🌍 Real-World Generative AI Use Cases from Industry Leaders
15:41 Share

All right, everyone, get ready, because today we are diving deep into the world of generative AI. And, you know, our listeners are clearly as fascinated by this stuff as we are because you send us so much info on this, like seriously, a ton. We're talking practically everything Google has on it. Well, it is fascinating, you know, to see this much material out there that's not just focusing on the hype, but really looking at how companies are actually using this technology. Exactly. It's time to go way beyond the headlines.

So for anyone listening who wants to know how generative AI is actually changing things in the real world, well, get ready for a whirlwind tour.

Because the examples you sent cover practically every industry out there. Yeah, and that's really our first major takeaway here, right? The sheer variety of use cases is what's so interesting. This isn't just about, you know, AI writing the next hit song or creating some cool art. It's being used in ways that are honestly kind of surprising. Like remember PODS, those moving in storage containers. They ran this campaign in New York City called the Reynolds Smartest Billboard. Now, I know what you're thinking.

How smart can a billboard really be? Right. But this one actually used AI to get this, tailor its message to different neighborhoods in real time. Like imagine you're driving through the city and you see an ad that's actually speaking directly to the vibe of that specific area. Yeah, that's pretty clever. Pretty clever. It's not just clever. It's effective marketing, right? Yeah. That campaign wasn't just about being flashy.

It actually solved a real business problem for them. Yeah. How do you make one message resonate with a ton of different people? And it turns out AI might have the answer. And if you look under the hood a little bit, that billboard was probably using a combination of like image recognition and natural language processing. It was

probably pulling in data about foot traffic, demographics, maybe even the time of day, and using all that to adjust its message on the fly. Wow. Okay, so that's AI getting super creative with marketing. But then you sent this article about Magalu, they're a retail giant in Brazil, and they have this AI chatbot named Luu.

Now, Lou's not just answering customer questions. She's a full-blown influencer with, get this, millions of followers on TikTok. It really is blurring the lines between AI and personality. And that's a really interesting trend. When you have millions of people interacting with an AI on that level, it raises all sorts of questions about, you know, the future of connection, how we build relationships in a digital age, all of that.

So we've got AI writing ads becoming TikTok famous, but then you threw in this example that really caught my attention. 704 Apps. Now they're a company that specializes in ride sharing apps and they're using AI to do something pretty incredible. They're analyzing the audio during rides to detect hostile language.

It's a really powerful example of how AI can be used to address safety concerns in real time. And it gets to the heart of what a lot of people are worried about with AI, right? Will it be used for good or will it be misused? And in this case, at least, it seems like it's being used to make a positive impact. Yeah. And that's what makes all these examples so fascinating. They're not just tech demos. They're solving real world problems. Like remember that feeling of being on hold with customer service forever. So frustrating. The worst.

Well, Best Buy is using generative AI to power their virtual assistant. And it's already making a difference. It can help customers troubleshoot product issues, reschedule deliveries, even manage their Geek Squad subscriptions. Think of all that time saved.

for both the customer and the company. It's a win-win. It is. And it's not just retail either. LoadSure, they're an insurance company, they're using AI to automate their claims processing. So not only is it faster, it's probably way more accurate too. No more human error slowing things down. Right, right. And it frees up those employees to focus on the more complex tasks, you know, the things that require

human judgment and empathy. It's not about replacing humans. It's about optimizing how we work together. Okay. I like that. Speaking of optimization, you sent some research on Alaska Airlines, and they're working on this conversational search tool powered by generative AI. So imagine searching for flights like you're actually having a conversation with a super helpful travel agent. It's about creating that...

more personalized and intuitive experience for the customer. And it's not just airlines doing this. Tokopedia, they're a huge e-commerce platform in Indonesia. They're using AI to clean up their data, which leads to more accurate search results, a smoother shopping experience overall. So it's not just about doing things faster. It's about doing them better. Exactly. We're moving from like reactive problem solving to proactive optimization. And that brings us to another major theme that emerged from your research.

democratizing expertise. Right. We're seeing how generative AI is empowering people, even without a tech background, to do some pretty incredible things. Like you sent an article about how employees at Cost Plus Drakes

are saving an average of five hours per win just by using AI features in Gmail. Five hours. Think about what you could do with five extra hours each week. It's like getting a productivity boost without having to, you know, become a coding whiz. Totally. And that's really the key here. And it's not just saving time on emails either. Adore Me, they're a lingerie company and they're using AI to write product descriptions. What used to take them 40 hours now takes just one.

