"Each manager should lead the AI revolution in their respective department"
Eran Shalev, managing partner at KPMG Israel, was speaking during the Calcalist and KPMG Work After Work event
"Each manager should lead the AI revolution in their respective department," stated Eran Shalev, managing partner at KPMG Israel, during the Calcalist and KPMG Work After Work event.
"A few days ago, we witnessed the young Israeli soccer team at the Mondialito, and in a similar vein, we decided to pose a highly complex question to ChatGPT: Who is the greatest Israeli player of all time?" Shalev shared. "Yossi Benayoun? Avi Nimni? Shiya Glazer? Eyal Berkovic? No, not Eli Ohana either. Let me read the response provided by the ChatGPT: 'Among the prominent players, we can mention Eric Weiner, who was a valued player in the Maccabi Tel Aviv club and the Israeli national team.' However, Eric Weiner is a well-known author and not an Israeli soccer player. Hence, there are inaccuracies in artificial intelligence. When discussing AI, we encounter not only inaccuracies but also matters of ethics, copyright, and confidentiality."
"I am frequently asked for my opinion on the integration of AI within the business world," Shalev added. "My response is clear: when I look ahead, I prefer to look back. The Industrial Revolution commenced in the mid-18th century, and gradually, mass production lines emerged. If we consider a shoemaker who was replaced by an assembly line, undoubtedly, if asked whether they believed in the success of the assembly line, they would respond, 'It won't succeed because I know how to make custom shoes. Why would anyone choose shoes that are not tailored to them?' However, the assembly line offered a superior value proposition, combining quality and price. When a better value proposition arises, it becomes a matter of how and when, rather than if.
"Regarding employment concerns, during the Industrial Revolution, a considerable number of people initially lost their jobs. Nevertheless, over time, the gross domestic product significantly increased, providing more leisure hours and enabling greater productivity in less time. Undoubtedly, this will also occur in the field of artificial intelligence.
"So, why are we addressing this question now? I believe Microsoft and OpenAI have placed the artificial intelligence discussion on the table. ChatGPT is an AI tool accessible to the masses, granting us all access to an incredible tool that utilizes AI at a negligible cost, leveraging nearly infinite information. In our consumption, this represents a disruptive revolution. Therefore, for me, the introduction of AI tools is merely a matter of time.
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"We witnessed the entry of AI tools over 20 years ago, such as IBM's Deep Blue defeating Kasparov and the Siri voice assistant on smartphones. At KPMG Israel, we have also established a dedicated group of individuals who possess expertise and capabilities in the field of artificial intelligence—the KPMG Edge Group. We strive to provide comprehensive solutions to our clients and have accomplished remarkable projects over the years. For instance, we developed a digital nurse for an oncology unit in one of the hospitals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we assisted the National Insurance Institute in establishing the unemployment benefits system. Without this group, unemployment benefits would not have been possible during the pandemic. We can cite numerous other large and intricate projects, and we take pride in our achievements.
"So, what lies ahead for us?" Shalev questioned. "In my view, it is about leading a revolution. Every manager should spearhead this revolution within their own domain. The world is changing today, if not already yesterday. Each manager should assemble a team that can integrate artificial intelligence tools within the organization, identifying areas where such tools can and should be implemented. They should explore how to streamline assimilation, enhance production efficiency, improve quality, and elevate the value proposition. Today, all of this can be accomplished using existing artificial intelligence tools."
