Your Organization Isn’t Designed to Work with GenAI

Companies need to reimagine their processes to encourage dialogue between people and these new AI tools.

February 26, 2024

Illustration by Virginia Gabrielli

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Many companies are struggling to derive value from GenAI because of a fundamental flaw in their approach: They think of GenAI as a traditional form of automation rather than as an assistive agent that gets smarter — and makes humans smarter — over time. The authors suggest a framework, Design for Dialogue, for reimagining their processes to mirror the back-and-forth collaboration of human dynamics to create an effective and adaptable human–AI workflow. At the heart of the framework are three primary components: task analysis, interaction protocols, and feedback loops.

Organizations are plowing millions of dollars into generative AI as they race to apply it in innovative ways ahead of the competition. Yet many are hitting roadblocks, not due to the known shortcomings of the technology, which is still in its infancy, but because of a fundamental flaw in their approach: They think of GenAI as a traditional form of automation rather than as an assistive agent that gets smarter — and makes humans smarter — over time.

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Paul Baier is CEO and Co-Founder of GAI Insights, an analyst firm dedicated to exploring practical applications of generative AI.

David DeLallo serves an AI analyst for GAI Insights, where his research focuses on human-computer interaction, AI ethics and the LLM vendor market. He also runs a tech-focused B2B content agency, David Loren, and previously led McKinsey & Company’s AI thought leadership program.

John J. Sviokla, Co-Founder of GAI Insights has been a senior consultant with PwC, Diamond, and was on the faculty of HBS for over decade. His passion is understanding how computability of reality changes organizations and competition and that’s what he researches, writes, and speaks about.