How to use artificial intelligence (AI) in your business
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly moving technology that is playing an increasingly influential role in the everyday life of Australians.
If you’ve been curious about AI, now is a great time to learn how it can help you run your business more efficiently, saving you time, money and boosting productivity.
What is AI?
AI refers to the ability of computer systems to perform tasks normally requiring human intelligence, such as answering questions, speech recognition, visual perception, writing content, and identifying patterns in data.
AI tools learn from data and use that ‘learning’ to help with different tasks including decision making.
Today’s AI can help you answer emails, create social media posts, predict customer needs and write reports. It’s like having a really fast assistant working behind the scenes.
However, there are also some risks associated with using AI which are important to be aware of too.
Risks:
- accuracy and reliability – AI outputs may be incomplete, inaccurate or misleading, so human oversight is important
- bias and discrimination – understand that AI can amplify biases from training data
- transparency – communicate when and how you are using AI in your business when appropriate
- privacy and data security – ensure your customers personal data and your business information is protected
- legal considerations – including privacy, consumer protections, anti-discrimination and Intellectual Property
- employees – there may be changes in roles and responsibilities
- operational risks – will the introduction of AI integrate with your existing systems?
National AI Centre
The National AI Centre was established by the Australian Government to assist businesses adopt AI safely and responsibly.
It provides practical guidance, training and resources to make utilising AI more accessible, particularly for small to medium businesses.
Learn more about how the National AI centre can help by visiting their website.
Why use AI in business?
Running a business is a big job – emails, planning, selling, keeping up with customer orders… it can seem endless.
AI can make those routine jobs easier, faster, and reduce repetitive tasks so that you can focus on the things that really matter.
Because AI is evolving so quickly, there are always new tools and uses to explore and you don’t need to be a technical expert to get started.
How AI can help in different parts of your business
AI can be used in many areas of your business, not just those below. The most common (and impactful) ways businesses are already using AI to work smarter include:
How small businesses can get started with AI
Getting started with AI in your business doesn’t have to be complicated. The easiest way to begin is with a clear goal, and a few practical steps.
- Choose one area to experiment with – Pick a task that takes up a lot of your time, such as replying to emails or managing your calendar, and try an AI tool that can help. Many have free trials.
- Get hands-on – Use tools like CoPilot, Gemini, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude. Ask it questions, give it a task, or upload a file to see what it can do.
- Take advantage of free online learning – Search for “AI for small business” on YouTube or sign up for free beginner courses.
- Learn from others – Talk to other business owners or join online forums and groups where people share AI tips and tools.
- Explore local learning opportunities – For example, the University of Tasmania offers a short course on AI in the workplace: AI in the Workplace – UTAS.
AI is always changing, and that’s exciting.
New tools are emerging all the time, and existing tools are getting smarter. The key is to stay open to learning and to try new things at a pace that works for you.
AI for business doesn’t replace your hard work or your team. It can, however, make your life easier.