Generative AI tools and features are becoming an indispensable part of the way operations teams do their jobs. Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Keith Parsons, Kerry Kulp, and Ron Westfall for this episode discussing the rise of AI tools and how they are implemented. The guests talk about how AI tools should be used by teams to increase their capabilities. They also discuss where AI still has a lot of room to grow and how to avoid traps that could cause issues for stakeholders and champions.
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AI Has A Place In Networking Operations
Generative AI tools and features are becoming an indispensable part of the way operations teams do their jobs. Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Keith Parsons, Kerry Kulp, and Ron Westfall for this episode discussing the rise of AI tools and how they are implemented. The guests talk about how AI tools should be used by teams to increase their capabilities. They also discuss where AI still has a lot of room to grow and how to avoid traps that could cause issues for stakeholders and champions.
A huge place that AI tools can assist practitioners is with massive data parsing and analysis. Logging can produce an enormous amount of data that must be indexed and sifted before patterns can emerge and be acted upon. With AI tools, log analysis can be done in real time thanks to algorithms acting on the data as it is written and not after it has been stored for hours or days. The capability to find anomalous patterns and act on them quickly can enhance team productivity.
One area of concern for professionals just coming into the workforce is the possibility of relying too much on AI to make decisions and removing some of the learning from the process of gaining experience. When AI fixes mistakes or handles some of basic tasks departments run the risk of having employees that are not trained to recognize these issues that can signal the onset of a greater problem. This gap in skills could lead to fewer opportunities to advance in the company. Therefore, it is important to realize that while AI is fixing issues you also must learn what the AI is doing so you recognize where it is adding value.
AI-enabled tools must also work hand-in-hand with professionals to get feedback on the quality of a solution. AI can only work when someone with expert knowledge sees the assistance or the solution and provides critical feedback to ensure that the algorithm is working properly. Careful analysis results in fewer hallucinations and more appropriate responses instead of wild suggestions sourced from dubious locations. The people in the system need to tune the results to fit their specific needs, thereby increasing the accuracy of the platform as time goes by.
Lastly, these solutions need to be tied to business outcomes. Suggesting AI for the sake of making things more technical or simply reducing headcount can lead to improperly implemented solutions and subpar performance. Organizations should analyze their preferred outcomes and set expectations early to provide appropriate measurement and recommended milestones to ensure projects stay on time and continue to remain focused on goals.
Podcast Information
Tom Hollingsworth is a Networking and Security Specialist at Gestalt IT and Event Lead for Tech Field Day. You can connect with Tom on LinkedIn and X/Twitter. Find out more on his blog or on the Tech Field Day website.
Kerry Kulp is a founding partner at Velaspan. You can connect with Kerry on Twitter or on LinkedIn and find out more about Velaspan on their website.
Keith Parsons is the Managing Director at Wireless LAN Professionals Conference and a long time Field Day Delegate. You can connect with Keith on LinkedIn and on X/Twitter, or visit the WLANPros website to learn more.
Ron Westfall is The Research Director at The Futurum Group specializing in Digital Transformation, 5G, AI, Security, Cloud Computing, IoT and Data Center as well as the host of 5G Factor Webcast. You can connect with Ron on LinkedIn and on X/Twitter and see his work on The Futurum Group’s website.
Thank you for listening to this episode of the Tech Field Day Podcast. If you enjoyed the discussion, please remember to subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast application so you don’t miss an episode and do give us a rating and a review. This podcast was brought to you by Tech Field Day, home of IT experts from across the enterprise, now part of The Futurum Group.
