“Every decision you want to make with data, generative AI can make it simpler, faster, and more efficient. From surfacing ideas to validating them to analyzing them. The AI is in the pipeline from ideation all the way to [putting the product] on the shelf. Companies will find harmonization between their proprietary data, their assets, with generative AI for both strategic use cases and the tactical, day-to-day execution.”
– Head of Strategic Engagements, Generative AI Startup (a Radicle Generative AI Expert)
Generative AI is seemingly everywhere. The ability of machines to create unlimited original content has sparked both excitement and anxiety about its immense potential and potentially serious risks. The challenge for enterprise decision-makers is not to get lost in this sea of noise. This task is even more vital for enterprises who not only need to grasp the scale of generative AI’s impact, but also to understand: how and where?
As in previous moments of technological transformation (mobile, the Internet), many enterprises are looking to highly skilled professional services firms for support and guidance. We believe that while external advisors and consultants are valuable business partners, decision-makers cannot overlook the expertise of startup and technology leaders who have been actively building the future with generative AI.
We are biased, of course. Radicle is an expert-driven research & insights platform focused exclusively on the future: startups, emerging technologies, new markets, and the innovation ecosystem. We believe passionately that the best people to help you navigate the future are the people who are transforming and disrupting it. The perspectives of the startup and technology leaders on Radicle’s platform have been used to help enterprise leaders shape their business roadmaps, identify partners across their value chain, and begin building great products and services.
In this article, we will explore why these leaders – their unique experiences, expertise, and insights – are best positioned to guide business decision-makers through the opportunities, implications, and risks of generative AI. We do so by demonstrating the following advantages: unmatched practical AI experience, up-to-date technical and commercial knowledge, and fearless vision.
We’ll conclude with some ideas for combining their perspectives with those of your advisors and consultants to increase the odds of maximizing this transformational moment.
Unmatched Practical AI Experience
Startup and technology leaders are at the forefront of developing generative AI applications, making them uniquely qualified to provide insights into its capabilities, limitations, and real-world implications. Their experiences predate the term “generative AI” and they offer perspectives untethered to the current hype cycle. Their practical experience allows them to share real-world examples and case studies that illustrate the potential applications and risks of this technology.
“The real challenge in [generative AI for video] is that there is no foundational model for this today. If you look at any generative AI market map, you will see the most number of companies in text, because you have foundational models for that, like GPT. We’ve spent 4.5 years perfecting this technology. This is the best quality AI generative video in the market.” – CEO and Founder
“There are visual transformers, but compared to older, primitive CNNs, they’re a lot slower. In our warehouses, we really want to get high accuracy and high speed, so transformers aren’t always the best for that.” – Chief Product Officer
By virtue of their hands-on experiences, startup and technology leaders possess a keen understanding of the practical considerations, challenges, and opportunities that arise when working with generative AI. They have wrestled with issues such as data quality, compute considerations, and regulatory compliance. The guidance they provide is grounded in reality, helping business decision-makers navigate the complexities of generative AI implementation with greater confidence.
“LLMs [today] just aren’t good at being particularly efficient in terms of their cost. It can be very expensive depending on how you’re using it to actually use these models in production. If you look at GPT-4, the larger the model, the slower the model as well. The inference speed is tied to the complexity and size of the model. So the question companies really need to ask themselves is, what exactly am I solving for?”
– Head of Generative AI, Global Social Network
Up-to-Date Technical and Commercial Knowledge
Staying up to date with the latest advancements and breakthroughs in the field of generative AI is crucial as the landscape evolves rapidly. Startup and technology leaders are at the forefront of this ever-changing domain, continuously keeping themselves informed about the latest trends, research, and best practices. Their deep involvement in the technical aspects of AI enables them to provide accurate and timely guidance to individuals and organizations seeking to navigate the complex world of AI.
“My prediction is actually we're going to head towards a world where we have intermediate-size models that are very task specific, rather than a world where you're just calling an OpenAI API.”