Think about all the other things those marketers could focus on now. Yeah, that's huge. And we're seeing this across the board. Sports basement, there's a sporting goods retailer, and they're seeing faster email responses in their customer service department, thanks to AI. Happier employees and happier customers. So is this the beginning of the robot takeover? Are we all going to be out of jobs?

Well, not necessarily, but the nature of work is definitely changing. It's becoming less about those rote tasks and more about creative problem solving, you know,

critical thinking, those uniquely human skills that AI can't replicate. OK, so maybe not a robot takeover, but definitely a shift. What does this mean for all of us? What skills do we need to thrive in this new world? Well, that's a conversation for another time. But I think it's safe to say that lifelong learning is more important now than ever before, because the skills we need today might be very different from the skills we need tomorrow. And that's something we'll explore further in the next part of our deep dive.

So, you know, we've seen how generative AI is being used in marketing, customer service, even ride sharing apps. It's pretty clear that this technology is already having a major impact on how businesses operate. Yeah, it's kind of mind blowing when you think about how quickly things are changing. It's like what seemed like science fiction just a few years ago is now just like

part of everyday life. And that rapid pace of change brings up a lot of, you know, important questions about the future of work. Like you sent this fascinating article about Sutherland, a company that's actually boosting their customer service teams with AI tools. Oh, yeah. Instead of replacing people, they're giving their employees like AI powered assistants.

assistance that can suggest responses, provide insights, you know, all in real time. It's like having a super smart sidekick who's always got your back. That's a great example of how AI can augment human capabilities rather than replacing us all together. It frees up employees to focus on, you know, the more complex and nuanced aspects of their jobs, the things that require

empathy, critical thinking and creativity. It makes you wonder if those human skills are going to become even more valuable in the future. Absolutely. We're already seeing a shift in like the types of jobs that are in high demand. It's less about those rote tasks and more about

problem solving, collaboration, and the ability to adapt to new technologies. So it's not just about learning how to use AI. It's about learning how to work alongside it. Exactly. And that brings us back to that question we posed earlier. What skills do we need to develop to thrive in this new world? And based on the research you sent, I'd say critical thinking is definitely at the top of the list. Right, because we're constantly bombarded with information these days.

And it's not always easy to tell what's true and what's not, especially with AI generating, you know, increasingly realistic content like those deep fakes we talked about earlier. Exactly. You need to be able to evaluate information critically, identify biases and separate fact from fiction. And that's a skill that's going to become even more important as AI becomes more sophisticated.

So what other skills are going to be essential? Well, creativity and problem solving are going to be huge. Those are the skills that allow us to come up with new ideas.

find solutions to complex challenges, adapt to unexpected situations. Like you have this toolbox full of powerful AI tools. Yeah. But you need to know how to actually use them effectively to build something amazing. And of course, there are those uniquely human skills that are going to be even harder for AI to replicate. Things like empathy, communication, and the ability to build relationships. Yeah, those are the things that make us human, right?

Exactly. And those are the skills that are going to allow us to navigate, you know, the ethical dilemmas that inevitably arise with any powerful new technology. Speaking of ethical dilemmas, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on something we saw in the research. It seems like a lot of companies are using AI to promote financial inclusion.

and to make it easier for people to access essential services. Yeah, that's a really interesting trend. You sent an article about Funwell, a company that's using AI to help businesses secure funding. It's like having a financial advisor who can analyze your business and then connect you with the right investors. And then there's MRelief, an organization that's using AI to simplify the process of applying for food assistance.

Imagine how many people could benefit from having a system that's like easier to navigate and less intimidating. Right. It highlights the potential for AI to, you know, to level the playing field, to create a more equitable society. But it also underscores the importance of using this technology responsibly and ethically. It's like we have this incredibly powerful tool.

But it's up to us to decide how we use it and to make sure it benefits everyone, not just a select few. Exactly. And that brings us to another fascinating example from your research, the Ministry of Labor in Qatar. They've developed a platform called Okul that uses AI to match university graduates with jobs. That sounds like a great way to connect talented people with jobs.

