A recent discussion between data analysts and digitalization-based businesses’ representatives in Vilnius, Lithuania revealed the new opportunities for artificial intelligence in the age of COVID-19.
Before COVID-19, most people had some degree of apprehension about robots and artificial intelligence. Though their beliefs may have been initially shaped by dystopian depictions of the technology in science fiction, their discomfort was reinforced by legitimate concerns. Some of AI’s business applications were indeed leading to the loss of jobs, the reinforcement of biases, and infringements on data privacy.
Those worries appear to have been set aside since the onset of the pandemic as AI-infused technologies have been employed to mitigate the spread of the virus. We’ve seen an acceleration of the use of robotics to do the jobs of humans who have been ordered to stay at home or who have been redeployed within the workplace. Labor-replacing robots, for example, are taking over floor cleaning in grocery stores and sorting at recycling centers. AI is also fostering an increased reliance on chatbots for customer service at companies such as PayPal and on machine-driven content monitoring on platforms such as YouTube. Robotic telepresence platforms are providing students in Japan with an “in-person” college graduation experience. Robots are even serving as noisy fans in otherwise empty stadiums during baseball games in Taiwan.
KABADA – Knowledge Alliance of Business idea Assessment: Digital Approach tool will contribute to the artificial intelligence use in the business sector as well as in the educational sector, becoming a new, innovative and multidisciplinary approach to teaching business/entrepreneurship.
The tool will assist any person (including students, unemployed persons, refugees) to understand the strengths and weaknesses of potential business ideas, before the real start of a business. The tool will be able to be used in an innovative training process so that students and any other person can learn the business plan design process, principles and components as well as their impact on potential business success in an interactive way. The main aim is to decrease the ratio of unsuccessfully business, the possibility of losing money, and increase the number of persons, who start their own successful entrepreneurship.
Consortium made from business entities, business support organizations, and educational institutions from 6 different countries, will ensure a versatile tool creation process.
The tool will be ready to use by October 2020.
Eglė Naureckytė | ENTRI – Entrepreneurship Institute – Coordinator
