Generative AI is rapidly becoming a pivotal technology across various industries, offering immense potential to revolutionize business operations, customer interactions, and data analysis. Despite some trepidation still surrounding it, Wes Sylvester, VP of Industry Solutions Group, Cisco, remarked during a Cisco Live! 2024 session, “AI is a huge opportunity. We all know how big and disruptive it is…it has an impact on every single industry and vertical that is out there.” According to industry insights, AI is poised to have a $15.7 trillion impact on the global economy by 2030; however, only about 14 percent of organizations worldwide report being fully prepared to deploy and leverage AI. This readiness gap presents a unique opportunity for distribution partners to step in and lead the charge.
Expertise and Education in AI
Dr. Jose-Marie Griffiths, President of Dakota State University, emphasized the importance of education in AI. “There’s going to be a big learning curve with AI, and it’s going to continue; it’s not going to stop—things will evolve. So, the whole idea of learning and being open to learning and trying new things is going to have to be the culture that we encourage in our organizations going forward,” she said. Dakota State has been a pioneer in AI education, offering degrees that prepare students for the evolving demands of the industry. By fostering a workforce well-versed in AI, they are addressing the talent gap that many organizations face. Partners can leverage such educational resources to upskill their teams and ensure they are prepared for the AI-driven future.
Transformative Applications Across Industries
AI is already making significant strides in various sectors:
- Healthcare: Dr. Griffiths proclaimed, “The biggest Potential AI has for humanity is actually in healthcare. We have the capability now if we organize the data correctly, gather it, to cure and prevent a huge numbers of diseases.” AI is assisting in diagnosing diseases, personalizing treatment plans, and managing patient records.
- Finance: AI is enhancing fraud detection, optimizing trading strategies, and improving customer service.
- Manufacturing: AI can predict maintenance needs, optimize supply chains, and enhance quality control.
- Retail: Using AI to analyze customer data can help those in the retail industry predict trends or personalize shopping experiences, as well as manage inventories efficiently.
- Agriculture: While Dr. Griffiths acknowledged that agriculture is somewhat behind the curve, she highlighted its potential for transformation through AI. “At the moment, we’re using a lot of sensors, analyzing crop production and yields, and identifying specific locations in fields where pesticides and herbicides are needed,” she explained. AI and technology not only reduce costs and lower prices, but also attract a younger generation eager to apply their tech-savvy skills to modern farming.
Distribution partners can introduce and integrate AI solutions tailored to specific industry needs to drive productivity gains and customer satisfaction. “What I see emerging out of every industry is an increase in what we would call precision. We talk about precision medicine, precision agriculture, everything is about precision. From the user side, I think of it as personalization,” Dr. Griffiths predicted about what’s coming next.
Addressing Challenges: Data and Talent
Despite its promise, AI implementation comes with challenges, notably in data quality and talent acquisition. Clean, well-structured data is the backbone of effective AI implementations. Similarly, having a skilled workforce is essential for leveraging AI’s full potential. Distribution partners can provide value by offering data management solutions and facilitating talent development programs, ensuring their customers are well-equipped to harness AI.
Cisco’s Role in Equipping Partners with AI Tools
Cisco plays a crucial role in helping partners equip their customers with the right AI tools. Sylver discussed how it provides robust building blocks for data center, including networking solutions, like Cisco Nexus HyperFabric, Cisco Optics, and Cisco Unified Compute. Each component is vital, but the real value lies in integrating these components into validated designs, simplifying the process for customers to deploy AI solutions.
The Cisco Nexus HyperFabric solution exemplifies this integration. It allows data scientists and IT professionals to focus on running AI workloads rather than managing infrastructure complexities, handling the intricacies of large-scale GPU deployments and ensuring optimal performance.
Empowering Customers to Get Started with AI
The journey to AI adoption begins with taking the first step. Prioritizing use cases based on impact and starting with simple, deployable solutions like chatbots can provide immediate benefits. The Cisco AI Readiness Assessment helps organizations understand their current state and the steps required to achieve their AI goals. Training and upskilling the workforce is crucial for successful AI integration, with Cisco’s certifications and validated designs serving as valuable resources.
Looking Ahead
Dr. Griffith’s advice resonates deeply: “You just have to get started.” Cisco’s mission is to make this as easy as possible, from initial deployment to scaling and continuous improvement. “Although it sounds like hyperbole, there really are limitless possibilities where we think this is going to go, especially as we start to see this move into enterprise,” Kevin Wollenbeber, SVP & GM of Cisco Networking at Cisco, said. With a strong partner community and a commitment to customer success, Cisco is poised to help organizations navigate the complexities of AI and unlock its full potential. To learn more, watch the full session from Cisco Live, “AI Across Industries: Explore Real World Applications and the Infrastructure Enabling Transformation”, here.
