New dimensions in AI: How generative technologies are shaping the digital workplace
The tip of the iceberg: Explore generative AI beyond consumer applications
Unveiling the game-changer for modern workplaces
You’ve likely encountered generative AI without knowing it — a catchy, machine-made tune, an algorithm-generated artwork or a hyper-realistic deepfake. While these consumer applications have dazzled us, they’re merely the tip of the iceberg. Generative AI is also reshaping the DNA of our workplaces. Its use is no longer limited to simply automating routine tasks; generative AI can be used for crafting proactive intelligence, streamlining service desk operations, elevating employee onboarding, empowering frontline workers and more.
What sets generative AI apart: The artist and analyst
So, what exactly sets generative AI apart? Simply put, it’s an artist and an analyst in one package. It can generate entirely new content —text, videos or even music — based on the data it’s trained on. The source data may belong to a particular organization, be publicly available or combine both.
However, the sheer volume of available data means the task of sifting through it is far beyond human capacity, which is where AI’s analytical capabilities become essential. Pair this data analysis with generative AI’s artistic abilities, and you can unleash limitless potential to create and innovate. As Christina Mongan, global director of Innovation Ecosystem and Emerging Technologies at Unisys, fittingly sums it up, “Traditional AI might identify a tree in a photo, but generative AI can paint you an entirely new landscape based upon the data it’s been fed.”
Synergy with traditional AI: The yin to yang
But generative AI doesn’t work in a silo. As Alan Shen, vice president of solution portfolio and development for Digital Workplace Solutions at Unisys, points out, "It's like the yin to traditional AI’s yang. You can’t craft meaningful, contextual scenarios without mastering the foundational elements — the behavioral modeling and data patterning that traditional AI excels at."
Armed with both art and science, the possibilities for your company are infinite. Let’s explore how generative AI can become your organization’s next linchpin for innovation.
Redefining productivity: Leverage generative AI as a catalyst for better employee experiences
A new age of tech support and automation
Generative AI, when used strategically, can transform your enterprise into a productivity powerhouse. While traditional AI excels at pattern recognition and data analysis, generative AI takes it further by creating new content and solutions proactively. Imagine a tech support landscape where generative AI not only predicts and resolves issues before they escalate but also implements automation to help prevent them from recurring. This capability significantly saves both time and resources for businesses.
The automation benefits don’t stop at tech support. Consider a generative AI system that autonomously tracks expenses, categorizes transactions and files reports. This means less hassle for business travelers, enabling them to focus on their actual work.
When leveraged correctly, large language models like ChatGPT — advanced algorithms designed to generate human-like text based on the data they’ve been trained on — can assist in various development processes. However, these models have limitations, including potential biases and logical errors, so human oversight remains indispensable.
Building a vibrant work environment
What unfolds is a work environment that buzzes with efficiency, creativity and satisfaction. Employees are freed from the drudgery of monotonous tasks, fueled by tools that amplify their innate abilities. It’s a win-win scenario: a more effective workforce and a more vibrant, fulfilling company culture where employees are happier and empowered to unleash their best work — uninterrupted.
Boosting creativity: The AI thought partner
The potential for generative AI extends even into brainstorming and idea development. As Mongan aptly notes, “Generative AI can serve as your initial ‘thought partner,’ helping to eliminate the blank-page challenge. Of course, it’s crucial to remember that every time you receive output from generative AI, you must tailor and verify the results, but the machine will have helped you overcome one of the hardest steps: starting.”
Navigating the data maze: Use generative AI as your compass for agile decision-making
Transforming data into dynamic insights
Following the boost in productivity and efficiency, it’s natural to wonder, “What’s next?” In an environment awash in data, companies continually face the challenge of deciphering this deluge of information into actionable, dynamic insights. That’s where generative AI becomes not just a catalyst but an analyst, distilling mountains of proprietary and public data into intuitive, real-time understandings.
