Unlocking the Power of AI: Real-World Applications and Lessons Learned
by Freda Deskin, Ph.D
I attended a live webinar about artificial intelligence (AI) about four years ago, featuring American billionaire and tech entrepreneur Mark Cuban. As someone who’s had a computer since 1981 and proudly identifies as a tech enthusiast, I was intrigued enough to log in at the scheduled time.
What Mr. Cuban said during that session astounded me. He predicted that AI would be bigger than the internet. “No way,” I thought initially. But the more I listened, the more it made sense. He added that he wouldn’t be a billionaire without AI. That claim surprised me—until I learned that while the term “artificial intelligence” was coined in 1956, its origins date back even further.
Cuban stressed that organizations that do not embrace AI will be left behind. Like the Industrial Revolution, AI will displace some jobs and create new roles and opportunities. As with any major technological advancement, fear and skepticism are common at first, but the genie is out of the bottle. AI is here, and it’s evolving fast.
Today, most AI tools are either free or have affordable subscription plans, making them accessible to individuals, businesses, and organizations alike. Over the past three years, I’ve taken multiple AI courses, and the more I learn, the more value I see in incorporating AI across various domains.
There are different types of AI, each with unique strengths. Generative AI—like GPT and DALL·E—can create content ranging from text and art to music and code. Machine learning (ML), a subset of AI, enables systems to learn from data and improve over time. Think of Netflix suggesting shows based on your viewing history, spam filters recognizing junk emails, or Siri understanding voice commands. Even fraud detection in credit card transactions is powered by machine learning.
Of course, ethical questions abound: bias, privacy, job displacement, and safety must be addressed. Still, the potential benefits are vast—AI could play a pivotal role in discovering new medicines, tackling climate change, or even exploring space.
While AI may make certain jobs obsolete, it will also birth new ones. For instance, many organizations will soon hire ethics officers specifically to oversee the responsible use of AI. Some users complain about inaccurate AI responses, which often stem from poorly written prompts. Crafting effective prompts is a learned skill that directly impacts output quality.
At my organization, I’ve introduced AI into numerous workflows. Teachers use it to generate hands-on, standards-based lesson plans, design rubrics, build exams, create individualized learning paths, and analyze assessment data.
We’ve even begun producing training videos using AI avatars—realistic representations of people who can speak in over 300 languages. Text documents can be converted into video presentations with lifelike narration. These are replacing traditional written processes in departments like HR, IT, Communications, Facilities, and Finance and are housed on our internal network. Employees can watch these instructional videos as many times as needed.
In HR, for example, new hires can receive a digital onboarding experience via video before entering the office.
Why the shift toward video? Consider these statistics:
80% of people prefer watching a video over reading text on the same topic.
59% of executives would rather watch a video than read.
72% of customers say they prefer learning about a product or service via video.
Viewers retain 95% of a video’s message compared to just 10% when reading text.
AI is a time-saver and a game-changer. I can’t capture how I use it in this short article, but I hope this glimpse encourages you to explore it. The future belongs to those willing to embrace and learn from this powerful tool.