As AI continues to transform industries, not all AI solutions are created equal. While consumer-oriented large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT often dominate headlines, businesses must understand the key differences between these tools and enterprise-grade AI designed specifically for professional settings.
Jake Heller, head of product for Thomson Reuters’ CoCounsel, shared his insights on this topic in a recent article from The Wall Street Journal. Let’s explore what sets professional-grade AI apart and how businesses can effectively navigate the evolving AI landscape.
Consumer AI vs. Professional-Grade AI
When it comes to AI in the workplace, it’s all about fit for purpose. According to Heller, relying on consumer LLMs for professional tasks is like asking an undergraduate intern to handle complex projects. In contrast, professional-grade AI functions more like a junior associate, designed to handle specific, high-value tasks with greater reliability.
Here’s how professional AI stands out:
- Access to Proprietary Data:
Tools like Thomson Reuters’ CoCounsel tap into unique datasets, such as Westlaw, to deliver precise, verified insights. Unlike consumer LLMs, these solutions don’t just assemble answers—they research and validate them. - Accountability and Transparency:
CoCounsel cites its sources down to the paragraph level, ensuring users can verify every piece of information. This traceability is critical for high-stakes decisions. - Real-Time Updates:
Enterprise AI systems often work with databases updated daily or even by the minute, offering the latest information—something consumer AI simply can’t match.
Overcoming Hesitations About AI Adoption
One common pitfall businesses face is hesitancy to adopt AI. Heller emphasizes that we’re in the early stages of an economic transformation, where AI will become an integral part of every workforce. The key? Start experimenting now.
Here are actionable steps to help your team embrace AI:
- Train Employees to Work with AI: Effective prompts and clear instructions are critical for maximizing AI’s potential.
- Iterate and Improve: Feedback loops are essential. Teach your team to refine AI-generated outputs for better results.
- Start Small: Begin by using AI for time-consuming or repetitive tasks, such as document review or data analysis, to free up employees for higher-value work.
The Importance of Ethical AI Practices
With AI becoming a bigger part of business operations, ethical considerations are non-negotiable. Heller highlights the importance of safeguarding private data and verifying AI outputs.
To use AI responsibly, businesses should:
- Understand Data Policies: Ensure that third-party AI providers don’t train their models on your sensitive data.
- Maintain Oversight: Treat AI-generated outputs like any other contributor’s work—always review and verify.
- Prioritize Security: Choose tools that align with your industry’s privacy standards, especially if you handle sensitive or proprietary information.
Thomson Reuters’ Approach to AI
Thomson Reuters brings a unique blend of curated expertise and advanced AI capabilities. For example, CoCounsel leverages over a century of legal knowledge, supported by thousands of attorneys who help refine its AI systems.
This commitment to combining human expertise with cutting-edge technology has delivered real-world impact. One standout case is their partnership with a nonprofit working to exonerate the wrongfully convicted. CoCounsel helped the organization cut through a four-year backlog of case files, reducing it by half and enabling faster resolutions for potential clients.
The Future: Human Expertise + AI Delegation
AI is not about replacing humans—it’s about empowering them. As Heller points out, delegation is the key to unlocking AI’s potential. By handling repetitive or time-intensive tasks, AI allows employees to focus on strategy and innovation.
To take full advantage of AI, businesses need to:
- Develop Strong Communication Skills: Clear instructions are essential for effective AI delegation.
- Leverage AI for Deeper Insights: Use AI to run multiple queries or test different approaches, uncovering insights you might have missed otherwise.
- Cultivate a Growth Mindset: Encourage your team to view AI as a tool for enhancement, not replacement.
Takeaway: Embrace AI Now
Professional-grade AI, like Thomson Reuters’ CoCounsel, offers unparalleled opportunities for businesses to streamline operations, enhance decision-making, and remain competitive. However, success requires a proactive approach—don’t wait for AI to become mainstream before you act.
By starting small, prioritizing ethical practices, and empowering your team to work alongside AI, you can position your business for long-term success in an AI-driven world.
In this article, he mentions the differences between consumer-grade LLMs like OpenAI’s ChatGPT (also known as a chatbot) but does not give any specific examples of a Commercial-grade LLM. In my opinion, I would not go with a chatbot or LLM in this situation because there are better options for companies to choose from that are both task-specific and still team-oriented.
In the Microsoft Ignite 2024 conference held a week ago in Chicago, Microsoft introduced over 90 agentic CoPilots that work within their commercial-grade products such as Microsoft’s Graph, Loop, and CoPilot Pages. These would be a far better fit for the enterprise-level consumer because these products are better aligned with what a company needs when compared to an LLM or chatbot. Based upon this alone Microsoft CoPilot would be a far better option than OpenAI’s ChatGPT as mentioned in the article.
For more insights on how AI can transform your business, visit our Beginner’s Guide to AI.