– Head of Generative AI, Global Social Network
In addition to technical knowledge, startup and technology leaders also possess a keen understanding of the commercial opportunities presented by AI. By staying current with the latest advancements and trends, these leaders are well-equipped to identify and capitalize on the potential benefits presented by generative AI. Their expertise in navigating the white spaces and stumbling blocks in generative AI can be harnessed to help you make informed decisions, ensuring maximum commercial gains while minimizing associated risks.
“In terms of long-term strategy, product development is going to be where you get the most interesting results because you are going to be able to respond to individual markets. You are going to have predictions from AI and you are also going to be able to then follow through with your research and development process in developing those. … If you focus on product design and development, that’s what’s going to set you apart from your competition in a couple of years.”
– Co-Founder & COO
Fearless Vision
Engaging startup and technology experts offers distinct advantages due to their fearless vision, "skin in the game," and strong buy-in. These experts possess an entrepreneurial spirit that drives them to think outside the box, challenge conventional norms, and envision groundbreaking solutions. Their fearless vision enables them to push boundaries and explore innovative approaches, unburdened by the constraints of traditional thinking. Moreover, as individuals deeply invested in their own ventures, they have a personal stake in the success of their ideas. This "skin in the game" mentality drives them to be proactive, dedicated, and committed to achieving tangible results. By leveraging the expertise and fearless vision of startup and technology leaders, individuals and organizations can tap into an invaluable resource that embraces risk-taking, drives innovation, and is deeply committed to achieving transformative outcomes.
“If your goal is to [use generative AI] to just do the same ads for less money, then you’re not thinking big enough. The bigger opportunity is to hyper-personalize ads to each consumer of our product based on segment data that we’re getting. Let’s optimize cost per click with those ads and optimize the messaging itself to speak to the one-to-one conversation you’ve always wanted to have with your customer.”
– Sr. Solutions Engineer
Now that we have established the benefits of tapping into this expertise, we close by considering how you should think about this resource in comparison and combination with more traditional advisory and consulting services.
1. Capitalize on a Diversity of Perspectives
Different firms may offer unique perspectives, methodologies, or industry-specific knowledge that can complement the expertise and fearless vision of startup and technology leaders. While we may default to trusted and renowned consulting firms, it's also beneficial to seek insights from a diverse range of external consultants with expertise in generative AI. Engaging multiple consultants can provide a broader range of viewpoints and recommendations, allowing organizations to make well-informed decisions.
2. Capitalize on Complementary Expertise
The leading consultancies provide insights into market dynamics, competitive landscapes, and regulatory considerations that may not be immediately apparent to startup and technology leaders. By leveraging established strategic frameworks, these firms can provide a broader perspective on the strategic implications of generative AI adoption.
On the other hand, startup and technology leaders bring unparalleled practical expertise to the table. Their insights into implementation challenges, ethical considerations, and industry-specific nuances are invaluable. By incorporating these firsthand experiences, enterprises can ensure that the strategic recommendations they are receiving from external consultancies align with the realities of implementing generative AI in different organizational contexts – and that the advice they receive do not compromise the grander vision that startup and technology leaders possess.
3. Capitalize on a Whole Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts
Startup and technology leaders possess deep industry knowledge, having focused their efforts on specific domains. Consultants, on the other hand, often have a broader view of multiple industries and can bring cross-sector insights to the table. By combining these perspectives, organizations can gain a comprehensive understanding of the potential impact of generative AI across various industries. This collaboration allows for the identification of industry-specific opportunities, challenges, and risks, ultimately enabling more targeted and effective strategies.
At Radicle, we are building a network of generative AI experts – founders, technologists, technical product leaders, data scientists, ethicists, and more – who make their deep industry and technical knowledge available to you.
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Radicle has built the world’s foremost network of generative AI experts. These aren’t ‘professional experts’ or AI consultants who were web3 consultants last year. These are practitioners, builders, founders, technologists, data scientists, ethicists, and others shaping the future of generative AI.
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