Lagging adoption of AI? It can be bad UI

Think about it: if something is slow, clunky, overly complicated, messy, or inconsistent, you’re not going to want to use it, are you?

The same applies to artificial intelligence (AI) platforms.

When they are launched, companies tend to be attracted by looks – assuming that a shiny, elegant design drives usage.

In fact, however, AI is only as good as its user interface (UI), said Petr Baudis, CTO, lead AI architect and co-founder of intelligent document processing platform (IDP) Rossum. While it may seem counterintuitive, the full potential of AI lies in its functionality and simplicity.

“For AI technology to be widely adopted in an organization, it needs to have a strong user interface,” said Baudis. “Otherwise the frequency of use will decrease and the volume of regular customers will decrease.”

Infinite value – if implemented correctly

At this point, AI is almost everywhere – you will hardly find a use case where the technology is not applied in some way.

“AI has completely changed the way people work, what they do and how they spend their time – both from a personal and professional perspective,” said Baudis. “The value of AI is infinite and its use is increasing day by day.”

And it’s only going to become more ubiquitous: the size of the AI ​​market is projected to grow from $86.9 billion in 2022 to $407 billion in 2027, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 36% .

As users come to appreciate its ability to reduce human error, AI will continue to become more sophisticated and powerful — fundamental to its nature, Baudis said. AI needs training, data, and regular practice and use to troubleshoot, learn, improve, and get smarter.

“This helps to increase the value of AI technology enormously,” said Baudis.

And a “friendly user interface” is crucial for this – the user-friendliness keeps people coming back, using the technology on a daily basis and even recommending it to their colleagues.

Ultimately, the proactive use of AI only benefits organizations. According to a recent survey conducted by BCG and MIT Sloan Management Review, when employees derive personal value from technology, business value is 5.9x more likely. And employees who derive personal value from AI are 3.4 times more likely to be satisfied with their jobs.

AI is worth its salt

As an example, Baudis pointed to a special AI engine that Rossum had built for Morton Salt.

As the leading salt supplier in North America, the company receives a steady stream of orders from a variety of retail and manufacturing customers, he explained. And for a long time, each set of documents had its own format, which made data entry tedious and time-consuming.

But since integrating Rossum, Morton saves up to 95% time per document; The average time it takes to process documents is 10 seconds, Baudis said.

The engine, he said, “was built and trained specifically for their orders, and to this day it always adapts through human data validation.”

Simplified, streamlined

When evaluating AI design elements, companies should look at their building, layout, and streamlining skills, advised Baudis.

For example, if a UI is “overwhelming,” with an excessive number of drop-down options, or a cluttered UI, “businesses are likely doomed.”

UI designers need to ensure interfaces are, as he puts it, “easy to navigate, are coherent, use clear messaging, and support users of diverse skill sets.”

It’s all about finding the right balance between looks and functionality. Don’t make it too complicated or make it difficult for users to perform common tasks. At the same time, ensure that brand identity is fluid throughout the user interface.

“Negative UI experiences can damage an organization’s reputation, so organizations need to keep this in mind when building their AI technology’s UI,” said Baudis.

Regular training, feedback

Encouraging employees to use AI requires a deep understanding of the value of the technology coupled with training, Baudis said. Organizations need to be open about their AI strategy and how it will positively impact day-to-day tasks and the overall employee experience.

Also, organizations need to be transparent about their goals and illustrate the real-life impact by showing the metrics that have improved since implementation. They must also provide ongoing training as new features are added. In addition, an internal feedback system can promote the exchange of best practices, said Baudis.

Whether it’s regular check-ins, a dedicated Slack channel, or a live best practices document, consistent communication on how to most effectively use AI will improve overall performance and adoption rates.

Also, a customer feedback loop is crucial. “When developing a strong user interface, all customers and their preferences must be taken into account,” said Baudis, “especially when the goal of AI is to make life easier and better.”