The future of AI: Service AI or concierge?
Some exciting developments in the world of AI have been recently announced, and our Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Richard Clark weighs in.
Richard Clark
Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer
OpenAI introduced its latest model, GPT-4, and Google showcased a variety of new AI capabilities at their I/O event. Here's a closer look at what these announcements mean—and how they might shape the future of AI interaction.
Topline, what’s new:
Greater speed: The new model is faster than its predecessors
Multi-modality: GPT-4 will soon be able to understand and generate spoken audio with emotional content
Improved vision and image generation: enhanced capabilities in understanding and creating images and videos.
Top takeaway from me? Let’s wait and see
While these announcements are promising, it could pay to be wary. Pre-recorded demos while impressive, have little bearing on how these technologies perform in real scenarios. OpenAI’s live demo of GPT-4, despite some glitches, was a bold move. But as of today, your experience could very well differ in terms of capabilities. Why? Release timelines are often longer than expected, so the practical implementation could take more time to materialise.
Service AI vs the concierge model
There was a notable trend toward the "concierge" model of AI where individuals have their own AI assistants. These personal AIs interact with various companies and services on behalf of the user, rather than the other way around.
While for a time it seemed more likely that companies would develop their own AI systems due to their resources and expertise, recent advancements indicate a shift away from service AI. The technology demonstrated by OpenAI and Google seems to be geared towards personal AI assistants that can handle a wide range of tasks for the user, providing a unified experience. For example, a personal AI could manage your calendar, make reservations, handle customer service interactions, and much more—while continuously learning more about your preferences and needs.
Driving this trend
Last week Apple announced plans to integrate this kind of AI technology into the iPhone. This aligns directly with the concierge model, positioning them as the hub for a personal AI assistant that understands and manages many varied aspects of your life. As these technologies continue to evolve, there's a lot of potential, especially in fields like financial services. A personal AI assistant could revolutionise how we manage our finances, interact with banks, and handle transactions—all in a way that’s uniquely ‘us’.
What’s the impact? These developments could significantly change how we interact with technology and services in our daily lives. The shift towards the concierge model of AI promises a future where personalised, efficient, and seamless assistance becomes the norm—and if that’s a future you see yourself in, it’s worth giving these new tools a play to familiarise yourself with what’s ahead.
Ok, now for the legal bit
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