A new paradigm in proactive decisions
The digital workplace is entering a new paradigm by coupling the productivity gains from generative AI — be it in expense management, IT support or creative brainstorming — with its data analytics prowess. Here, decisions are proactive rather than reactive, enabling your business to capture fleeting opportunities before they slip away.
At Unisys, we’re at the forefront of using generative AI to reshape how we — and our customers — think about data analytics. We continuously strive to find new ways to drive innovation for clients by applying generative AI to our solution offerings, experimenting across its wide range of capabilities.
For example, with the help of generative AI, one client gave its workforce the capability to pose a query to a chatbot system in plain English and receive a concise, conversational answer almost instantaneously. The tool not only alters employees’ interactions with data but also supercharges the pace and certainty of decision-making and can be integrated with numerous applications to improve the end-user experience.
“In a sea of data, it’s critical for organizations to have the tools to extract value from it. But it’s still the people who know which data insights are relevant within the context of their business goals. AI can help ingest and analyze billions of records, enabling the business to contextualize meaningful insights and proactively take action.”
- Alan Shen, vice president of solution portfolio and development, Digital Workplace Solutions, Unisys
Welcoming new hires: Apply generative AI to streamline onboarding
Customized training for a global workforce
As we examine how generative AI enhances productivity and agile decision-making, it’s hard to ignore its transformative role in employee onboarding and training. Far from the outdated, one-size-fits-all training paradigms relied upon for decades, generative AI enables bespoke onboarding experiences for a modern workforce.
Training material can be automatically adjusted to the language, dialect and even the cultural nuances of a global employee base. Step-by-step guides, FAQs and instructional articles become personalized assets that resonate with each employee. The payoff isn’t just improved engagement and retention but also heightened productivity and financial efficiency.
Shen elaborates: "The real value of efficient onboarding extends beyond productivity — it’s also a significant resource saver. Generative AI takes over the labor-intensive work of crafting training materials, freeing up human resources for strategic endeavors."
Beyond onboarding: A versatile strategic asset
This isn’t just theory. It's widely recognized that new employees can take a significant amount of time to reach full productivity, often leading to gaps in efficiency. The cost of replacing an employee also tends to be substantial, sometimes amounting to a multiple of their annual salary. Personalized onboarding through generative AI has the potential to improve employee retention, translating to sizable cost savings.
As a versatile tool that transcends operational functionality, generative AI is a strategic asset that’s already proving its value to knowledge workers and frontline employees across industries. From service desk agents to healthcare providers, organizations have adopted tools powered by generative AI to unleash workforce creativity; streamline tedious, repetitive tasks; and deliver proactive, personalized IT support, for example. Let’s take a look at how these use cases manifest in daily operations.
Accelerating support: Enhance service desk efficiency through generative AI
Transforming conversations with natural language processing
As we’ve seen the transformative role of generative AI in onboarding, it’s also worth noting its significant impact on service desk operations. In the previous example, generative AI utilizes natural language processing to enable a conversational chatbot interface that can understand complex queries in plain language, reducing the burden on human agents.
Automated, tailored content creation
This automation extends to content creation as well. Mongan points out, “Generative AI is exceptionally adept at tailoring content to specific audience needs, addressing queries at the service desk.” So not only can these AI-powered systems interact in a more human-like way with the end user, but they can also autonomously generate up-to-date FAQs, knowledge base documentation and other training resources for agents based on observed issues and emerging trends.
Evolving intelligence for proactive support
Over time, the system becomes smarter. Machine learning algorithms continually refine service delivery based on recognized patterns, providing increasingly personalized and proactive support — ideally before the end user creates a service ticket.
With solutions like Unisys Next-Generation Service Desk, organizations experience fewer interruptions and deliver resolutions faster, thanks to AI-powered, context-aware support. These benefits result from a service desk that proactively recognizes and solves issues before tickets are created, offering multiple intuitive support options, including chatbots, and delivering accurate, relevant real-time information. This approach delivers a better experience for employees and support agents: a win-win.
