01-23-2025
There is a gamut — “from the opportunity that AI presents to the threat that it prevents” — says Jim Miller, former executive at Google, Amazon and Wayfair, and now a Master of Business and Technology (MBT) Advisory Board member. Uniquely equipped with deep technical, operational and general management skills, Miller has worked to adopt technologies like cloud computing and data centers, machine learning, and generative AI to improve business scalability.
An early employee at Amazon, Miller saw how the company demonstrated foresight in their approach to data collection and management. Amazon collected a large amount of data without necessarily knowing how they would use it in the future. This proactive approach allowed them to build a vast repository of information. They also created cardinal rules for data management, including ensuring data quality, proper curation and effective archiving.
Amazon future-proofed its data architecture, ensuring that the infrastructure was in place. This meant the data was readily usable later, allowing them to focus on the business processes and problems they were trying to solve. This positioned Amazon to leverage its data assets effectively as new technologies and use cases emerged.
Throughout his career, Miller has seen the speed of technological advancement. “The technology moves faster than the workforce can accommodate it and change to it and adapt to it, and you're seeing that right now with AI," says Miller. This gap necessitates a proactive approach to change management.
Wayfair presents one example of success. The online retailer needed to take a dramatic approach to digitizing their product catalog. The company had millions of items in their catalog, all traditionally photographed at great expense. Instead of doing what they'd always done, the company proposed spending millions to digitize the entire catalog using mathematical models. This involved creating digital representations of every item, including variations like different fabrics and colors.
The investment, while costly upfront, enabled several advanced capabilities: auto-tagging items based on style (e.g., mid-century modern) or customer preferences; building virtual rooms and integrating items into digital design tools; using augmented reality (AR) to let customers visualize items in their own spaces; and creating a "designer in a box" experience for customers.
This digital transformation allowed Wayfair to solve multiple problems and create new customer experiences, justifying the large initial investment.
Implementing AI can create anxiety among employees about job security. Miller says it's crucial to be transparent about AI's role in the organization, clearly communicate what AI will and won't do, and emphasize AI as an augmentation tool rather than a replacement for human workers.
Miller encourages organizations to educate employees on AI technologies and their implications, offer training on how to effectively use AI tools, and foster a culture of continuous learning to keep pace with technological advancements.
LivePerson, a company where Miller serves on the board, focuses on humanizing chatbot interactions. The goal is to make conversations with AI almost indistinguishable from talking to a human. LivePerson is helping Delta Airlines customer service personnel augment their jobs with AI.
When a customer misses a flight and uses the Delta app, LivePerson's AI powers the interaction. The AI can perform complex tasks like finding alternative flights based on the customer's travel needs. It can also engage in cross-selling or upselling, though this needs to be moderated for customer experience.
These AI-powered chatbots are not just answering simple queries but performing tasks that traditionally required human intervention, showcasing the rapid advancement of AI in customer service.
AI does require clear policies on its usage, Miller contends. Companies should implement safeguards for data privacy and security and create guidelines for ethical AI use.
Effective change management should highlight how AI creates value for the organization and its customers. This shift in perspective can help overcome resistance and drive enthusiasm for AI adoption, says Miller, and create new value propositions and enhanced customer experiences.