The next time you head out to run five errands, what if four of your tasks are already done?

A Deloitte survey finds this level of productivity may not be so far from reality; 79% of companies expect generative AI (GenAI) to transform their business by 2027. In other words, four of your five errand stops will likely implement GenAI in the coming years, expediting your experience as a customer.

However, it's important to note that GenAI is not some amorphous prospect for the future. It’s already ushering in a new era of possibilities. Early adopters leverage GenAI to enhance operational efficiency, foster innovation and create new value streams. Its impact is tangible, reshaping industries and revolutionizing how businesses operate across sectors.

Advanced algorithms, massive datasets and increased computational power paved the way for GenAI's adoption. But, to fully realize its potential, GenAI is strongest with automation. Together, they form a powerful alliance that will enable your company to:

1. Reimagine business value
2. Overcome business challenges
3. Improve the employee experience

Reimagine business value with GenAI

The potential of GenAI extends beyond simple “if/then” automation. It offers a comprehensive toolkit for reimagining business value across several dimensions to help you prepare for the “what ifs” of our modern world:

• Enhanced efficiency: GenAI optimizes processes, reducing time and resources for routine tasks. By automating these functions, businesses can improve end-to-end process efficiency and lower operational costs.
• Data-driven decision-making: With GenAI, businesses can analyze vast amounts of data in real time, uncovering previously unattainable insights. This data-driven approach allows for more informed and timely decision-making, leading to better business outcomes.
• Improved customer experience (CX): GenAI enhances customer interactions by providing personalized and responsive services. From chatbots that understand and anticipate customer needs to AI-driven recommendations, the CX becomes more engaging and satisfying.
• Innovation and process optimization: GenAI enables continuous innovation by optimizing existing processes and exploring new avenues for growth. Businesses can use GenAI to test new ideas, refine operations and stay ahead of the competition.
• Security enhancements and risk mitigation: GenAI identifies potential threats and vulnerabilities in real-time, providing businesses with the tools to detect anomalies, predict threats and protect sensitive information.

Overcome business challenges with GenAI

Many organizations grapple with operational hurdles that can impede growth and efficiency. GenAI and automation offer solutions to pressing issues like:

• Data overload: Many organizations struggle with the sheer volume of data and the repetitive tasks required to manage it. GenAI can automate these processes, allowing employees to focus on more strategic initiatives.
• Lack of real-time insights: Traditional analytics lack real-time insights. GenAI bridges this gap by continuously analyzing data and delivering actionable insights, enabling businesses to make quick decisions.
• Siloed data and communication gaps: Data silos and communication barriers can hinder collaboration and slow down operations. GenAI facilitates seamless data integration, fosters better communication across departments and enhances overall productivity.
• Adapting to disruptions and changing market conditions: Adapting quickly is crucial in today's volatile markets. GenAI equips businesses with the agility to respond to disruptions and changes, ensuring continuity and resilience.

Enhancing human-machine collaboration

GenAI is not designed to replace humans but to enhance our capabilities. Human creativity will always be a crucial factor in life, regardless of how advanced technology becomes. By working in harmony, humans and AI can achieve remarkable results:

• Augmenting human decision-making: GenAI provides employees the tools and insights to make better decisions. By combining human intuition with AI-driven analysis, businesses can achieve more accurate and effective outcomes.
• Freeing employees for strategic tasks: GenAI handles routine operations, freeing employees to focus on strategic initiatives that drive growth and innovation. This shift allows businesses to accelerate human achievement by empowering staff to focus on more strategic work, not annoyingly repetitive tasks like copying and pasting.
• Building a culture of AI-empowered operations: For GenAI to deliver its full potential, businesses must cultivate a culture that embraces AI. This involves training employees, fostering collaboration and encouraging innovation at all levels of the organization. Platforms like UiPath Automation Hub offer an ideal surface for crowdsourcing automation ideas, ensuring participation from every department, from finance to legal to sales. In fact, at UiPath we use Automation Hub to aggregate hundreds of automation ideas from employees across the globe.

GenAI guardrails: Ensuring ethical and responsible AI deployment

GenAI guardrails are critical to harnessing GenAI. Whether you’re a customer or a vendor, we must collectively ensure that AI systems are developed and implemented ethically, responsibly, and aligned with human values. For example, the UiPath AI Trust Layer is a powerful framework of controls and policies, governing the use AI, both first- and third-party, across the UiPath Business Automation Platform. The Trust Layer provides the tools enterprises need to govern access to GenAI tools, monitor their use, ground them in the business context, and ensure they abide by company data and security policies.

Ethical considerations: GenAI guardrails help to ensure that GenAI is used to respect human rights, privacy and fairness. This is particularly important in areas such as decision-making, customer interactions, and data privacy

Risk mitigation: By setting boundaries and limitations, GenAI guardrails can help to build trust between organizations and their stakeholders, as it demonstrates a commitment to responsible AI practices

Regulatory compliance: GenAI guardrails can help organizations comply with relevant regulations and standards such as GDPR, CCPA, EU AI Act and ethical AI guidelines

GenAI for today and tomorrow

The applications of GenAI in business operations are vast and growing. Predictive maintenance, supply chain optimization, personalized customer service and dynamic resource allocation are examples of how this technology is being used to drive efficiency and innovation.

As GenAI continues to evolve, we can expect even more groundbreaking applications to emerge, offering a promising future for business operations.

Want to get a closer glimpse of AI at work? Come to UiPath FORWARD, a gathering of thousands of AI enthusiasts in Las Vegas from Oct 21-23.