The world is changing fast. As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve, many industries are embracing it as a way to automate processes, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. In this article, we dive into the impact that AI is likely to have on the lottery industry’s workforce in the years to come. We surveyed lottery executives, some of whom chose to remain anonymous, to get their thoughts on this topic, including their perspectives on the potential role of ChatGPT and other similar tools.
Anonymous, Deputy Director:
[Written by ChatGPT, unedited, with my prompts] There are a few reasons why I am not currently using ChatGPT in my work. One of the main reasons is that I prefer to rely on more substantive sources of information when working on projects. While ChatGPT may be able to generate text on a wide range of topics, it can sometimes use fluff language and paragraphs to wow the user without providing much useful information. This can be frustrating for someone who is looking for more concrete details.
Another reason why I haven’t used ChatGPT much is that it can be wrong at times. Because ChatGPT is a machine learning model, it is only as good as the data it has been trained on. If the data contains errors or biases, those can be reflected in the responses generated by ChatGPT. As a result, it’s important to fact-check the information provided by ChatGPT before using it in any serious work.
Despite these limitations, I do believe that ChatGPT has potential as a tool for generating text. One area where it could be particularly useful is in generating rough drafts of documents or reports. By providing a starting point for further editing and refinement, ChatGPT could save time and help to jumpstart the writing process.
In order to be more useful, however, ChatGPT will need to figure out its target audience and write more succinctly. While it can be impressive to see how much information ChatGPT can generate on a given topic, the sheer volume of text can be overwhelming and make it difficult to extract key insights. By focusing on providing concise and actionable information, ChatGPT could become a more valuable tool for researchers, writers, and other professionals.
Ryan Mindell, Deputy Executive Director, Texas Lottery:
I think AI will be both more useful than people think now and also less dramatic in its impact than I see some predict. I see AI as “filling gaps” and making our lives slightly easier on the edges rather than dramatically changing core business and personal functions. I see a lot of worrying about AI putting people out of work – I don’t see that happening. I see it more akin to what Microsoft Office did in the 90s, what email did in the 2000s and what social media and cell phones did in the 2010s. It will be a tool that will transform certain areas of our life – mostly for the better, but some for the worse – and make parts of our jobs much easier in a way that is hard to predict right now. It will also give rise to some new positions and duties in the workplace.
Greg Wood, Director of Market Research Strategies, Kentucky Lottery Corporation:
Artificial intelligence will only continue to grow in the workforce, as companies struggle to fill highly specialized positions or positions with traditional high levels of turnover. Individuals should begin to familiarize themselves with AI tools, so that they can bring efficiencies to their own positions and give themselves flexibility should prior job functions or positions become obsolete. Whereas specialization has been growing for some time now, I think that having a flexible skill set may become even more valuable in the near future. ChatGPT and similar tools are just scratching the surface of what may be to come.
Laura, Product Manager of Instant Games, OLIFEJA:
I believe that it really could help a Call Center operator and even help create content for social media. 🙂
Anonymous:
It may affect applicants’ abilities in the workforce the most.
Anonymous:
I think it could be a valuable research tool, as it is much better than Google at letting humans type in a conversational question instead of trying to figure out what a search engine needs.
Anonymous:
Right now most AI tools are a novelty. There are bugs to fix and ethical issues that need to be addressed. But I can see the potential there, if you understand that AI is one tool that can be used as part of an overall process. We shouldn’t view AI as something that can fix all our problems or replace a human completely. Where I can see ChatGPT’s benefit is at the beginning of the creative process, where it can spark ideas that can be edited and refined.
Anonymous:
I see it enhancing customer interactions and shaping experiences.
Jeff Anderson, Director, Idaho Lottery:
It will have an impact, to be sure. The degree of impact will vary by industry use, cost, and risks. The tools that rise to the top must have clear transparency and disclosure for “common man” decision makers (people like me) so they can understand the AI algorithms used to direct the automation, particularly for customer interaction.
Greg Wood, Director of Market Research Strategies, Kentucky Lottery Corporation:
Artificial intelligence will only continue to grow in the workforce, as companies struggle to fill highly specialized positions or positions with traditional high levels of turnover. Individuals should begin to familiarize themselves with AI tools, so that they can bring efficiencies to their own positions and give themselves flexibility should prior job functions or positions become obsolete. Whereas specialization has been growing for some time now, I think that having a flexible skill set may become even more valuable in the near future. ChatGPT and similar tools are just scratching the surface of what may be to come.
Terri Rose, Deputy Executive Director, Brand Management & Communications, North Carolina Education Lottery:
Increasing productivity, automation of repetitive tasks and enhanced decisionmaking [are potential roles of ChatGPT].
Christopher Rogers, Deputy Director, Marketing & Products, Arizona Lottery:
I think it will greatly improve customer service response times.
Danielle Snidow, Deputy Director of Marketing, West Virginia Lottery:
I do believe artificial intelligence will impact the workforce in the future and take over more roles that are currently provided by humans.
Anonymous:
I can see it being used for drafting FAQs, fielding customer service inquiries, taking bullet-pointed information and turning it into a performance review, perhaps an extra ‘mind’ for brainstorming, using it as a Cliffs-Notes-like summarizer of large articles and reports. It may become a more sophisticated search engine that takes that further step of compiling a summary of information. I would appreciate a chance to see presentations and demos—I just haven’t found the time. Perhaps I need an AI assistant.
Anonymous:
I see ChatGPT as a discussion starter, as a brainstorm initiator, and as a potentially insightful colleague.
