As businesses prepare for a future where artificial intelligence (AI) plays a crucial role, Gusto’s co-founder and head of technology, Edward Kim, has advised against the idea of cutting existing teams and hiring a large number of specialized AI engineers. He believes that this approach is not the most effective way to go about developing AI tools.
Kim argues that non-technical team members actually possess a deeper understanding of customer needs and pain points compared to the average engineer. This unique perspective allows them to guide the development of features in AI tools more effectively. At Gusto, non-technical members of the customer experience team are involved in writing “recipes” that dictate how the company’s AI assistant, Gus, interacts with customers.
In a recent interview with TechCrunch, Kim highlighted Gusto’s strategy for AI development. He mentioned that individuals who are not software engineers but have some technical knowledge are capable of building powerful AI applications. For example, the company’s customer experience tool, CoPilot, was developed by non-programmers within the Gusto CX team and is already handling thousands of interactions daily.
Kim emphasized the importance of upskilling existing employees at Gusto to enable them to contribute to building AI applications. He shared a success story of an employee named Eric Rodriguez, who transitioned from the customer support team to the IT team and developed a valuable AI tool called CoPilot. This tool significantly improved the efficiency of the support team’s workflows.
At Gusto, the focus is on leveraging the domain knowledge expertise of non-technical employees, especially in the customer support team, to enhance AI applications like Gus. By involving individuals who have a deep understanding of customer needs in the development process, the company aims to create more effective and customer-centric AI solutions.
Rather than following a top-down approach where executives dictate AI implementation without considering the practical implications, Gusto has adopted a bottom-up strategy. This involves empowering teams to provide input on how AI can benefit their work processes and customer interactions. By allowing non-technical employees to shape AI development, the company ensures that solutions are aligned with actual customer needs.
Looking ahead, Kim envisions a shift in the responsibilities of employees at Gusto, with customer experience team members focusing more on writing recipes and fine-tuning prompts to enhance AI performance. This evolution in roles is expected to lead to greater efficiencies in the company’s operations and an improved customer experience.
Overall, Gusto’s approach to AI development highlights the value of incorporating diverse perspectives and expertise in creating innovative solutions. By recognizing the contributions of non-technical employees and empowering them to participate in AI development, the company aims to build AI applications that truly meet the needs of its customers while fostering internal growth and expertise.
