Two cents on 'AI' startups and the hype cycle !

In pursuit of industry research, analysis and learning I have been meeting fellow entrepreneurs claiming to use AI in their products. However, post a bit of digging, they accept that the claim is mere a 'claim', nothing concrete. I'd say I appreciate their honesty with the startup fraternity, but it does make me wonder - what is wrong with the startup ecosystem in our country?

These claims had an adverse affect on all industries. Organisations claimed to have invested in AI without actually experiencing it. So when one goes with an actual use case, an enterprise responds saying we have invested in AI but we didn't see results. This way, the false claim ruins the technology experience for the organisations and contempts the value of the technology.

As a matter of fact we all are aware that AI offers exciting possibilities, but unfortunately, most AI startups are focused on the goal of simply marketing an AI-based product rather than identifying needs, potential uses and the business value to customers and then actually building it using AI.

I happened to go through Gartner's report which says that software companies are exploiting the current artificial intelligence craze by exaggerating the scope and capabilities of AI in their products.

Gartner tracks product marketing hype with a tool it calls the Hype Cycle, measuring the growth and decline of products as they mature. It calls the process of overhyping AI "AI washing," similar to the way the term “greenwashing” was used to describe exaggerated claims of environmental-friendliness in various products or practices. 

Gartner said more than 1,000 vendors say their products employ AI, but many are "applying the AI label a little too indiscriminately." And it has happened fast.

In January 2016, the term "artificial intelligence" was not in the top 100 search terms on gartner.com. By May 2017, the term ranked at number seven, a huge spike in popularity in a short amount of time. Gartner predicts that by 2020, AI will be virtually pervasive in almost every new software product and service and a top five investment priority for more than 30 percent of CIOs. 

All said and done, this just makes me more confident about BASH and after spreading our wings in Silicon Valley now Middle East is waiting for us. I can't thank my Product Team enough for their hard work in building BASH an impeccable AI product. Having said that, this is not it, we are evolving the product gradually with more features and modules. 

We will be in Dubai from 26th till 30th of this month. Drop me a message if you are around, keen to discuss BASH or wishing me birthday in-person ;)

We are open for 'resellers' too, so you are most welcome to partner with us. 

Going back to to the Gartner report, let the Darwinian evolutionary theory prevails. Three cheers for BASH !