New data spotted by leading technology authority Tech.co shows that global search interest for the term “ai in business” has reached peak popularity for the first time in 12 months, despite reports of ChatGPT’s marginal traffic decline.
The Google Trends data shows worldwide searches for the term “AI in business” has increased dramatically over the past 12 months, starting at a low interest score of 21 on 10-16 July 2022, before soaring up to peak interest on 25 June-1 July 2023.
This recent peak in search interest is understandable considering surveys suggest ChatGPT has been picked up by almost half of US companies since its release last November.
Its rising popularity has even encouraged a variety of business applications such as project management software and website builders to launch their own AI tools.
To discover exactly how ChatGPT is being used in the workplace, Tech.co asked businesses across a variety of industries how they’re utilizing OpenAI’s disruptive app.
Here are 10 ways businesses are currently using ChatGPT:
- 1. For customer service inquiries
- 2. To streamline external communications
- 3. As a coding tool
- 4. As a personal assistant
- 5. To write emails
- 6. To write copy
- 7. For time management
- 8. To create presentations
- 9. For keyword research
- 10. To manage meetings
Almost every business Tech.co heard from had positive experiences with ChatGPT, but as this technology grows in popularity, many roles risk becoming obsolete in the process.
Tech.co’s Lead Writer Aaron Drapkin comments: “Right now, the AI tools available to most businesses – such as ChatGPT – are pretty generic. They’re useful for supporting a wide range of tasks, and despite almost half of business leaders suggesting they’re considering AI over new hires, at present, these tools still need a lot of human oversight.
But soon enough, we’re likely to see increasingly specialized AI tools developed that fulfill niche business functions – this is the next stage, and the search trends data seems to suggest businesses are exploring different AI use cases.
When these specialized tools become generally available, it will become more clear what kind of roles are at risk of being swallowed up completely, and which ones still need heavy human involvement.
That being said, it’s really hard to predict what will happen in the near future. GPT-4 is a huge improvement on GPT-3.5, and Google recently suggested that its Gemini language model, which is still under development, is even more sophisticated than any of OpenAI’s current efforts. If development continues at this seemingly rapid pace, there’s unlikely to be any industry – or any role – left untouched.”
AI chatbots are still in their infancy, meaning many are prone to errors, biases, and misinformation. A number of employers have already barred their use due to worries around plagiarism and security.
Apple restricted ChatGPT in May over concerns about employees unknowingly sharing confidential information.
But it’s not just tech companies that are restricting access – some Wall Street Banks have also cracked down on the tool, including Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Bank of America Corp., and Wells Fargo & Co.
