I wish I could tell you that all this talk about artificial intelligence (AI) across all corners of the office technology industry and in the mainstream media is much ado about nothing. It’s become the foremost topic of discussion at industry events, in conversations with industry thought leaders, and in the media pitches we receive daily. Indeed, hardly a day goes by when an AI-oriented pitch doesn’t appear in my email, even if most of those pitches aren’t a good fit for an office technology dealer audience.
In January, I attended the Executive Connection Summit, a conference that underscored the AI frenzy sweeping the office technology industry. Some excellent sessions were devoted to AI, and references to AI were even made in those sessions where it was not the primary focus. In March, I attended the HP Amplify Partner conference. Once again, AI was the centerpiece of another industry event. Meanwhile, later this month, The Cannata Report will be hosting a webinar with ConnectWise on AI.
The discussion of how artificial intelligence is being used in the office technology industry has only just begun, and even though most of the technology and software companies are leveraging it in one form or another, the office technology dealer channel seems to be watching and waiting. Case in point: A couple of months ago, I sent out a survey to find out how dealers use AI in their organizations or how they might use it in the future. This survey garnered five responses, which tells me that it was too soon to ask dealers about AI because they just don’t know right now.
This month, The Cannata Report is jumping on the artificial intelligence bandwagon and devoting most of this issue to the topic. Our cover feature is written by one of the office technology industry’s top thought leaders on AI, Greg Walters. He offers suggestions on how dealers can start using AI in their dealerships. Closely connected to that piece is an article on how AI can help train sales reps.
Another article in this issue posits that artificial intelligence isn’t new. We’ve all been using it in some shape or form for at least a decade. Isn’t that right, Siri and Alexa?
Like it or not, AI is here to stay. However, the AI frenzy we are currently experiencing will likely simmer down within the next five years or so as it becomes just another technology we use every day. That’s not to say there still won’t be ongoing concerns about AI and its use, but in general, many of us eventually won’t give it a second thought and conduct business as usual. Time will tell if that’s a good thing or not.
