well being, in addition to its implications for schooling and demanding pondering. Accountable AI practices and the influence of Gen AI on humanity have been additionally key subjects of dialogue.

It was a fascinating and fruitful expertise, exchanging insights and customary beliefs with {industry} leaders and stakeholders.

In what key areas do you understand governments, firms and people having the potential to affect the deployment of accountable AI?

In driving the mission of accountable AI deployment, a number of key areas stand out the place governments, firms, and people can exert affect.

Firstly, schooling performs an important function in selling AI literacy and addressing moral issues akin to privateness and safety implications. Scepticism surrounding new applied sciences is pure, and governments want to teach communities and companies to mitigate dangers related to AI, together with biases and misinformation.

Authorities engagement via instructional programmes is important in assuaging public apprehension and fostering understanding of AI’s potential and limitations.

Secondly, infrastructure is paramount in embedding accountable AI rules at its core. Implementing accountable AI by design ensures proactive measures somewhat than reactive responses to incidents. Infrastructure enhancements, akin to safe knowledge sharing and utilisation of safe cloud companies, are important in fostering a strong basis for accountable AI deployment.

Regulation additionally performs an important function in governing AI deployment, making certain adherence to moral requirements and safeguarding in opposition to potential dangers. Collaborative efforts between governments, firms, and people are essential to navigate the complexities of AI regulation successfully.

Total, schooling, infrastructure, and regulation emerge as pivotal areas the place concerted efforts are required to advance the accountable deployment of AI for the good thing about society.

So, you’re speaking to firms and advising them on how you can use AI responsibly?

Completely. Advising firms on how you can use AI responsibly is a significant factor of our providing.

Our analysis has revealed that solely 2 per cent of the businesses we’ve labored with have applied systematic, accountable AI practices. This means that there’s nonetheless a considerable hole in accountable AI adoption, with 30 per cent of firms simply starting to deal with this situation, leaving the remaining 70 per cent with non-existent accountable AI practices.

This lack of duty poses a major barrier to AI adoption, as firms could hesitate to embrace know-how as a consequence of considerations about its moral implications.

To handle this problem, we advocate for schooling and transparency in AI utilization. By making certain that firms are well-informed about accountable AI practices, they’ll utilise know-how transparently and ethically.

In essence, our technique revolves round educating firms to make use of AI responsibly, fostering transparency, and selling moral practices in AI deployment. This strategy is important to overcoming obstacles to adoption and harnessing the complete potential of AI for constructive influence.

Inform us concerning the highlights of Accenture’s Know-how Imaginative and prescient 2024 report.

One among our key findings from Accenture’s Know-how Imaginative and prescient Report 2024 revolves across the continued prominence of AI. This 12 months’s report emphasises the importance of AI scaling, outlining imperatives that firms ought to prioritise to successfully scale AI initiatives.

Moreover, the report underscores the significance of human-machine collaboration, highlighting the evolving function of autonomous brokers. Constructing upon earlier discussions concerning the augmentation of human intelligence by machines, we now discover how autonomous brokers can improve human-machine collaboration.

These brokers possess long-term reminiscence and environmental consciousness, enabling them to orchestrate numerous AI actions inside ecosystems. This improvement represents an thrilling development within the realm of AI know-how.

What are the industries that AI is disrupting?

Nicely, there are a number of industries that we see AI remodeling. These embody banking, insurance coverage, retail/shopper items, and the general public sector, significantly healthcare and life sciences. These industries have been early adopters of AI and have applied scalable applications throughout numerous domains.

By way of particular use circumstances, we’ve noticed AI being utilised for advertising and marketing hyper-personalisation, content material provide chain administration, inventive era and buyer care and call centres. Moreover, industries akin to insurance coverage and banking are utilizing AI for sooner processing of insurance coverage claims and shopper mortgage approvals.

In life sciences, AI is employed for drug discovery and streamlining handbook efforts throughout medical trials. It’s noteworthy that no {industry} needs to be left behind in adopting AI. Even conventional sectors akin to metal manufacturing are embracing AI to automate administrative duties and enhance effectivity.

