Whenever the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) arises, it never fails to ignite passionate debates. Opinions diverge, with some fervently advocating for the transformative power of AI, while others succumb to a sense of apprehension, fearing that their roles may be usurped by these intelligent machines.
The prevailing relief for those who are not in favour of AI is that the role of humans cannot be entirely substituted by artificial intelligence – this is at least what Olivier Klein, Chief Technologist of Amazon Web Services (AWS), Asia Pacific believes. Klein stated that “the success of AI lies in its harmonious collaboration with humans”.
Olivier Klein, Chief Technologist of Amazon Web Services, Asia Pacific
According to Klein, this synergy underscores the importance of enhancing skills, particularly in the field of AI, to harness its full potential. “We believe that success in utilising AI can only be driven through the role of humans. So, it is necessary to ensure that everyone has the right skills and builds a company culture that understands AI,” emphasised Klein.
While AI undoubtedly has game-changing capabilities, there are certain aspects that still require human intervention. Klein illustrates this point by delving into the realm of call centres and assistance services. He explains how human agents, processing incoming requests based on customer needs, rely on summarised responses to expedite their responses. Striking a balance between automation and human assistance becomes crucial. Klein explains that while regulators generally prefer to not receive automated responses, they prefer that a guide or reference tool for agents is given to provide quick responses and formulate effective solutions.
AWS Unveils AI Innovations
In a resounding display of commitment to advancing generative AI, AWS also unveiled a suite of innovations tailored to empower business leaders in the Asia Pacific region. During his presentation, Olivier Klein showcased the capabilities of these new offerings, including Amazon EC2 Inf2 Instances, Amazon EC2 Trn1n, Amazon Bedrock, and Amazon CodeWhisperer.
The event, held at the AWS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, provided a platform for Klein to delve into the disruptive power of these services. Klein elucidated the significance of AWS’s commitment to providing exceptional services, particularly in the realm of machine learning. He highlighted the real-world application of AWS services in prominent companies like LG AI and Canva, showcasing how Amazon SageMaker has revolutionised their operations. Among the innovative services unveiled was Amazon Bedrock, a tool specifically engineered to facilitate seamless scalability of generative AI, utilising AWS’s pre-trained foundational model.
Another addition to the AWS lineup is Amazon CodeWhisperer, a generative AI service that expedites secure application development for software engineers. Klein emphasised the pivotal role played by AWS in enhancing efficiency for software engineers, underscoring the significance of the foundational model. This model empowers customers to leverage the virtual private cloud for secure data training, thereby enabling the development of a wide array of applications for generative AI.
Notably, he said these cutting-edge AWS services go beyond offering superior functionality – they also deliver substantial cost savings. With the potential to reduce AI training costs by an impressive 50% to 70%, these innovations epitomise “the perfect marriage between performance and affordability”. Klein further explained how AWS’s custom chipsets have been specifically designed to minimise the expenses associated with running AI models, particularly generative AI and deep learning models. The cost reductions do sound staggering, with AWS custom chipsets potentially driving down expenses by up to 70%.
During the presentation, Klein also drew attention to a report produced in collaboration with Deloitte Access Economics and AWS. The report highlighted the profound impact of data utilisation on business revenue, revealing that organisations in the Asia Pacific region leveraging the power of data can achieve an impressive annual revenue increase of 8.7%.
Based on this compelling data, Klein expressed his firm belief in AWS’s ability to assist customers in obtaining accurate data foundations for their businesses. Generative AI is an integral component of broader AI and machine learning strategies, which heavily rely on robust data foundations. While generative AI can yield remarkable results, Klein emphasised the importance of developing a comprehensive strategy that holistically considers data foundations. By adopting such an approach, businesses can leverage the full potential of generative AI, thereby unlocking unprecedented opportunities for growth and success.
The unveiling of these AWS innovations marks a significant milestone in the realm of generative AI. With a clear focus on enhancing business capabilities, reducing costs, and maximising the potential of data, AWS continues its efforts to solidify its position as a leading force in driving AI-driven transformations. By harnessing the power of generative AI, businesses can now propel themselves into a future where innovation knows no bounds.