With the right opportunities. But what's really interesting is that they're specifically focused on making sure that, you know, that this technology doesn't perpetuate existing inequalities in the workforce. So they're thinking about the potential downsides and trying to mitigate them from the start. It's a great example of how we can use AI to, you know, address societal challenges while being mindful of its potential impact on different groups of people. It's not a set it and forget it solution. It requires careful thought.

design and, you know, an ongoing monitoring. That's a really important point. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of new technology. Yeah. But we also need to be aware of the potential risks and unintended consequences. Absolutely. And that's why it's so important to have these conversations, to exploit different perspectives and to challenge our own assumptions about what the future holds. Okay. So we've talked about the skills we need to develop, the ethical considerations, and the potential for AI to both create and solve problems.

So what's the overall takeaway here? Is generative AI a force for good or a threat to humanity? I'd say it's...

It's too early to make such a sweeping judgment. What's clear is that generative AI is already having a profound impact on how we work, create, communicate, and even solve problems. And this is just the beginning. So where do we go from here? What does the future hold for generative AI? Well, that's a question that's better answered by looking at some specific examples. You sent over some truly mind-blowing research on how AI is being used to tackle some of the world's most

pressing challenges like climate change, health care, and education. MARK MIRCHANDANI: OK, so let's dive into those examples and see how generative AI is being used to make a real difference in the world. So you're telling me AI can help us

Save the planet. I am so ready to hear how this tech is tackling climate change. We'll get this. Southern California Edison, they're a major utility company, and they're using AI to manage their energy grid in a whole new way. They're analyzing data from satellites, weather stations, even smart grids.

and using it to predict energy demand with incredible accuracy. So this helps them figure out like the best way to distribute renewable energy sources, you know, like solar and wind power. So even when everyone's blasting their AC during a heat wave, the lights stay on. Exactly. It's all about keeping things running smoothly while at the same time reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.

Imagine a future where like blackouts are a thing of the past and all our energy comes from clean, sustainable sources. That sounds pretty amazing, actually. What other examples did you find? Well, another company, Aaliyah Group, is using AI to develop something called ECO2 grids. And these grids, what they do is they measure and forecast the carbon intensity of electricity

electricity generation in real time. OK, so they can make like smarter decisions about when to use renewable energy and when to rely on those traditional power plants. It's like having a carbon conscious energy manager, you know, working behind the scenes. Yeah. And it's not just about managing energy either. AI is also being used to design new materials that are both sustainable and high performing.

There's this company, Materium, and they're using AI to create like bio-based alternatives to plastics and other petroleum-based products. So instead of those materials ending up in landfills for like centuries, they can actually decompose naturally. That's the idea. They can be safely returned to the earth without, you know, polluting the environment. We're talking about a circular economy where materials are constantly reused and repurposed. It's like a giant recycling program for the whole planet.

I like it. OK, so AI for sustainable energy, eco-friendly materials. What other global challenges are being tackled with this technology? Well, you sent some research on health care and the potential there is, I mean, it's huge. AI is being used to personalize treatments, accelerate drug discovery, even diagnose diseases more accurately. Like those AI powered microscopes that can detect cancer cells more effectively. That was a fascinating article. There's also this company, Cider Reason, that's creating like cosmophiles.

like computational models of diseases. And this allows researchers to test new drugs and therapies virtually, which could really speed up that drug development process significantly. It's like having a virtual laboratory where you can experiment without all the risks and costs of traditional methods. Exactly. And we can't forget about the impact of AI in education. You highlighted

YDUQS, a company using AI to streamline admissions processes and create personalized learning experiences for students. It's pretty amazing to think that it could make education more accessible and effective for so many people. Absolutely. So we've covered a lot of ground in this Dave dive, from AI becoming TikTok famous to potentially helping us solve climate change. What's your biggest takeaway from all of this? I think I'm walking away with a sense of cautious optimism.

It's clear that generative AI is a powerful tool, a tool with the potential to really solve some of humanity's biggest challenges. But it's also a tool that needs to be used responsibly and thoughtfully. I agree. It's not a magic solution, but it is a powerful force for change. And ultimately, it's up to us to decide how we use it.

And for anyone listening out there, keep exploring this topic. Stay curious, stay informed, and be a part of this conversation because the future of AI is being shaped right now. And it's up to all of us to make it a future that we can all be proud of.