The AI will not replace or fly your job, it must be seen as an effective assistant.
The sentence of the famous humanoid robot of Star Wars, C -3PO – “I commonly practice six million forms of communication” – has taken for several months, a new and almost prophetic resonance. From the universe of large companies to that of young shoots, from the sphere of engineers and those of managers, AI has established itself as a universal tool allowing to analyze, understand and produce content on a scale and at a speed yesterday unimaginable.
But behind the general enthusiasm of AI is hidden an essential reality often underestimated: without relevant data, no AI. Imagine a human being propelled into professional life without having had twenty years to grow, learn and build …
AI is nothing without data
But basically, what is AI if not a powerful ability to identify and reveal hidden structures within a considerable amount of data? Neurons networks are the basis of modern AIs. They are as well used for predictive AI which classifies and predicts precise results, as for generative AI like Chatgpt, Copilot or Deepseek which create original content, texts, images, sounds, from the models they have learned from data.
These models fundamentally depend on the quality and wealth of the data on which they are trained. These data are of three kinds: structured when it is clearly organized within relational databases or in spreadsheets; Semi-structured when it comes to files used to exchange information; Or not-structured, such as images, videos, sound or free text, whose analysis requires specific approaches to extract relevant information.
In an industrial framework, the applications of predictive AIs include, for example, the early diagnosis of breakdowns on a production chain thanks to the continuous analysis of industrial sensor data. Generative AI, on the other hand, make it possible to design new chemical formulations in the pharmaceutical sector or to automatically generate 3D models to optimize the design of complex mechanical components.
AI, a human challenge above all
However, you should not be fooled: the integration of AI into a business is above all a human challenge. According to a study carried out by Ipsos for Expleo, 80 % of managers say that their sector of activity is already transformed by AI. However, only 24 % claim to have already implemented concrete AI solutions. In other words: the leaders share a feeling of delay in the adoption of the AI by their business.
The crucial issue lies in the precise identification of the cases of relevant use for AI, which concretely meet the needs of the company. Each situation must be assessed to determine which type of AI will be the most suitable. In parallel, it is essential to ensure the availability of relevant and sufficiently rich data sets to effectively train or refine the chosen models. This structured approach, closely involving the actors concerned from the start, guarantees a successful and beneficial integration of AI within companies. The human is therefore there from the start.
Once the need has been defined, it is necessary to assess the technical feasibility of the project, then choose the most suitable technology according to the available data, internal skills and budgetary constraints. This phase requires experts, data scientists, data analysts, IA engineers, who include technical issues and have a strategic vision of the way of deploying AI within the company. About 60 % of companies today call on external experts to fill the lack of internal skills, while 55 % have implemented training programs for their employees. Again, the human is present.
Having quality data is the cornerstone of any AI project, otherwise the latter is doomed to failure. Because, it is not enough to have a large volume of data, it is still necessary that they are of good quality, well structured and sufficiently diversified so that the experts can train, test, nourish and adapt the IA model before passing it in production. Of course, constant monitoring is necessary to verify the results, and ensure that AI remains relevant as the environment changes and adapt if necessary. This requires a readjustment of practices and evolution of mentalities within the company, the famous “Test & Learn”. Human beings, as a guarantor of the efficiency of the system, therefore plays a crucial role in this phase.
No artificial intelligence without human intelligence
AI must be seen as an effective assistant for both the manager and the engineer or the executor. This is why, the AI will not replace or steal your job but one who knows how to use AI may well do it.
It is therefore up to men and women who pilot these projects to pose the rules and define the limits, in order to transform AI into a real strategic, ethical, responsible and sustainable ally. The real question does not relate to the capacities of AI, but on our ability to integrate it adequately, to assess and monitor it, while taking care to keep the human at the center of the decision -making process. Like C-3PO, AI is there to extend human capacities, not to replace them: “Messire Luke, if my circuits or my drives can be used, that they are grafted. AI is a powerful ally, an extension of human intelligence, not its replacement.
