Did you know that 35% of companies are using AI, and 42% are considering implementing it in some way? This is due to the many benefits AI can bring to a business, including increased productivity and 24/7 service capabilities. So, if you’re looking for ways to enhance your company’s operations, then you may want to create an AI application of your own. Keep reading to learn more.
What Is an AI Business Assistant App?
An AI business assistant app is a virtual assistant that leverages the power of artificial intelligence to complete various tasks. They function much like human virtual assistants, only without the cost of employment; however, they can come with some limitations.For example, an AI business assistant will organize your daily schedule more efficiently than a human, but will not fully understand the context surrounding events, meaning priorities may become skewed.
What Tasks Can AI Assistant Apps Handle?
Because of their cost effectiveness, AI business assistant apps are being used by a variety of different industries to handle daily mundane tasks, allowing employees to focus on larger and more time-sensitive projects. Here are just a few ways that AI assistant apps can help businesses streamline their workflow:
Appointment Scheduling
AI business assistant apps can be used to schedule and organize your daily appointments and tasks. For example, Motion, an AI-drive schedule app, allows users to optimize their time by organizing their day based on variables like deadlines, work hours, and task length. However, it’s important to note that AI scheduling may require human overseeing to ensure important tasks aren’t missed.
Email Writing
With the rise of AI models like ChatGPT, AI writing has significantly improved, giving users the ability to generate human-like text in a matter of seconds. In fact, ChatGPT can be trained on custom datasets. This means you can feed AI emails that you’ve received and ask it to craft the perfect response, making the emailing process much more efficient.
Automated Data Entry
Data entry is a time-consuming and essential task, but often mundane. AI business assistants can be used to automatically retrieve and enter data into documents, organizing them as necessary. Not only will AI perform this task quicker than a human, it will also help cut back on labor costs.
Research Tasks
Instead of reaching and collecting information yourself, you can ask AI to summarize or retrieve the key data regarding your project. It does this by scraping the internet for relevant information, then writing it up using natural language processing (NLP) technology, which is also used for text generation.
What Features Should an AI Assistant App Include?
If you’re building your own AI business assistant app, you can develop it to have features relevant to your business. Here are some of the most popular features you may want to consider implementing in your own AI assistant app:
Voice Command
Voice commands increase the convenience and efficiency of AI business assistance apps by creating a hands-free user experience. This means that various tasks can be organized by simply speaking. For example, Apple’s Siri allows you to activate it and ask it questions without ever picking up your device.
Machine Learning
Machine learning (ML) technology gives AI business assistants the ability to learn and better understand your needs. This means that the app becomes more personalized and, therefore, more efficient over time. For example, AI apps can recommend certain tasks at particular times based on your specific requirements.
IoT Integration
Internet of Things (IoT) integration is an essential part of AI business assistants, as it allows apps to connect with different devices on the same network. For instance, the same Siri account can be used across iPhones, iPads, and Apple TV, creating a more cohesive experience.
Third-Party Software Integration
Integrating AI business assistant applications with third-party software enables users to expand functionality, making for a more complete and effective app. ChatGPT, for example, can be integrated with new and old software, enhancing its power and extending functionality.
Popular AI Business Assistant Apps
So, now that you understand the purpose of AI assistant apps, let’s take a look at some popular applications from which to draw inspiration.
Fireflies
Fireflies is an AI meeting assistant that eliminates the need for note-taking by using NLP technology. It allows you to effortlessly record, transcribe, and search through conversations on a user-friendly platform. You can also easily invite Fireflies to your meetings on any web-conferencing platform, and it can transcribe both live meetings and uploaded audio files.
Siri
Siri is one of the most widely available AI assistants, as it comes installed on every Apple device, from TVs to laptops. It allows users to conveniently ask questions, set timers and alarms, call contacts, update calendars, and interact with other apps on the device. Siri is easy to use for all levels of users since it can be activated and operated by voice alone.
Cortana
Cortana is Microsoft’s answer to Siri with the added benefit of access to Bing’s vast database of information. In terms of features, it functions much the same as Siri but with a greater focus on privacy, enabling users to manage personal information fed to the AI instant. Though Cortana is less widely available than Siri, it’s found on Windows devices, Amazon smart devices, and Androids.
How to Build an AI Business Assistant?
Sure, the above applications are excellent, but building your own AI business assistant allows you to enjoy a bespoke experience tailored to your exact needs. Here are the main steps you’ll want to take when developing an AI assistant app for your business:
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Identify Your Business Needs
As with any project, it’s crucial to start by identifying your business needs and goals. What do you hope to achieve by creating your own AI business assistant app instead of using Siri, Cortana, or an alternative? Understanding these requirements will help you better determine which features you require.
You should start by outlining only the essential features you need for your business to benefit from the AI, then you can refine and add additional functionality later down the line. This will allow you to rapidly complete development, while creating a valuable application.
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Choose AI Model
There are several AI models available for you to leverage in your application development, the most popular of which is OpenAI’s GPT model. OpenAI allows developers access to an API key which makes integrating its deep learning technology a relatively simple process. However, this does come at a cost.
Alternatively, you could attempt to build your own AI model, but this would come at an incredible expense and requires immense processing power. In fact, Elon Musk is said to have purchased roughly 10,000 GPUs after announcing that he’s developing his own AI.
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Determine Platform and Design App
Next, you need to determine which platform you want to build your application on. If you plan only to use your app for internal use, then you will only need to develop the software on the platform your business runs. Otherwise, opting to use a cross-platform framework like Swift or React Native can be a cost effective way to build your app on multiple platforms.
At this point, you should begin designing your app. Make sure to focus on creating a user-friendly experience that blends smoothly with your required functionality. You’ll also need to ensure that you follow proper usability principles, such as clearly placed buttons, uncluttered interface, and readable text.
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Develop App
After designing your app, you can then move to the development stage. If you have the technical expertise required to build the app yourself, then great! Otherwise, you should consider hiring an expert app development company. When employing a software development company, however, there are several things you must consider and review.
First, you should review their development portfolio to ensure that they are experienced in building similar projects. Then, you should also confirm that they have a clearly outlined development procedure, which signals transparency, as well as post-release support options.
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Test App and Tighten Security
Once developed, you need to test your app to ensure that it functions properly by running usability and beta tests. These are testing processes that focus on having real users experience the application before it’s publicly released, asking them to report back on issues.
Additionally, because AI applications function by collecting personal information and tailoring the experience to specific users, you must ensure that your app’s security is water-tight. Otherwise, your users’ data and privacy may be at risk.
AI-Driven Apps From Idea Maker
AI app development is a challenging process that requires expert technical knowledge. So, why not leave it to the professionals? At Idea Maker, we have a team of dedicated developers ready to build your app to an exceptional standard. Schedule a free consultation with us today to learn more.
