Anyone who has ever typed a text message on an iPhone and seen suggested words or phrases pop up above their phone's keyboard has experienced an everyday example of how artificial intelligence (AI) is being deployed across various applications.

Chris Taylor of the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) provided this example in his presentation at an event Thursday evening about AI and business in partnership with the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC). See the slideshow for scenes from the event.

Taylor, the vice-chair of MSOE's electrical engineering and computer science department, explained that while AI is "a source of hype and buzzwords," it can be a useful tool that can help businesses improve efficiencies, remove tedium and identify new business opportunities.

"Artificial intelligence is, really broadly speaking, a category of software that mimics human intelligence," Taylor said.

Taylor recommended that businesses that are new to leveraging AI should start soon and start small to ensure that people within the business can understand the technology and how it's being used.

"One of the hardest things about business transformation is people," Taylor said. "If you're introducing a system that people don't understand, they're not going to trust it. You need to start small and provide ways for everyone to understand what's going on."

Following Taylor's presentation, executives from three local companies spoke in a panel discussion about how their businesses are leveraging AI. Those executives were Direct Supply executive vice president and chief information officer Janet Schalk, Caspian Technologies president and CEO Dale Boehm, and Saad Sirohey of GE Healthcare.

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2022/03/13/ai-business-mmac-msoe.html