Artificial intelligence is not a silver bullet

A SIZABLE amount of real estate in the media is dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI) these days - and especially so in Singapore. From news of the government's commitment to AI research, policies delineating its ethical use, to announcements of the next big global firm setting up AI facilities in the Red Dot, the ubiquity of the technology foretells the central role that it is set to play in every aspect of society. At the enterprise level, adoption within day-to-day operations has been steadily ramping up - especially in sectors such as supply chain, where AI-led tech such as Internet of Things (IOT) analytics have shown a clear business case in its ability to substantially boost efficiency. Meanwhile, consumers are increasingly being exposed to AI as well - think, for example, of Google Pixel's AI-powered night sight, which enables photography in the dark. That said, and while it is already an aphorism that businesses need to adopt AI to maintain a competitive edge, it just as important that businesses refrain from regarding AI as one big, shiny, silver bullet.