With Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the rise, it can be easy to fall into the trap of using it for everything in your business, to help speed processes up. That isn’t always the best idea though, particularly when it comes to IT support. While AI does have its place in terms of researching topics and even handling some repetitive tasks, robots will never take over the full role of an IT support company. In this blog, we are going to look at why traditional IT support is important for any growing business.
Before we look at why you shouldn’t use AI to help with your internal IT systems, let’s have a look at some of the advantages. It goes without saying that the IT landscape is constantly changing – new cyber threats are popping up constantly, and with so much data available, cyber criminals are becoming more and more sophisticated. AI-powered cybersecurity allows businesses to detect potential security threats faster as it can filter through mountains of data quickly to identify suspicious activity.
Another advantage of AI when it comes to IT support is that it can use data, analytics and machine learning to provide greater insights for businesses when it comes to IT recommendations. However, it can’t act on this data… AI can only help staff to identify trends and patterns, allowing them to act on this information to allow regular improvements within the business.
Scalability of IT support is something that AI can help with, mainly by automating important security tasks. This allows valuable resources to be allocated to other areas of the business that require a more manual approach. AI can continuously monitor for cyber attacks and data breaches in the background, allowing IT support teams to focus elsewhere.
As businesses are increasingly using AI to manage workloads and cyber defences, it is important to remember this is not without risks or challenges. One of the main disadvantages of AI when it comes to IT support is its lack of empathy. Many IT problems require thinking outside of the box and problem-solving skills, neither of which AI tools are capable of. There is also the question of transparency and fairness when it comes to AI and IT support. Biased decision-making can creep into AI solutions through contaminated data as well as the algorithms selecting information from only one or two sources.
AI can be hard to interpret – users aren’t able to understand the reasoning behind the software’s answers, and this can ultimately lead to poor decisions in the workplace, particularly when it comes to IT support.
When AI gets into the wrong hands, then there is an issue. It can be hacked and manipulated to allow users to access huge amounts of sensitive data, or even attack a company’s digital infrastructure. Businesses really do need to be careful about the questions they are asking AI tools and how much information they provide about their individual company. An AI chatbot can easily provide people with the wrong information, which, if used by IT support teams, can be catastrophic.
While AI does have its place in replacing repetitive, boring tasks, IT support will always need that human touch. IT queries aren’t usually simple and require some investigating, which can’t be performed by a robot. There is also an element of creativity and complex thought processes within IT, and AI is never going to be able to replace this.
If you would like to find out more about the changing world of AI and how to keep your business safe from malicious cyber threats, get in touch with the IT experts at Reality Solutions.
*This article contains general information in order to assist all of our customers and is meant for guidance only – there are no guarantees that the information we provide will be suitable for your particular needs. If you require specific assistance, we recommend that you seek professional guidance on your individual circumstances. Reality Solutions are in no way responsible for any loss or damage arising from any information contained within our articles.