ML/(Gen)AI: get the basics right, unless all you want to do is brag or punish

Recently we have seen a few walk-backs, tail-between legs moments in the field of applications of ML/AI; the most interesting one from my point of view is Amazon stopping its ‘just walk out’ from its grocery stores (1). The reason I find it interesting is that behind all the tech, there were a thousand people checking the purchases (2). Hands up if you thought that it was all done by machines…

However, I will give credit where it is due, the ability to just walk out of a store after shopping, knowing that your purchases have been accurately tracked and the correct amount deducted from your accounts is a pretty useful feature. (3) It saves the consumer an appreciable amount of time and effort, and presumable at low to no cost especially if was truly automated)

And to me, analytics/ML/AI ‘s main aim should be to make people’s lives easier. Saving time and low to no cost while shopping is a good thing.

With this as context, I am sure you will understand my exasperation at HDB and ST Engineering(*).

HDB is using AI to detect power failures (4) – as if these occur frequently in Singapore…. ST Engineering even wants to sell its AI capabilities, even actionable intelligence (5)

However, to me, the basic functions the organisations are hired to do have to be done properly first, it’s like the Maslow hierarchy of needs (6), start by getting the basic needs right first. And this does not only mean the snazzy jazzy AI stuff, but the whole implementation process.

One of the HDB carparks we use very often is near a Sheng Siong Supermarket  Coffee Shop + sundry shop… a very well utilized area within a block of HDB flats. The carpark of this area is managed by ST Engineering.

And the car park system has been erratic for a long while, at least 6 months now. You can tell who is a regular user of the car park because they give the car near the gantry enough space to reverse, reposition a few times to try and get the sensors to detect the vehicle (7). My question is, how is it possible that with their tools at their disposal, ST Engineering has not detected issues with this gantry? I am not even talking preventive maintenance, I am talking about usage being affected… That’s even more basic.

To add to this, I have a very specific incident.

It was raining very heavily when we were trying to exit the carpark, and the barriers simply wouldn’t go up. I exited the vehicle to press for attention from a human (ST Engineering, I assume has a number of people who can deal with the situation). The moment connection was made, it was cut-off; basically the human hung up. Twice. While I was getting drenched.

I called the helpline once we managed to get out of the car park (thank you to the people queuing for their patience, and the closest vehicle knowing to leave large room for maneuvering.) All I got was basically the communication is spoilt, we will fix it. I asked for written feedback, gave my email address, and noting came from ST Engineering. To me sounds like the case was not even lodged and there may have been covering for a colleague.

The point is, with simple use of Analytics,

1. the faulty gantry should have been detected earlier, rather than wait for complaints
2. there should be an automated system to ensure cases and raised and closed with SLAs, and this should be tracked automatically. Again, this is simple using today’s tools.

To me ST Engineering has failed in analytics and process, and in customer care.

How about HDB you ask?

Well, HDB outsourced the management of the carpark to ST engineering. Do they have customer satisfaction reports from ST Engineering, or do they not care? They must be happy with ST Engineering reports and performance – although I doubt the contract involves more than $. But also the design of the car park is bad. I got drenched attempting to communicate with the human managing gantry issues. A couple of metres from the gantry is a nicely covered walkway. I would think that extending the coverage to the gantry would not have costed that much. But hey, who cares?

What I am saying is very simple, before you start talking of GenAI, make sure you have the basic right, take care of Maslow’s hygiene and safety issues before you go for you own self-actualisation. After all, while HDB has a virtual monopoly on parking, customers should matter, don’t you think?

Conclusion

Build useful analytics, useful to the your users, make sure your KPIs reflect that, and build them into contracts. On the contractor side, track and analyse your true performance continuously. It is not rocket science, but still so many organisations fail at making lives of their stakeholders easier. Although, it would seem HDB/contractors are focused on maximizing revenue, investing in punishing rather than delivering good service (8)(9).

1. https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/2/24119199/amazon-just-walk-out-cashierless-checkout-ending-dash-carts
2. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-04-03/the-humans-behind-amazon-s-just-walk-out-technology-are-all-over-ai
3. this is a very different experience from NTUC supermarket self-checkout, but hat’s for another day
4. https://sbr.com.sg/telecom-internet/news/hdb-eyes-ai-powered-energy-system-in-tengah
5. https://www.stengg.com/en/digital-tech/data-science-analytics-and-ai/
6. https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
7. Each vehicle in SG has an IU (In-vehicle Unit) and when you get into a car park, the IU number is read, the gantry opens, and upon exit the IU number is read, the time and relevant fee calculated and deducted from your cashcard within the IU, and the gantry opens.
8. https://blackdotresearch.sg/secret-devices-installed-in-hdb-car-park-gantries-to-catch-tailgaters/
9. https://tnp.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/hdb-crack-down-carpark-fee-evaders

* HDB is the Housing Development Board, a government agency responsible for public housing in Singapore, around 77% of residents live in HDB flats. ST Engineering is a government linked entity specialising in aerospace, electronics, land systems and marine sectors.