Our approach unlocks how to think about AI

Let’s use Chat GTP as an example

When you use a prompt to get a response from Chat GPT, you give it context. For example, you might ask it to draft an email. You can also give it specific data or knowledge, for example, draft an email based on the feedback contained in this document (where you upload a document). You may then copy and paste Chat GPT’s draft into your email programme because that’s how you work.

To achieve this goal, you input text into Chat GPT’s interface. Chat GPT uses a large language model that accurately predicts sequences of words based on its training data (millions of web pages). The tool you prompted summarised the feedback. The process generated value by saving you time.

The simple act of using Chat GPT to read a document, summarise the feedback and draft an email illustrates how all the pieces fit together and created value.

Now imagine if you could combine these pieces in clever ways across your whole organisation. What more could you do with AI?

Let’s work through the approach together

We work with your teams to first gather context, then use engaging workshops to explain and embed the Mainstay approach into your thinking. Based on your organisation’s needs, we demonstrate the approach in practice using a mixture of simple examples (such as Chat GPT) and more complex applications of AI.

The workshops stimulate thinking and produce a clear direction and ‘bridge’ into testing the AI market to see how it can add value to your organisation. The people who work through the model and attend the workshops will become your internal AI influencers. They will give you confidence that you have the right attitude and capacity in place for the future.

Expand each step of our approach below:

  • We digest your strategy, what your organisation does and how it generates value. We also talk to your key stakeholders about potential challenges and opportunities, and help you assess current AI usage and attitudes.

  • AI adds more value when combined with your data and knowledge. We capture a high-level view of your data and knowledge sources that could be used in conjunction with AI tools.

  • We map out a high-level view of your current workflows (how you work) so we can stimulate conversations and think about where AI might fit.

  • We assess your context, data, knowledge and workflows to frame up potential opportunities and challenges that could be explored through an AI lens. These are the pieces of the puzzle for your team to put together.

  • This is where the magic happens. We run carefully designed workshops to take your teams through the pieces (with examples) and your organisation’s context.

    We have a toolbox full of creative exercises that will enable your team to safely explore the potential of AI to how the pieces could be put together to create a bridge and direction for investigation.

  • From the workshops we identify potential ways that AI can add value to your organisation.

    For each potential activity we ask: what would have to be true for it to add value? The most promising activities form a ‘bridge’ from your organisation into the world of AI models and tools. The bridge gives your AI activities a clear purpose and direction.

  • Based on the activities with the most potential, we help you try various tools and AI models to determine where the market is at and how it could add value to your organisation. This might be now, in the future, or with further investment.

    Sometimes we help you engage third parties for the testing and validation phase. Knowing the bridge that you’re looking to cross ensures that these engagements are successful.

  • The final output of working through our approach, defining your bridge and testing the AI market, is to produce a strategy and roadmap that shows where, how and when AI will deliver value to your organisation.

  • The team that works through the approach and workshops will become the AI influencers in your organisation. They should be supported to continually evolve their thinking and frequently revisit how AI can add value because the market is rapidly developing.

    Your internal AI influencers should give you confidence you have the right capability in place.

FAQs

  • Every organisation is different, but the minimum cost to gather context, run a workshop (for about 6 people), define and test an AI direction, then summarise it into a useful strategy and roadmap is NZD$8,800 ex GST. However, you may wish to add more workshops and dive deeper into testing the market. Talk to us about finding your AI direction.

  • That depends on many things like availability of your team, what context is required, what AI tests are needed etc. However, the process can take as little as four weeks to run.

  • Yes and no. Yes, because we help you think about AI and use tools to find your AI direction. However, our primary purpose is to help organisations develop strategies for making the most of AI.

  • Yes. But mostly our advice is to embrace AI for generating ideas and supporting work, but never rely on AI. When it comes to sharing data with AI models: don’t. Unless you’re certain the data won’t be used by the AI tool and added to its training set.

  • Sometimes the process of working through the approach produces breakthroughs and competitive advantage. Prior to commencing the project we are happy to sign an NDA that protects your sensitive information and assigns all rights and intellectual property created to your organisation.

  • We treat all data and private information seriously. We make sure that any use of data in interacting with AI tools is done so securely, with your consent, and inline with your organisation’s data policies.

  • We fully acknowledge that resource-hungry AI technologies have an impact on the environment. We fully acknowledge that some AI companies may have illegally scraped data to train their models. We fully acknowledge that AI technologies may make some human roles redundant. We accept the bad with the good and try to do our best to adopt sustainable, ethical and positive AI practices.

    We also believe that AI has the potential to tackle some of these issues and make the world a better, more productive, and more equitable place.

Approach AI with purpose

Set your organisation on the right path by working through the Mainstay approach, creating your AI influencers and finding your AI direction.