Getting Started with AI in Ministry
Getting started with AI requires careful planning and realistic expectations. Here are key considerations for ministries beginning their AI journey:
Timeline Expectations
According to Gartner, most AI projects in business take 4 years to launch, despite shorter predictions. Organizations should:
- Start with a small pilot project
- Use a "Minimum Viable Product" approach to minimize resource allocation while maximizing learning
- Consider applying AI to a narrow segment of the organization initially
- Look at financial segments as a potential starting point, due to their complexity, key role, and inherent numeric data generation
Data Requirements
For Organizations with Substantial Data
- Explore existing "big data" within the organization
- Focus on data that drives organizational goals and decisions
- Leverage metrics already being tracked, as "what gets measured is what gets done"
For Organizations with Limited Data
Some AI applications require less data and may be more suitable for smaller organizations:
- Modeling personalization
- User engagement systems
- Chatbots
Technical Requirements
Beyond timeline and data considerations, organizations need:
- AI experts or enthusiasts to spearhead projects
- Appropriate technical capabilities - the "intelligence stack" (see O'Reilly's analysis of implementation requirements)