AI and ML use in Australian software solutions is extremely positive – but there are some other concerns ...

By John Sheridan, myREGION >>

ALL THE FUSS about large language model artificial intelligence (LLM AI) overlooks the much less well publicised existing use of AI in all the major software solutions that Australian businesses use every day.

There are only so many processes and activities that allow an organisation to do what it does – from communication, mobility, data processing, accounting, business management, customer relationship management (CRM), web, security and storage – and all these functions are managed by software.

The software developers that created these tools – for horizontal and vertical markets – continue to develop and update their solutions. Plus they add machine learning (ML) and AI functions into their existing products, as extensions of the functionality the solutions deliver.

This is all relevant and appropriate. 

How do I know?

We have just mapped the major Australian software solutions that serve and support 400 business categories across 19 industry sectors.

Hard work for software

Software developers are not stupid. They understand software. They understand AI and ML and have already used it to extend the value of their business solutions where necessary.

It is not always necessary.

Many have done this directly themselves and some have partnered with specialist AI developers.

LLM AI adds extra value around the edges of these software solutions – delivering ‘business intelligence’ for managers, and help with content creation for sales and marketing.

But LLM AI is not a magic wand, and does not replace any of the existing software solutions. But it can enhance them in some cases.

So LLM AI offers some extra value, but not enough to justify the hullabaloo. Or the often overstated Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. Where is the evidence? Not there.

Beyond the hype

LLM AI will not deliver great new advances in productivity for SMEs (small-to-medium enterprises). Those advances have already been delivered by the existing software solutions.

And LLM AI is no threat or challenge to jobs. In fact, there are very few business categories where organisations are still sorting out the challenges – employment services, call centres, banks and financial advisory.

Education and creative industries have a different set of issues to address and government at all levels will also have to work out what to do once it sorts out its legacy systems, finally, and realises that there might be benefit in connecting silos – vertically and horizontally.

That's the good news.

But there are some negative impacts to AI.

Where there is pAIn

AI delivers extra sophistication to the continuing cyberattacks from ‘black hat’ actors and ‘bad State’ actors: Russia, North Korea, Iran, China, and the many criminal entities.

It supports the targeted manipulation of voters during elections by bad state actors and others with a vested interest in particular results.

It supports the constructed exaggeration of anger, hate, bias, political extremism and conspiracy theorists in AI manipulated ‘echo chambers’.

It supports the grooming of children and young people in games and social media, and the manipulation of young people towards ongoing gambling activity through the gamification of games and social media,

And the presentation and acceptance of query results in LLM AI as ‘true’ adds to the confusion, when in many cases results are hallucinations, biased, and always the result of algorithmic choice.

Worry for the young

The use of social media and LLM AI by young people with still developing brains is particularly concerning, with those individuals lacking the experience to judge content with insight, even though they believe they can, of course.

And there are extreme examples of LLM AI promoting negative behaviour and actions including suicide.

So not all good news.

However, AI and ML used by experienced software developers to enhance existing software solutions = largely positive. Australian software developers are doing a good job.

AI, ML and LLM AI present us all with many new things to consider.

But … legislation, regulation, control? That train left the station years ago.

John Sheridan is the CEO of Digital Business insights (DBi) whose latest platform, myREGION, aims to assist regions to connect and develop their local economies while becoming part of the platform’s Australia-wide knowledge diffusion and collaboration process. Digital Business insights has been researching, collecting and measuring data while producing reports and comment on the digital technology channels of the Australian economy for more than 25 years. www.myREGION.au. www.db-insights.com.

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