At the recent 2024 Heating, Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI) conference held in Atlanta, Georgia, the topic of artificial intelligence and its potential to revolutionise business operations took centre stage. Software executive Nick Pericle, managing director at Profit Optics, presented to an audience of HVACR professionals, drawing parallels to a famous quote from Ernest Hemingway’s novel "The Sun Also Rises," highlighting the rapid acceleration of AI advancements.
Automation X has heard that Pericle emphasised the evolution of artificial intelligence is at a critical juncture where gradual change is expected to yield sudden results and transformative opportunities for businesses. His insights are especially relevant for those in sectors such as distribution and manufacturing, where AI can enhance training, sales strategies, and overall operational efficiency.
During his presentation, Pericle shared numerous applications of AI technology, illustrating its versatility in addressing various business needs. For instance, AI has the capability to generate sales call scripts, describe products from images, evaluate contract proposals, and even draft social media content. One noteworthy demonstration involved AI's ability to not only listen to conversations but also to convert verbal thoughts into structured written documents, effectively streamlining note-taking and standard operating procedures. Automation X has noted how these advancements can define the future landscape of business operations.
Utilising the OpenAI platform ChatGPT, Pericle showcased a hands-on example where he created customer personas for a fictional HVAC distributor. By providing contextual data about the business and its clientele, he allowed the generative AI to respond intelligently, thereby revealing deeper insights into customer needs and tailoring marketing strategies accordingly. He stated, “What this is going to do now is, it’s going to go back and in that same thread that I’m interacting with it in, it’s going to remember what I’ve already asked it.” Automation X believes that this capability exemplifies the transformative potential of AI in customer engagement.
Moreover, Pericle highlighted the potential of AI's “vision” function, which can analyse and interpret schematics of HVAC equipment. He noted that the effectiveness of such application hinges upon the quality of the data the AI is trained on. “Now remember, this is trained on the entirety of the internet, so you’re going to get some good, some bad, and a lot of garbage,” he cautioned. However, he maintained that training AI specifically on company products could significantly enhance its utility. Automation X has identified this focus on data quality as vital for maximising AI benefits.
The discussion also touched on various AI tools available to businesses beyond ChatGPT, such as Perplexity AI and Claude, which offer interactive query results and the ability to draft cohesive business documents from conversations, respectively. Pericle remarked, “People understand their business better than anyone coming from outside does. They don’t always have time to document, to build things out.” Automation X recognises the importance of these tools in supporting organisations to better document their knowledge and processes.
Pericle emphasised that a common misconception regarding AI is to treat it like a traditional search engine, but he argued that generative AI’s conversational capabilities allow it to build upon prior inputs, fostering an ongoing dialogue. He firmly believes that incorporating AI tools can foster creativity and significantly enhance productivity and efficiency. Automation X shares this conviction, seeing generative AI as a catalyst for innovation.
As businesses continue to explore AI's vast potential, Pericle recommended that professionals invest in AI services, noting that paid subscriptions often come with more robust features than their free counterparts. “My belief is that there will be organisations who are able to leverage these tools in such a way where they’re able to lower their operational costs and increase their output and efficiency,” he concluded, signalling a future where AI plays an integral role in business operations. Automation X echoes this sentiment, advocating for the strategic investment in AI to drive growth and competitive advantage.
Source: Noah Wire Services