Wolf&Grayson EditorialBusiness leaders often hesitate when it comes to implementing AI, worried about costs, complexity, or job displacement. However, this cautious approach may be limiting growth opportunities that could transform operations and customer service. Pete Gillett has seen firsthand how the right AI applications can enhance business efficiency without breaking the budget. His company has successfully integrated various AI tools across multiple ventures, proving that strategic implementation delivers real results.
Why Fearing AI is Holding Your Business Back?
Pete acknowledges that business anxiety around AI is understandable, but often misplaced. “The fear is there, and it’s understandable. There’s a lot of publicity about AI in the consumer media, publications, and newspapers,” he explains. “For some reason, journalists love to take new technology and criticize it, don’t they?” He draws parallels to other technological advances that initially faced resistance. Just as social media and computers before it, AI represents a significant shift that requires an open mindset rather than automatic skepticism. He points to practical examples, noting how even Wimbledon now uses AI to replace line judges for more accurate calls, though some traditionalists are certainly resisting the change.
Moving Beyond ChatGPT Misconceptions
Many businesses limit their AI understanding to basic chatbots, missing broader applications. “For those unfamiliar with AI, it’s not just ChatGPT, where you can put in a question and get some unexpected answers. If you think it’s not working properly, you’re missing the point,” Pete states. This narrow view prevents companies from exploring tools that could genuinely improve operations. For instance ,he uses Otter AI for automatically recording and transcribing all his Zoom and Teams calls. “I can join the meeting or not, and you’ve got all those automated notes, which makes everything much easier. You can have a conversation with a client and you don’t have to be scribbling away writing notes as you used to,” he describes. This simple application demonstrates how AI can eliminate tedious administrative tasks.
One area where AI shows immediate impact is customer service. He highlights how current phone systems which always seem to frustrate us consumers with endless menu options and hold music. “You hate phoning those numbers, don’t you? Because you’ll have to go through the same old rigmarole. You’ll be read your rights before you can go into the call!” he observes. Agentic AI offers a solution by handling initial customer interactions in any language or accent preference. “You’ll go straight in to talk to an AI Agent in the language and accent you prefer,” Pete explains. This doesn’t eliminate human jobs but rather handles routine inquiries while complex issues get escalated to human agents who can focus on more interesting, specialized work.
Budget-Friendly Implementation
Cost concerns often deter businesses from exploring AI solutions, but Pete warns against overpaying. “If someone’s quoting you a big ticket number, then say no, move fast and look at the wider market,” he advises. He contrasts expensive solutions with practical alternatives, citing how his company uses Matterport 3D scanning for exhibition booths at just $2,000 per show compared to half-million-dollar alternatives. The key is finding legitimate AI applications rather than vendors simply jumping on the bandwagon. “There are many vendors currently labeling everything as AI, and that causes confusion when it’s not real AI,” he notes.
Pete’s companies have implemented AI across various functions, from conference badge scanning to university tours. “We’re about to launch our app so that you can just scan someone’s name. They could write it on a napkin in a restaurant. You scan it and it will go off and research all we know about you,” he describes. For educational institutions competing for international students, AI-powered 3D tours provide 24/7 access to campus facilities. “Pop them into a Matterport 3D space. AI agents are available 24/7 to take you around the tour in any language, at any time of day or night,” Pete explains. His advice for hesitant businesses is straightforward: “Just have an open mind. Don’t be frightened. Just dive in. Embrace AI. It’s fantastic.”
Follow Pete Gillett on LinkedIn for more real-world advice on using AI to transform operations.
