All-in on Enterprise AI

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” - Arthur C. Clarke

I’ll never forget the first time I logged into ChatGPT. I didn’t change the world - just trolled it a bit and then learned what type of plant attracts hummingbirds and does not attract cats. It felt like magic. A lightbulb went off about the possibilities that an intelligent and accessible solution like this could deliver - not just to individual consumers but especially to large enterprises. Since then, some industries have experienced hockeystick acceleration while others are quickly contracting. And I’ve spent a lot of my free time building, reading, playing, learning and preparing myself for the inevitable moment when I can dedicate my career to playing a small role in the AI revolution. Which is why I am so excited to be starting at IBM today as a partner within their AI consulting group.

Why now for Enterprise AI?

Bloomberg estimates GenAI spending to reach $1.3T by 2032. That will make it (one of?) the fastest categories from zero to a trillion ever. But it's not without risk for the enterprise. From my own experiences building GenAI products at Quantum Metric and working within the ecosystem, I have found that much of the tech today is far from ready to be operational in the enterprise - with heightened sensitivity around data privacy, customer experience and performance. Regulatory regimes are playing catch up with the EU publishing an AI Act that already seems out of date and the ISO organization recently releasing a Standard for AI. Rabid demand for meaningful, scaled enterprise AI use-cases currently outstrips supply due to risk and regulation. This is an exciting moment but it's also the wild west out there. 

Why IBM?

I am proud to be joining a technology giant at such an exciting moment. IBM bet the farm on AI before it was the obvious thing to do. Playing the long game doesn't even do it justice: Deep Blue, which beat Garry Kasparov in chess, was built in the 1980's and 90's. Watson, which beat Ken Jennings in Jeopardy, followed in the early 2000's. Since then IBM has been making significant investments over the past decade that put them in a unique position to succeed in what will certainly be a frothy market. They have been slowly building a strategy and offering that looks like the most viable enterprise solution available today. Multi-model is the new multi-cloud - and IBM is a leader in both having led the industry in "Hybrid Cloud" adoption and now taking that same philosophy to foundational models and beyond. Their differentiation in the enterprise is architecturally driven and is the culmination of years of R&D and M&A - which could be the basis of a significant moat for brands where trusted AI matters. Finally, if AI is the technology of today, then Quantum Computing is the technology of tomorrow and IBM is the undisputed leader there with a huge head start.

Why Consulting?

As I looked across the AI technology space, I saw the opportunity balanced with a MASSIVE amount of risk. FOMO funding rounds are back and the technical moats are unclear and unproven. Thousands of ChatGPT "wrappers" evaporated the day that the GPT store was announced. Though we all agree on the potential of AI, we are still a long way off from realizing that potential. I believe the coming wave of enterprise AI technologies are actually going to be solutions: Built, trained and implemented to the unique needs of enterprises. There is now a unique opportunity to build Centaurs (half human, half computer) - and this can unlock human potential, increase job satisfaction and overhaul antiquated industries. It is the digital productization of consulting in a way that is incredibly transformative. And big brands will be looking to consultants to drive their 10-year AI roadmaps and find ways to realize value from their investments.

I continue to wake up every morning excited for the future of technology and humbled by its pace.  I look forward to connecting with more folks in the industry and learning from all of you. Don't think I'll be sparing you from my ChatGPT artistry anytime soon. Onward and upward 🚀.