Thu Mar-28-2024: Generative AI Struggles and RPA's Future, Intel and Microsoft Define AI-Powered PC

[00:00:00] It's Thursday, March 28, 2024 and I'm Dave Sulf, three things to note today. The

[00:00:07] struggle of startups and companies with generative AI, not the panacea once imagine, Intel and Microsoft

[00:00:13] define the AI-powered PC and the evolution of automation, how AI is set to supercharge

[00:00:21] our PA's capabilities. VIX is the Business of Tech.

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[00:01:16] Well, I'm not alone concluding that we've moved quickly through the hype cycle. Through

[00:01:23] reporting in Axios, generative AI, particularly chatbots like ChatGBT, facing criticism

[00:01:28] and challenges putting the technology in the trough disillusionment. Issues include embarrassing

[00:01:34] errors, concerns about intellectual property infringement, cost, environmental impact

[00:01:38] and more. Some startups in the field are struggling and companies find that generative AI is not

[00:01:45] the panacea they once believed. Here's a great quote.

[00:01:49] Gary Marcus, a scientist who penned a blog last year titled What If Generative AI Turned

[00:01:55] Out To Be A DUDD. Tells Axios that outside of a few areas such as coding, companies have

[00:02:01] found generative AI isn't the panacea they once imagined.

[00:02:05] Quote, everybody seemed to come back with a report like this is super cool but I can't

[00:02:10] actually get it to work reliably enough to roll out to our customers. Marcus said.

[00:02:15] End quote.

[00:02:17] It said, per data from the Pew Research Center, the use of chatgbd among Americans is increasing

[00:02:24] with 23% of US adults reporting that they have used it. However regarding information about

[00:02:29] the 2024 US presidential election, public is skeptical with only 2% expressing a great

[00:02:36] deal or quite a bit of trust. The survey also reveals differences in usage based on age

[00:02:42] and education and concerns about misinformation from chatbots in the context of elections.

[00:02:47] And while I'm on the company TechCrunch is reporting that OpenAI's GPT Store, the marketplace

[00:02:53] for custom chatbots powered by OpenAI's models, is facing issues with spam and copyright

[00:03:00] infringement. The store is flooded with GPTs that generate art in the style of popular

[00:03:05] franchises, bypass AI content detection tools, and promote academic dishonesty. There are

[00:03:11] also concerns about impersonation and attempts to jailbreak OpenAI's models. The rapid growth

[00:03:17] of the GPT Store has come at the expense of quality and adherence to OpenAI's terms.

[00:03:24] The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is released a report calling

[00:03:29] for independent audits of high-risk uses of AI. The report recommends improved transparency,

[00:03:36] independent evaluations, and consequences for imposing new risks. The NTIA believes accountability

[00:03:42] policies will boost public and marketplace confidence in AI systems. Assistant Secretary

[00:03:49] of Commerce Alan Davidson emphasized the need for AI accountability and an auditing ecosystem

[00:03:55] drawing inspiration from financial auditing practices.

[00:03:59] No, why do we care? It's shocking that technology isn't the solution to every problem

[00:04:06] shocking I say. But in just care because navigating this is the value of an MSP and an IT

[00:04:14] solution provider which you're looking for is to apply technology to your customer base

[00:04:20] in a way that makes them more money. It's actually that simple and entirely tricky to do,

[00:04:26] which application balances the risk directly of precisely what was named, errors, intellectual

[00:04:33] property infringement, cost, environmental impact and more. I'll keep reporting on good use cases

[00:04:39] to give you examples. Intel has shared details about what it means to be an AI-powered PC

[00:04:48] for reporting in Tom's hardware book. Microsoft and Intel's new code-developed definition states that

[00:04:54] an AI PC will come with a neural processing unit or NPU, a CPU and a GPU that support Microsoft's

[00:05:01] co-pilot and come with a physical co-pilot key directly on the keyboard that replaces the

[00:05:07] second Windows key on the right side of the keyboard. While Intel and Microsoft are promoting this

[00:05:13] jointly developed definition of an AI PC, Intel itself has a simpler definition that says it

[00:05:19] requires a CPU, GPU and NPU each with its own AI-specific acceleration capabilities.

[00:05:28] And from in gadget, Microsoft's co-pilot AI services set to run locally on PCs,

[00:05:34] requiring next-gen AI PCs with built-in neural processing units with over 40 tops of power.

[00:05:42] This move aims to decrease lag, improve performance and enhance privacy. Co-pilot runs mostly in the cloud,

[00:05:48] local computing capability can process smaller tasks more efficiently. Intel and other companies are

[00:05:54] working on developing processors with sufficient power for a co-pilot, such as Apple's N3, AMB's

[00:06:00] Ryzen chips and Qualcomm's Snapdragon XE Elite. Adobe and Microsoft are partnering to bring Adobe

[00:06:07] Experience Cloud workflows and insights to Microsoft co-pilot 4, Microsoft 365. This integration will

[00:06:14] assist marketers in overcoming application and data silos, streamlining data tasks,

[00:06:20] and enhancing productivity. Partnership aims to deliver contextual marketing insights,

[00:06:26] create campaign briefs, and provide in-context notifications and summaries,

[00:06:30] well within the Microsoft 365 applications. And speaking of Adobe, the company is introduced

[00:06:36] its new Gen Studio platform. This AI-powered ad creation platform aims to simplify the use of

[00:06:43] alternative AI tools for building marketing campaigns. Gen Studio is a centralized hub for

[00:06:49] promotional campaigns, offering brand kits, copy guidance, and generative AI-powered tools

[00:06:55] for creating ads across various platforms. The Gen Apps Studio is currently in ALTA with General

[00:07:02] Availability expected later this year. Why do we care? I believe AI PC is marketing hype right now.

[00:07:10] See our previous story about why we're still figuring out the right applications.

[00:07:15] That said, I'm open to that changing, at least the definition is now here. Now an obvious use case

[00:07:22] is marketing applications. Do you need an easy one for most customers? That's flirting with possibly

[00:07:28] all customers? Well, there's one. I wanted to hit another topic today as I'm clearing the decks of AI

[00:07:37] stories. Run time examines how robotic process automation or RPA is reaching an inflection point as

[00:07:44] enterprises increasingly look to leverage generative AI technologies. RPA allows companies to automate

[00:07:51] mundane tannisks, but its limitations have led to the exploration of AI solutions. RPA vendors are

[00:07:57] experimenting with generative AI to enhance accessibility and scalability. According to

[00:08:03] Forester, the RPA software and services market is expected to grow to $22 billion by 2025.

[00:08:11] Still, growth is slowing down as companies increasingly look to AI to solve these problems.

[00:08:18] Why do we care? RPA plus AI is a winner. They likely merge completely too. I love it too because

[00:08:27] it's all about productivity and enhancing workflow. Prime real estate for solution fighters.

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[00:09:25] Ding day for baseball. I am one who celebrates. I'll be at the home opener for the nationals on Monday

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