AI Works! But is it Worth the Costs to Scale It?
Like much else, artificial intelligence has divided the masses across the glass-half-full-half-empty spectrum, with different groups offering their takes on what the arrival of AI means for humanity as a whole.
For some, the mention of AI conjures up an image of Rosie the robot from Jetsons, coordinating all the menial tasks for the Jetsons family, while the family members are free to pursue what they love — work, school, shopping, and other fulfilling activities — a truly rosy (sorry, but not sorry, for the pun) picture. Or, maybe they think of C3PO and R2D2 (Star Wars), TARS (Interstellar), Wall-E, or another friendly AI.
For a vocal minority, however, AI has become synonymous with Skynet (Terminator), Cylons (Battlestar Galactica), Ultron (MCU), and their ilk hell-bent on world domination or destruction.
Meanwhile, the large majority of us –reportedly 77% of the people, according to a survey — are more concerned about the job losses that AIs will trigger. After all, we are still quite a long way from creating sentient AIs that both science fiction and science have promised us. For now, at least, we have to be content with using AIs that do some specialized tasks really well. That is, when they are not hallucinating, banging into walls, causing mild inconveniences, or making silly mistakes.
No matter where you stand on the AI debate, it’s undeniable that almost every person with a smart gadget has used — and likely continues to use — advanced AI solutions to make their lives easier. Siri, Alexa, ChatGPT, and many other popular AIs have already entered the conversational lexicon of netizens. Hundreds of other advanced AI solutions continue to solve business problems and offer consumers superior service without making their presence felt. One survey found that 97% of businesses believe that ChatGPT can help their business. Such a broad consensus is rare for a technology this “new,” which only reinforces the usefulness of AI technologies for consumers and businesses.
Nevertheless, businesses — well, at least most of them — are not building an evil AI to take over the world. They use AI to solve their business problems, get more customers, generate more revenues, and beat their competition. And, they all have very different ideas on how to go about achieving that. But all their plans are centered around scaling their AI efficiently and profitably. That is where businesses are struggling.
— Christina shares candid insights and ideas based on her work, network, and passion for mobile, payments, and commerce. As a frequent speaker by invitation to international events, from entrepreneurial and educational to executive audiences and settings, she has been recognized as a ‘Top B2B Influencer’, ‘Who’s Who in Fintech’, and ’40 Under 40 in Silicon Valley’. She focuses on the latest product innovations and growth for people during the day while teaching students and mentoring entrepreneurs at night. Connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter/X. All views are my own. —
