Cutting Edge
Deploying the AI chatbot immediately could revolutionize the company and put them on the offensive as desired. In the best case scenario, this deployment could mean “achieving more-personalized and -effective sales and service, cutting expenses, and freeing up more capital to invest in innovation”. This would be the transformative move that takes them from a growth stock to far more profitable than the competition. Being first and acting fast gives one the advantage of riding the learning curve first and mastering the use of gen AI in their sales force.
Slow and Steady
On the other hand, the “first mover, fast follower” theory mentioned has incredible merit. The downsides of this push for AI are undeniable. The risks include “hallucinations, data privacy, outages” as well as third party assistance which they would have to rely on due to lack of technical expertise. Additionally, the decision to enact layoffs in tandem with the deployment could truly damage the brand image, especially if they are among the first of their peers to cut labor costs with AI. Not to mention, current and long time customers are already expressing vehement disinterest in this transition prior to even rolling it out. In my opinion, these potential consequences are enough to have me err on the side of caution and postpone deploying the AI chatbot.
Deciding Factors
Right now, it seems like this company is stuck between wanting to be the first and wanting to have a seamless transition into using gen AI. However, this deployment requires them to pick one as the priority and decide what they are willing to risk, if anything, to be the front runners. They can also consider the options in between deployment and conservation, this might look like training the human sales force to work with this AI as a tool before attempting to replace them. This could also manifest in a way where customers can opt in, out, or choose a hybrid model like what was mentioned in the case study.
Conclusion
Ultimately, I think that this company should wait to deploy until there is more certainty, confidence, and unity in the plan. With something like this, reversal is not usually an option, let alone a quick fix. There should be expert opinions and strategies backed by tech and market research before making such an impactful decision.
