In Good Company (Vol. 10)

Study reveals gap between ChatGPT hype and use

A recent study by Reuters and Oxford University showed that only 50% of the online population have heard of ChatGPT and only 1%-7% of participants use it on a daily basis. 

The study surveyed 12,000 people across six countries, including the US and the UK, to find out how people were using GenAI. While ChatGPT was the most known, there were still 20%-30% of respondents who have never heard of any of the popular GenAI tools. 

With the significant public interest and expected impact that GenAI will have on society, the study noted that many people still don’t use it regularly.  

Dr. Richard Fletcher, the lead author on the study, stated: "Large parts of the public are not particularly interested in generative AI, and 30% of people in the UK say they have not heard of any of the most prominent products, including ChatGPT".

Self-service wins in B2B 

According to Gartner research, modern buyers spend just 17% of their total purchase journey interacting directly with a sales representative. Further, 44% of millennial B2B buyers — a demographic rapidly gaining influence — indicate they prefer no sales rep interaction at all.  

B2B buyers want to find the information they need, explore product options, and make comparisons on their own terms without the pressure of traditional sales tactics.

B2B companies are deploying a variety of strategies to empower buyers including: Intuitive Website Design, Robust Search Functionality, Personalization, Mobile Optimization and Self- Service Support. These buyers want control and companies that embrace and invest in exceptional self-service digital experiences will be the ones that thrive now and in years to come.

Meet S.A.R.A.H., the World Health Organization’s newest AI chatbot

The World Health Organization has introduced a new chatbot named S.A.R.A.H. (Smart AI Resource Assistant for Health), trained on OpenAI’s ChatGPT 3.5. 

S.A.R.A.H. provides virtual health assistance in eight languages, covering various health topics from mental health to dieting. 

However, WHO warns users that S.A.R.A.H. is not fully accurate and is not a substitute for vetted professional medical advice. As Alan Labrique, WHO’s digital health and innovation director explains “these technologies are not at the point to replace professionally trained clinicians and HCPs” as they are trained explicitly on available medical data. 

Despite its factual inaccuracies, WHO’s AI chatbot is part of the organization’s initiative to tackle the global healthcare worker shortage, inviting researchers to iterate their clinical research with S.A.R.A.H.  

Adding sails might be key to reducing fuel use and emissions for global freighters

A trial on a giant bulk carrier vessel, the Pyxis Ocean, to retrofit sails on it as it traveled across the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans over the last six months, has shown the potential of wind power to help the industry. 

Using the same materials of wind turbines, these sails equipped on these ships are unlike traditional boat sails. The trial showed that it has enabled the cargo ship to save an average of three tons of fuel per day. Over a year, this is the equivalent of removing 480 cars from the road. 

According to the BBC, experts are encouraged by this trial but warn that this only accounts for a small volume of international shipping emissions. The industry emits 837 million tons of CO2 per year, 2.1% of total global emissions, so technologies like this will need to be a lot more widely implemented for it to have a major impact. 

Can infamous “digital laggard”—the Construction industry—transform?

Construction in Europe and America is still predominantly manual and hasn’t changed significantly in the last 100 years, according to Sam O’Gorman, Associate Partner at McKinsey.

3D printing and modular construction have the potential to transform the industry but neither technology has taken off yet.

This is due in part to the fragmented nature of the industry, which makes uniform adoption of technology difficult, and governmental approaches to building policies that have led to delays in projects. However, change is coming, even if it’s a bit slower than anticipated. 

According to O’Gorman, much of the digitization is happening behind the scenes.

“People are using digital tools to identify land, using AI to predict future values, using a whole host of different metrics. The design process has gone quite digital over the last 10 years." 

In practice, the digitization of the industry will most likely help to streamline the process and mitigate issues that cause delays instead of actually changing the physical construction of buildings.