- Alan Shen, vice president of solution portfolio and development, Digital Workplace Solutions, Unisys
Accuracy and relevance: Empower frontline workers with contextual intelligence
Role-specific information at your fingertips
Frontline workers across sectors — be it manufacturing, healthcare or retail — often grapple with rapidly changing roles and work contexts. Generative AI can auto-generate real-time, role-specific information, simplifying complex documents into task-oriented instructions. It can also create context-aware FAQ documentation tailored to each worker’s persona, including their preferred language and role responsibilities.
The importance of context in field services
Beyond the service desk, field services personnel often navigate complex environments. As they move from one call to the next, context matters. While an underlying issue they’re fixing might be identical for two customers, the process they go through to address it may vary depending on the setting. They need information that’s as adaptable as they are to provide top-notch service.
For this reason, Unisys Frontline Field Services leverage AI to deliver accurate, relevant information to field service engineers in real time. This capability empowers these on-the-go workers to perform their duties efficiently, leading to a better customer service experience.
As stated by Patrycja Sobera, vice president of delivery for Digital Workplace Solutions at Unisys, "The pairing of traditional AI with generative AI will have a huge impact on how knowledge managers deliver support to field workers. They’ll now have access to more information than ever before and tools to deliver support options that are accurate, intuitive and time saving."
Organizations must position their field services personnel to deliver outstanding customer experiences, as rapid advancements in consumer technologies have drastically raised customer expectations for modern, streamlined enterprise tech support.
Navigating AI challenges with confidence
While generative AI promises numerous advantages, it’s crucial to acknowledge and prepare for potential risks. Navigating these challenges is essential but surmountable, setting the stage for a future enriched by generative AI.
| Priority | Challenge | Solution |
| Veracity and Oversight | AI systems can sometimes generate incorrect or misleading information — often called “hallucinations.” | Trust but verify all AI outputs. While tuning parameters can reduce these risks, human verification remains key. |
| Data Privacy and Legal Risks | Unintended data leaks or copyright infringements can arise when using AI platforms. | Structure your backend data carefully to maintain control over what’s true and correct. |
| Governance Complexity | Regulating generative AI systems and their use in an organization is complex and spans many diverse considerations | Deciding who controls AI access and data usage requires a centralized approach, given the technology’s broad applications across business functions. |
| Security Risks and Bad Actors | Generative AI can be exploited to create deepfakes or malicious content. | Continuous vigilance and safety protocols are essential to mitigate these threats. |
| Content Quality | The ease of generating content can flood the internet with redundant information. | As the use of generative AI grows, so does the need for curation to maintain originality and quality. |
Getting started: Take the first AI steps
So far, we’ve provided a snapshot of how generative AI optimizes internal operations and workflows and empowers your workforce to perform their jobs successfully. How do you get started? To harness the power of generative AI responsibly, start with small-scale tests in controlled environments and follow these recommended steps.
| Educate Your Team | Start with a foundational understanding of AI’s capabilities and limitations. Create internal groups to share learnings and keep pace with evolving trends. |
| Choose Your Tools Wisely | Research platforms and tools that align with your objectives. Regularly review emerging solutions to stay ahead of the curve. |
| Experiment Safely | Provide sandbox areas for testing, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical norms. Work closely with your legal and IT departments to set clear guidelines. |
| See AI as an Assistant | Remember, AI is designed to enhance human capabilities, not replace them. Treat it as a valuable asset that augments your teams’ abilities. |
Why Unisys?
Unisys Managed Services for Microsoft Copilot offers a fully managed end-to-end solution to help your enterprise along its Copilot journey. With extensive experience deploying Microsoft 365 solutions across various sectors, Unisys experts bring a proven track record of customer satisfaction and successful business outcomes to each engagement. Benefit from decades of AI expertise to unleash the full potential of Copilot and make smarter decisions, automate tasks and free up time for strategic initiatives.
Ready to embark on an AI-enabled future? Learn more about Unisys Managed Services for Microsoft Copilot.