Generative AI is rapidly becoming a staple in the technological landscape, and its IRL applications are more exciting than ever.
While our knowledge of the topic might be limited to the capacities of Chat GPT, we sat down with professional computer whiz, Dara Rogers, to learn more about how it’s actually being implemented in the workplace!
Introducing Dara
After graduating from the University of Dublin with a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in IT Management, Dara’s future-focused career has been moving from strength to strength! With experience as a customer support rep and support engineer, he’s been involved with multiple parts of the industry and gained some seriously valuable skills, too.
Nowadays, Dara works as a Senior Presales consultant at Experian, an international, data-driven company that uses tech to create exciting opportunities for their clients. His role with Experian doesn’t just mean working for a brilliant, forward-thinking company; it also means making use of new tech tools in the workplace. Talk about futuristic!
Discovering Generative AI In the Workplace
Dara’s dynamic career keeps him pretty busy, but with the help of AI tools, his day-to-day runs a little bit smoother! After sitting down with us for an exciting tech talk, Dara discussed the many ways in which Generative AI simplifies his role as a Presales Consultant:
1. Idea Generation
“When preparing for client meetings or brainstorming solutions, Generative AI serves as an invaluable tool! It helps me explore a wide range of possibilities and alternatives. For instance, when working on internal projects or process improvement, it can suggest different angles and ideas that I may not have thought of.”
2. Email and Documentation Drafting
“One of the more time-consuming tasks in any consulting role involves communication and documentation. Gen AI helps cut down the time I spend on these tasks by assisting in the initial drafting of emails and internal documents.
You can input a basic outline or key points, and the AI can help flesh out a coherent and professionally worded draft. Often, the hardest part of these tasks is starting, so having it draft out a version I can review and edit really helps save time!”
3. Basic Coding Assistance
“On the technical side, when dealing with software solutions or needing to understand and demonstrate product integrations, Gen AI can assist with code generation. It also helps out with generating regular expressions for data validation tasks.”
4. Understanding Complex Legislation (and Tricky Jargon)
“I will often be asked how our products adhere to different regulations and legislation. Gen AI has been extremely useful in explaining and breaking down various regulations in different ways so we can get an understanding of how they affect our clients using our products.
This helps us understand what to ask and what to research; when interacting with our own compliance or security team, having a preliminary understanding of the legislation aids in making these conversations more productive. Instead of basic queries, you can address specific aspects of compliance, reducing back-and-forth queries.”
Dara’s Final Notes
“Generative AI acts as a powerful accelerator for various tasks in my role as a Presales consultant, enhancing productivity and the quality of my work. It’s important to note, that while AI is very useful, it is not a magical solution. Everything it generates, from draft documents to research summaries, requires careful review to ensure accuracy and relevance.
I am excited about what’s to come with the advancements that we can expect to see in the short to medium term and how I will be able to further enhance my work. I would recommend that everyone do their best to keep up with this tech as it is moving very quickly.”
Industry Advice for Aspiring Computer-Whizzes
According to Dara, there are a bunch of different ways to explore your passion for technology and get some hands-on experience! By participating in tech-related clubs run by universities and libraries, you can discover exciting avenues like coding, robotics, cybersecurity and data science (just to name a few)!
However, if clubs just aren’t for you, you can always check out websites such as Coursera, Khan Academy and Codeacademy, which Dara says are fantastic for learning programming languages and other technical skills on your own. Don’t forget, if you ever get stuck, Generative AI tools like Chat GPT can help you out, just like they do for Dara! Just input your question, and they’ll explain complex concepts in a way that you’ll understand. With all this in mind, AI might not be so scary after all!
