How can I get started with artificial intelligence for my business?

Most businesses that ask us where to start with AI already have a list of ideas. The hard part is choosing one, and knowing whether the data and the organisation are ready for it. This is the approach we use with new clients.

Start with a goal, not a model

Pick a goal the business already cares about: fewer manual hours in claims handling, faster quotes, less stock written off. A goal with an owner and a number attached gives the project a way to succeed. “Use generative AI somewhere” does not.

Check the data behind the goal

Every use case depends on data: where it lives, who owns it, how clean it is and whether you are allowed to use it. A short data assessment at this stage saves months later. We look at three things:

• Availability. Is the data captured at all, and can it be accessed?
• Quality. Is it complete and consistent enough to learn from?
• Permission. Do privacy rules and contracts allow this use?

Prove value in weeks

Build the smallest version that can be measured against the goal, then put it in front of the people who will use it. A proof of concept that reaches real users in six weeks teaches more than a six-month programme that reaches nobody.

The first project should be small enough to finish and important enough that someone notices when it does.

Plan for people as well as technology

AI changes how work gets done, so the people doing the work need to be part of the project from the start. Train the team, agree who is accountable for the model’s decisions, and write down how it will be monitored.

Where to go next

If you would like a second opinion on your first use case, get in touch. An initial conversation costs nothing and usually narrows a long list to one or two candidates.