How AI helps Gagen MacDonald’s Kristy Lapidus with client work and mindfulness

And why the future of AI is agentic.

From better serving clients, simplifying workflows to aiding in mindfulness, generative AI is fulfilling a wide variety of purposes in today’s workplace.

In this edition of “AI Helped Me,” Kristy Lapidus, director at Gagen MacDonald, shared how this technology is helping her – and what’s coming next.

Could you tell us a little about how you first started interacting with AI in your role and how it’s evolved?

I first started interacting with AI in my previous role as the head of People & Strategy for the Amazon Web Services (AWS) practice at a consulting firm, where I focused on cloud transformations. Our team developed an AI system that could recognize and sort physical objects for an agricultural company, reducing human error and improving efficiency.  With my background in optimizing and automating business processes with technology, I was beyond excited when OpenAI released ChatGPT in late 2022. I began using it the first day it was released.

In that experimental phase, I mostly used GenAI to jumpstart my brainstorming and content generation activities. Soon after, I began to apply my personal mindfulness practice to adopt daily, micro uses of GenAI. I would keep an eye out for when I noticed feeling overwhelmed; when requests came in that I felt under-resourced to handle; and/or which tasks I always ended up rushing or taking too long to complete. I found it was these moments — of unease, of frustration, of impending burnout — that could signal me to pause, reflect and consider how things could improve — and if GenAI was the best way to improve them. That was my start with GenAI tools.

I then became an AI change advocate at my firm, helping colleagues and clients adopt GenAI. The first step I take with my clients is to assess their current state and GenAI skills level. Based on the outcomes of those assessments, I then help them develop new skills and ways of working to leverage and scale GenAI tools effectively. Helping teams adopt a mindset of continuous learning prepares them not only to adopt GenAI tools but for future advancements. Learning something new takes time, energy, a growth mindset and the organizational support to do it. I take a people-first approach to guiding client teams through GenAI adoption, focusing on navigating the human struggle of change.

From a technical standpoint, I have built GenAI chatbots on the Microsoft platform as it continues to evolve from Power Virtual Agents to Copilot Studio and created custom GPTs on Enterprise ChatGPT for clients. Recently, I led a team collaborating with a Fortune 100 pharmaceutical client’s IT department to develop, design and deliver a custom chatbot focused on integration information related to a recent acquisition. Our work enhanced the user experience with visual design, transparent citations and content engineering that provided a seamless way for newly acquired employees to get answers to their integration questions​ anytime from anywhere. The chatbot is multi-lingual and available 24/7, providing region-specific information in a secure and anonymous way, respecting user privacy and providing an interactive two-way communication experience while propelling business growth.

When it comes to data analysis, I often using my client’s proprietary tools to analyze verbatim responses on surveys and even make use of AI supported data analysis tools in Excel to increase efficiency in data analysis, when I’m not using more advanced software for large datasets.

Overall, my current work in AI bridges the gap between AI experimentation and AI adoption by providing tailored assessments and strategies, considering and planning for the digital employee experience, designing and implementing technical tools, and providing a holistic approach to change management and user adoption – including hands-on training.

 

 

What’s something about AI that you think communicators need to be talking about but aren’t discussing enough?

I believe communicators are at the forefront of the GenAI revolution. Our linguistic foundation, understanding of context and our discipline to ensure information is accurate and unbiased uniquely position us to interact with GenAI tools and lead GenAI initiatives. The ability to interpret data, ask probing questions, craft compelling narratives and drive organizational change makes communicators essential in this technological shift.  While communicators are particularly well-suited to leverage GenAI tools, we do need to develop some new skills and ways of working to do so effectively.

 When you first started using AI, how did you educate yourself on how to use it?

Humans learn best through experience. Knowing this and always being on the bleeding edge with technology adoption, I opened up the tools and started experimenting — while also exercising caution. I understood the need to protect my own personal information as well as my firm’s and my clients’ information. As I built my skills, I read every article I could get my hands on – from reputable sources like The Neuron, AI with Allie and the Microsoft AI blog. And I talked with my colleagues and my friends about how they were using it. I still do all these things. I’ve also taken multiple courses on the subject, such as obtaining a certificate in how to apply AI from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Executive Education.

How exactly does AI factor into your role at?

I’m the Practice Co-Lead for Digital Transformations at Gagen and that includes leading the work we do with GenAI Readiness, Training and Adoption. I provide AI advisory services to clients as I described above and I help them automate communications processes using GenAI tools as well as guide the rationalization of tech stacks to eliminate duplicative features while optimizing budgetary resources. With my background in IT, I often interface with IT leads, acting as a liaison between our comms clients and technical experts – speaking their language around IT systems, agile processes and software/cloud systems.

In addition, I’m an AI Change Advocate for our parent company APCO, which means I get to support my colleagues as they learn and adopt GenAI tools. I also support our APCO AI Comms Lab in Dubai with testing and change management when they implement our proprietary adaptive intelligence tool, Margy, which leverages advanced AI technologies to provide comprehensive reputation management, landscape analysis, and real-time actionable insights with capabilities like crisis monitoring, natural language interaction and long-term reputation tracking, Margy empowers businesses to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Have you seen any changes to your workflow or customer/stakeholder satisfaction since you’ve begun using AI and automation?

Yes, absolutely. I’m able to balance my workload more effectively and provide value to my clients more quickly. With the recent integration chatbot implementation I mentioned, many client stakeholders expressed their considerable satisfaction with the tool. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen people this excited about software since the advent of the internet.

Do you have a big prediction for AI usage in the next few years?

AI agents are the immediate next big thing. It will become standard for professionals from all walks of life to begin automating their workflows with out-of-the-box tools from mega players like Microsoft and more functionally focused yet secure and IT-approved players like Jasper.

Another big prediction for AI usage in the next few years is the widespread adoption of AI in personalized healthcare. AI will increasingly be used to analyze vast amounts of medical data, enabling more accurate diagnoses, personalized treatment plans and even predictive analytics to foresee potential health issues before they become critical. This could revolutionize how we approach healthcare, making it more proactive and tailored to individual needs.

I’m also keeping my eye on long-term advancements in quantum computing that can help reduce the energy consumption of AI. According to the World Economic Forum, finding a better balance between performance, costs and the carbon footprint of AI workloads is the key to making AI more sustainable.

Stay on the cutting edge of artificial intelligence at Ragan’s AI Horizons Conference, Feb. 24-26.

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