AI holds the promise of easing workloads, but making it work isn’t about doing everything at once. Choosing the right tasks to automate can boost efficiency without sidelining creativity or quality. How can businesses approach AI in a way that balances opportunity with caution?
Making AI work for your business is all about picking the right tasks discusses how implementing artificial intelligence (AI) thoughtfully can support businesses in becoming more efficient without compromising creativity or quality. Ellen Hyslop, co-founder of The Gist, shares how her team integrates AI to simplify repetitive tasks while staying true to their creative approach in producing content focused on gender-equal sports coverage. The company’s deliberate effort to use AI for “high-effort, low-impact” tasks—such as audience behavior analysis and organizing data—has enabled them to uphold high-quality standards while also improving operational efficiency.
The article also shares expert insights from Biren Agnihotri of EY Canada, who highlights the importance of narrowing AI applications to repetitive and time-intensive processes that are easy to evaluate and monitor. This strategy is especially advantageous for smaller and mid-size businesses that lack the resources to experiment broadly like larger organizations. At the same time, adopting AI comes with its share of obstacles, as noted by Kristina McElheran from the University of Toronto. These include financial challenges, uncertainty, and the need for effective change management practices to handle organizational transitions successfully.
Practical approaches, such as pinpointing high-friction tasks and conducting scalable pilot projects, are recommended as methods to minimize risk and optimize ROI. Companies are also encouraged to establish clear AI policies and provide training to employees, maintaining human oversight in processes where AI is applied. Thoughtful implementation like this can make adopting AI more adaptable, encouraging progress while reducing potential pitfalls.
Why This Matters
AI is increasingly being introduced into smaller and mid-sized businesses, but its success depends on more than just acquiring new tools. Careful application—centered on small but time-intensive operations—can make a noticeable impact. This article shows that businesses don’t need to jump fully into AI to see benefits. Instead, focusing on specific, manageable tasks, like organizing data or streamlining customer interactions, can help businesses transition to broader adoption gradually. For organizations like The Gist, this approach allows them to enhance internal efficiency without losing their creative focus, while for others, small-scale, targeted uses can address uncertainty and reduce cost-related challenges.
Benefits
Implementing AI strategically can minimize time spent on repetitive tasks, enabling employees to focus on more impactful or creative work. It can also provide data-driven insights, supporting better decision-making and uncovering new opportunities. For businesses that adopt these tools incrementally, there’s an opportunity to refine processes while enjoying cost-effective improvements before committing to larger-scale changes. Targeted applications—such as relying on AI-generated scripts to synchronize platforms or creating draft reports—can produce measurable advantages across industries, from media to manufacturing.
Concerns
While it shows potential, AI adoption is not without challenges. For smaller businesses, implementation expenses, uncertainty, and lack of executive support can slow progress. Mid-sized firms often lack the scale required to counter initial financial investments, while also dealing with the complexities of organizational adjustments. Cybersecurity and legal risks tied to AI tools also remain important issues, especially as the vendor landscape continues to change quickly.
Possible Business Use Cases
- Create a platform for local retail businesses to use AI for automating and summarizing customer support queries, enhancing response times and customer satisfaction.
- Develop a SaaS offering to help mid-size companies manage data integration and reporting through AI-driven scripts.
- Offer AI-based training programs focused on building employees’ skills to prompt, verify, and oversee AI-generated outputs effectively.
For businesses looking to integrate AI, the key is balance. Well-considered applications can improve efficiency and create opportunities, but rushing without addressing risks can lead to unnecessary difficulties. Leaders should weigh short-term, low-risk opportunities against a long-term outlook, ensuring employee involvement and proper oversight throughout the process. These measured actions can help businesses derive value without losing sight of technology’s ultimate aim: to make people’s lives, and their work, easier.
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