AI and the printing industry in 2024
Artificial intelligence is going to affect the printing industry in a big way
I wrote about AI in depth a few months ago. You can read about Nine ways Artificial Intelligence will affect the print industry here.
I’m not planning to cover the same ground. Instead, here are three other issues about AI that I haven’t yet covered:
AI is becoming a search tool (and it’s incorrect)
I don’t believe that AI was intended to be used this way, but many people are using it as an alternative to Google. They mistakenly believe that it will give more accurate answers. However, AI often brings up a lot of incorrect information.
For instance, someone in my network asked Chat GPT about the ten most influential people in the UK print industry. The answer came with a number of disclaimers. This was just as well. For one thing I was in the list. I like to think I have added value to our industry but I’m not that important! The pleasure in being listed was swiftly lessened by the fact that some people had incorrect job titles and one person was dead…
However, how are you going to respond when people use AI to find a printing company? How can you ensure that you are in the answer rather than the competition? I don’t pretend to have the answer but it’s going to be an issue very soon.
Likewise, how are printing companies going to react if AI gives customers the wrong answers on how to create files? This whole issue brings me on to the next point.
AI needs good data
Artificial Intelligence is capable of making quick, complicated decisions. But the accuracy of these decisions depends on the data that it has access to. If it has incorrect data anywhere in its decision making process then there are going to be problems.
We know the printing industry often has a problem: estimating systems and MIS systems have struggled with the quality of data that they receive for many years. This is going to become even more of a problem as data becomes more integrated into software. It is vital that printing companies start looking at their data in more detail and auditing the quality.
Personal chat GPTs offer great opportunities for forward thinking printing companies
I recently listened to an interesting podcasts on personal chat GPTs. It is now possible for companies to start easily creating their own AI assisted software. There are a whole host of opportunities for printing companies:
- Estimating apps
- Help with creating print ready pdfs
- Ways to manage data for marketing
These are just three ideas that spring to mind. It offers great potential for printing companies to help customers, make customers more sticky and create potential new profit streams.
I’ll be writing more about AI soon
I’m sure it will be a hot topic this year. The developments, the challenges and the opportunities will all be very interesting.
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