One compelling instance is a 150-year-old metal plant in North America that approached us to discover AI adoption. They recognised the potential of AI to automate mundane duties and reinvest value financial savings into trendy, sustainable applied sciences. This story illustrates the democratisation of AI adoption throughout industries, highlighting the significance of schooling and duty in AI deployment.

We consider in democratising AI adoption whereas emphasising the necessity for accountable use. It’s important to teach companies and residents to embark on their AI journey at their very own tempo, leveraging knowledge for evidence-based decision-making.

Accenture not too long ago launched Accenture LearnVantage to assist purchasers and staff acquire important abilities for the AI financial system. Inform us extra about it.

The LearnVantage programme is certainly an thrilling initiative, particularly within the realm of AI studying. This new service is meticulously designed to help leaders throughout numerous industries and authorities entities in swiftly figuring out ability gaps pertinent to their fields. These ability gaps, typically propelled by technological developments, are seamlessly addressed via industry-specific coaching programmes, making certain fast upskilling at scale.

Drawing upon our intensive expertise in inner worker coaching, together with the profitable launch of the TQ (Know-how Quotient) programme, which centered on know-how teaching, and the continuing efforts in AI studying, LearnVantage amalgamates these experiences. By leveraging these capabilities, we goal to foster industry-building abilities amongst our purchasers, communities, and authorities organisations. This initiative not solely units us aside but in addition serves as a way to contribute to societal welfare via the profound influence of AI.

It’s essential to recognise that this initiative aligns with a key dependency, equipping people with the mandatory abilities to thrive in an AI-driven panorama. I think about myself lucky to have been immersed in AI and knowledge work for over twenty years. Now, I’m devoted to making sure that our workforce grows from 40,000 to 80,000, with our staff receiving related development alternatives. LearnVantage supplies people with the prospect to enterprise into AI, no matter their prior expertise or background.

The passion and inquiries we obtain from colleagues desirous to delve into AI underscore the significance of initiatives like LearnVantage. We’re thrilled that our management has recognised the importance of investing on this house, and I’m personally excited to witness the transformative influence it should have on people and organisations alike.

As a feminine chief, inform us the way you help the development of ladies in fields akin to AI.

Mentoring ladies in AI is a subject I’m extremely enthusiastic about. Firstly, I consider ladies are exceptionally well-suited for AI and knowledge work because of the distinctive abilities we deliver, together with consideration to element. It’s essential to recognise and leverage these strengths. Furthermore, bettering gender steadiness within the {industry} is crucial, particularly on condition that we prepare AI programs.

Guaranteeing a balanced gender workforce in AI is important to mitigate biases that might result in detrimental penalties. As an illustration, AI programs have exhibited biases in numerous situations, akin to assuming gender roles based mostly on societal norms.

To handle this situation, we should take a multi-faceted strategy. Firstly, emphasising the significance of STEM schooling is essential. Moreover, ladies should take proactive steps to reinforce their abilities and credentials, akin to pursuing certifications in related areas like cloud structure.

Networking can also be important, regardless of its challenges. I typically encourage ladies to undertake the “rule of 72”, which entails making a particular variety of contacts every month, breaking it down into manageable weekly duties. This strategy helps strengthen skilled networks over time.

Moreover, mentorship and training play pivotal roles in profession development. Establishing mentorship relationships early on can present invaluable steering and help all through one’s profession journey.
I consider it’s a collective effort, and every of us has a job to play in fostering an inclusive and various AI workforce.

On a concluding word, what are the important thing alternatives and challenges of AI adoption?

Probably the most vital alternatives lies within the democratisation of AI. Which means the widespread influence of AI gained’t be restricted to just some tech giants advancing their AI capabilities. As an alternative, it should contain smaller and medium-sized companies, in addition to particular person residents, embracing AI know-how. I typically confer with this as “way of life AI”, envisioning a future the place AI seamlessly integrates into our every day lives. If we collectively work in the direction of this aim, AI may ultimately grow to be invisible, seamlessly woven into our routines and interactions.

Nonetheless, a significant problem in realising this imaginative and prescient lies in addressing the talents hole. Investing in abilities improvement, reskilling, and upskilling is important to bridge the information and mindset gaps that at present exist.

By equipping people and organisations with the mandatory AI abilities, we are able to unlock the complete potential of AI adoption and drive constructive societal change.