Generative AI is powerful, but value appears only when you choose the right pattern, instrument it, and keep it under control. For ETPA professionals, seven patterns consistently deliver: retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), copilots, autonomous task agents, classification/extraction, code generation, synthetic data, and content moderation.
RAG reduces hallucinations by grounding outputs in your corpus. Success hinges on ruthless document hygiene: chunking, metadata, embeddings, and timely refresh. Add query transformation, hybrid search (keyword + vector), and response attribution. Treat citations as non-negotiable for trust.
Copilots excel when their scope is narrow and instrumentation is strong. Focus on drafting, summarizing, and suggesting—then log prompts, outputs, corrections, and acceptance rates. Weekly reviews of drift and failure modes prevent silent degradation.
Autonomous agents are best for structured back-office tasks: creating tickets, transforming CSVs, or updating CRM fields. Constrain the toolset, use explicit planning (e.g., “think-act-observe” loops hidden from users), and enforce role-based access. Add a kill-switch and human-in-the-loop for anything financial or customer-facing.
Extraction/classification turns unstructured text into tables your business can use. Fine-tuning is tempting; start with prompt templating plus few-shot examples and an evaluator that measures field-level accuracy. Escalate to lightweight fine-tunes once you know where generic models fail.
Code generation saves time in boilerplate and test scaffolding. Require unit tests with every generated snippet and run static analysis and SCA checks automatically. Keep models away from production secrets; use ephemeral credentials in sandboxes.
Synthetic data is a force multiplier for rare or sensitive cases. Pair it with privacy audits and task-specific metrics to prove it helps. Moderation models—your safety belt—protect users and systems by filtering disallowed or risky content and detecting prompt injection.
Governance ties it together: model registry, policy library, red-team playbook, and eval suites (quality, bias, safety, cost). Report wins through business metrics: reduced handle time, higher NPS, fewer errors. For ETPA members, the deliverable is not “we used AI,” but “we improved this KPI with an auditable system.” Ship small, measure truthfully, and scale intentionally.
