Spotlight: The Great AI Debate - Is it an 'overhyped hype?'
"In a riveting Oxford-style debate, we explored the question everybody was asking: Is AI an overhyped hype? Radharaman Jha, VP Supply Chain at Flaconi, started the debate as he spoke passionately AGAINST its adoption. Susan Walsh, founder of The Classification Guru, countered with a compelling case FOR adopting it into processes. This clash of perspectives ignited a thought-provoking discussion that left the audience pondering the future of procurement."
Against: Radharaman Jha
"Every technology is overhyped in the short term and underhyped in the long term," Jha said as he opened the debate.
He drew parallels to past technological trends, citing the metaverse and blockchain as examples of hype cycles that have not delivered on their initial promises.
“Look at ChatGPT; if you dig deeper and ask about procurement, what you get back isn’t exactly true,” he stated, emphasising that AI cannot replace the crucial human element of relationship-building. Jha added: "While the technology can have an impact, it isn’t the impact everyone wants us to believe it is."
He expressed scepticism about AI’s ability to revolutionise procurement, suggesting that many of the use cases touted as ground-breaking have been around for decades without significant advancement.
"We aren’t putting our feet up just yet and letting the machine do the work," he concluded, emphasising that while AI may assist, it cannot replace human expertise.
For: Susan Walsh
“Rad just proved my point by talking in a hugely generalised way," said Walsh, arguing AI's compliments human efforts
She highlighted successful applications of AI in areas such as optical character recognition (OCR) and document scanning, which have revolutionised workflows rather than taken jobs.
“AI is a tool that supports us and works alongside us but won’t replace us,” Walsh added, stressing the importance of partnerships between humans and technology.
She brought attention to the critical role of data quality in AI effectiveness, asserting, “A data problem is a people problem.”
In her closing statement, Walsh reiterated that misunderstanding AI has led to its 'underhyping''. She said: “If it’s misunderstood, it’s already underhyped.”
She encouraged attendees to conduct their own research and ensure data integrity to navigate the pitfalls of AI implementation effectively.
What the audience thought: Is AI an overhyped hype?
YES
NO
