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AI: A Powerful Tool. But For What?

The challenge for all of us when faced with flashy new tech, is to understand its proper function and use. What kind of tool is artificial intelligence, really?

The old adage about the hammer works well here.

“I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.”

(Abraham Maslow, 1962, Toward a Psychology of Being.)

A hammer is excellent for driving nails but disastrous in open heart surgery. A scalpel is indispensable for precise incisions, but totally useless for blunt-force construction. Like these tools, AI has areas where it excels and others where it is ill-suited or even detrimental.

Even the briefest of news searches reveals plenty of stories on AI being used incorrectly. Here are some recent examples.

• CEO Who Bragged About Replacing Human Workers With AI Realizes He Made a Terrible Mistake
• A.I. Is Getting More Powerful, But Its Hallucinations are Getting Worse
• Chicago Sun-Times prints summer reading list full of fake books (and also, Newspaper fires writer who used AI to create a summer reading list riddled with fake books)
• A customer support AI went rogue – and it’s a warning for every company considering replacing workers with automation 
• NYC’s AI Chatbot Tells Businesses to Break the Law
• Air Canada must pay damages after chatbot lies to grieving passenger about discount

Where does AI belong?

AI thrives in pattern recognition, automation, and optimization. It can analyze vast amounts of data and surface insights that would take humans years to uncover. It can enhance human creativity, assisting in the generation of new ideas, art, and even scientific discoveries. And yet, if applied indiscriminately and without a clear understanding of its strengths and limitations, it risks becoming little more than a blunt-force instrument, wielded in places where nuance and human judgment are imperative.

Consider customer service. AI-powered chatbots streamline responses and handle routine inquiries efficiently. But when faced with complex emotional interactions or unique circumstances, a chatbot can falter, leaving customers frustrated by its inability to grasp context beyond predefined scripts.

Or take education. AI-driven tutoring systems can personalize learning and adapt to individual student needs, but education is more than algorithmic optimization. Education requires inspiration, human connection, and wisdom that AI alone cannot provide.

The National Association of State Technology Directors (NASTD) recently released the summary of their 2025 Constituent Experience Survey. In it, they report “20% of the states [who responded] have incorporated AI into constituent-facing services and 41% are in the process of doing so.” With AI touching important citizen data and information, it’s evermore important to understand where AI can be helpful and where it’s just tech for tech’s sake.

Ask the right questions.

The key question for AI isn’t just “Can it solve this problem?” but rather “Is it the right tool for this problem?”

When wielded thoughtfully, AI enhances efficiency, creativity, and problem-solving. When applied indiscriminately, it risks turning every challenge into a predictable, machine-readable nail, flattening nuance in the process.

The future of AI, then, depends not only on its advancement but on our discernment in its application. Will we recognize when AI should assist, complement, or step aside in favor of human expertise?

The Vertical Difference

There are many things that set Vertical apart from our competitors. One of them is how we approach AI. At every step, we ensure that the use of AI in your communications solution serves a strategic purpose that’s aligned with your company’s goals.

• Human Oversight, Always
  AI is an assistant. It should never be used as the sole decision maker. At Vertical, we recommend that AI is monitored, guided, and refined by human expertise. This prevents unintended consequences and keeping technology aligned with ethical and business priorities. [Read More About Your Potential Liability]

• Use with Intention
  Vertical works to understand your business needs and applies AI as ONE of the tools to solve your problems. While it can be very powerful, AI isn’t the only answer.

• Align Technology to Goals
  Technology should support business objectives, not dictate them. At Vertical, we integrate AI in ways that enhance strategy, improve efficiency, and create new opportunities. It’s this way that we ensure every AI deployment serves a clear, measurable purpose.

• Continuous Care is Essential
  AI is not a set-it and forget it solution. You need to be reviewing it and constantly evaluating. There may need to be tweaks to usage and design. This is a service Vertical provides so you can focus on your business objectives.

• Go Slow
  AI isn’t a tool for a “move fast and break things” approach. It demands a “Ready? Check again. Set. Crawl!” mindset. As our COO Rick Dell is always telling our team, “never forget, we are now AI doctors. Our first law is ‘Do No Harm.’” He cautions that while AI can offer great benefits, it “can bring just as much or more detriment to a business and the way their customers view them.”

See the rest of  Vertical’s AI deployment recommendations: “Will the Real AI Please Stand Up?”

The Right Tool for the (Very Specific) Job

AI is great in service of an enhanced customer experience. When deployed right, AI is not just a tool for automation but a strategic asset for improving customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

It can:

• Find information relevant to a conversation within company databases (KBs, customer records, etc.) in real time so the agent doesn’t have to look it up, wasting precious time [Make Sure Your data is Ready for your AI With These 7 Steps]
• Transcribe calls or make notes about a conversation so the agent doesn’t have to (though, they should still review it)
• Perform sentiment analysis and alert supervisors if a call is starting to go off the rails
• Escalate customer/AI interactions in real time to the correct agent
• Handle bookings, rescheduling, and text confirmations to streamline customer interactions
• Triage initial contacts and route calls to the correct human, reducing friction in the support process
• Engage with customers in their own language (via text or chat)
• Translate an agent’s written words to the customer’s preferred language in real time
• Automate post-call quality assessments so supervisors can efficiently review performance and flag coaching opportunities
• Predict customer needs based on historical interactions, suggesting solutions before the customer even asks
• Optimize workforce management by forecasting call volumes and adjusting staffing levels dynamically
• Enhance omnichannel engagement by unifying interactions across voice, chat, email, and social media
• Detect fraud and security risks by monitoring conversations for suspicious activity and flagging potential issues in real time

Conclusion

AI’s potential is both vast and sometimes frightening, but its true value lies in how it’s applied. Vertical can help you work through thoughtful implementation guided by strategic goals, human oversight, and intentional use to ensure AI remains an asset rather than a liability. AI isn’t just a tool; it’s a power tool. As Vertical CEO Kevin Butler says, “Tools are used by humans, not left to their own devices. You don’t just leave a table saw running. People get hurt. Vertical can help supervise.”

Is it time to take a look at your AI deployment to make sure it’s deployed in the way that’s best for your company? Fill out the form below and a Vertical Expert will reach out.