In a recent workshop, expert Michael Garfield provided insights into the transformative role artificial intelligence (AI) is projected to play in knowledge management (KM) for businesses. Garfield, drawing from his extensive experience in the field spanning three decades, described a significant shift on the horizon, attributing it largely to developments in AI technologies.
Taking place at a KM event, Garfield outlined several community tasks that AI is likely to automate in the near future. He mentioned specific functions such as tagging content, managing discussion threads, renaming and reorganizing content, and monitoring discussions. "These moderation functions can remove some of the mundane work from community management, allowing participants to focus on dialogue and ideas rather than community management tasks," Garfield explained. He also suggested that AI could facilitate the summarisation of monthly calls, enhancing the accessibility of organisational knowledge—specifically referring to the 19-year-old threads of the SIKM Leaders Community.
Despite the optimism surrounding AI, Garfield displayed caution regarding the expectations for its immediate implementation. He addressed potential challenges, highlighting the disparity between management expectations and the realities faced by KM departments. "Management will expect KM departments to bring enterprise content into AI in the same way they see general content being brought into chat experiences," he stated. However, he underlined that unlike consumer-focused internet services, enterprise AI may not operate with the same speed or scalability.
Garfield was clear that the fundamental preparations necessary for integrating AI into internal enterprise systems remain a challenge. He remarked that many organizations may not yet be equipped to handle the engineering and content preparation that is crucial for creating an effective internal AI experience similar to that offered by external tools. Reflecting on the evolution of KM, Garfield noted, “The whole question of KM is about to change. AI will define era number 4,” suggesting a significant reimagining of KM practices driven by AI capabilities.
Further, Garfield emphasised the importance of maintaining foundational KM practices, urging attendees not to abandon essential methodologies in favour of new technologies. “We can’t just discard essential practices that work in favour of a new tool, especially when that tool’s success is so dependent on all of those practices,” he asserted. He cautioned that organisations unversed in the role of KM in AI are likely to experience difficulties during the integration process.
Looking ahead, Garfield plans to re-run his KM 101 workshop in the following year, anticipating that a greater number of senior leaders will engage to gain a deeper understanding of both the possibilities that AI presents and the requisite efforts to achieve that potential. The evolving landscape of AI in business continues to generate a substantial dialogue among industry professionals, highlighting both the anticipated benefits and the challenges that organisations will face in this transition.
Source: Noah Wire Services