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Blockers to IT Success and Salesforce Implementation Solutions

Blockers to IT Success and Salesforce Implementation Solutions

The CIO’s website recently delved into the primary obstacles to achieving success in IT. Tectonic echoes these concerns and offers insights and remedies based on our Salesforce Implementation Solutions. Issues such as data challenges, technical debt, and talent shortages can significantly hinder the progress of IT organizations and departments in executing high-value projects. Several CIOs have shared their approaches to tackling these challenges. Tectonic poses solutions based upon the Salesforce ecosystem. Carm Taglienti, Chief Data Officer and Distinguished Engineer at Insight, reflects on the dual nature of the recent surge in artificial intelligence (AI). While AI advancements have undoubtedly enhanced efficiency and productivity across technology departments, lines of business, and business units, the rapid proliferation of AI technologies, particularly generative AI, has disrupted numerous IT plans. Taglienti emphasizes the need for organizations to adapt swiftly to these technological shifts to avoid derailing critical projects. Tectonic recently looked at challenges the public sector face in regards to AI. Read more here. The rapid evolution of technology poses a continuous challenge for IT leaders. The relentless pace of technological advancements, exemplified by the rise of AI, demands proactive resource allocation to stay competitive. Ryan Downing, CIO of Principal Financial Group, underscores the necessity of adopting a strategic approach to navigate the complexities of multicloud environments effectively. Tectonic echoes the multicloud challenge. We address this for our clients with Salesforce implementation, optimization, consulting, and ongoing managed services. Salesforce remains the world’s number one CRM solution for a reason. Cloud solutions for marketing, personalization, patient data privacy, manufacturing, feedback management, and more are just a small sampling of the IT solutions Salesforce and Tectonic present. Unaddressed data issues pose a significant impediment to realizing the full potential of analytics, automation, and AI. Many organizations are grappling with legacy systems and inadequate data management practices, hindering their progress in succesfully deploying advanced technologies. Working with a Salesforce partner can address this challenge. The scarcity of skilled talent remains a pressing concern for CIOs, as highlighted in the State of the CIO Study by Foundry. Despite efforts to train internal staff and leverage contractors, filling critical tech positions remains challenging, impeding transformation initiatives. Managed services providers help address this skill gap. Technical debt and legacy systems present additional hurdles for IT departments. The maintenance of outdated infrastructure drains resources and limits innovation, forcing CIOs to strike a delicate balance between modernization efforts and operational demands. Addressing cybersecurity threats and compliance with evolving regulations further strains IT resources, necessitating proactive measures to safeguard organizational assets and maintain regulatory compliance. Striking the right balance between sustaining existing operations, fostering growth, and driving transformative initiatives is another challenge facing CIOs. Scott Saccal of Cambrex emphasizes the importance of aligning resource allocation with strategic objectives to avoid market displacement. The allure of new technologies, coupled with executive pressure to explore shiny objects, can divert focus from core priorities, hampering strategic execution. Shadow IT and the lack of organizational agility pose additional barriers to IT success, highlighting the need for CIOs to foster collaboration, align IT initiatives with business goals, and cultivate a culture of adaptability within their departments. ‘Shadow IT’ refers to the unsanctioned use of software, hardware, or other systems and services within an organization, often without the knowledge of that organization’s information technology (IT) department. CIOs must navigate a myriad of challenges, from technological disruptions to talent shortages, while maintaining a laser focus on strategic objectives to drive organizational success in an ever-evolving digital landscape. Tectonic is here to consult and achieve your IT challenges. Contact us today. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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Salesforce Summer 24 Sales Release Notes

Salesforce Summer 24 Sales Release Notes

Changes are afoot for Salesforce Sales Cloud. Salesforce Summer 24 Sales Release Notes. Salesforce Summer 24 Sales Release Notes Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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Impact of AI Agents Across Key Sectors in 2024

Impact of AI Agents Across Key Sectors in 2024

Sophisticated autonomous digital entities are already transforming our lives, industries, and the way we engage with technology. What will be the Impact of AI Agents Across Key Sectors in 2024? While much attention has been given to Generative AI (Gen AI), the next major leap forward comes from AI Agents. This emerging technology is set to revolutionize how we work and interact with the world. How AI Agents Will Shape Daily Life AI Agents: An OverviewAI Agents, also called digital assistants or AI-driven entities, are advanced systems designed to perform tasks and provide services autonomously. They use machine learning, natural language processing, and other AI technologies to understand user needs, solve problems, and complete tasks without direct human intervention. The Impact of AI Agents Across Key Sectors in 2024 Personalization and AssistanceAI Agents are increasingly embedded in our personal and professional routines. By learning our preferences, habits, and needs, they offer personalized recommendations, such as curating music playlists, suggesting films, or creating custom workout plans. Their ability to deliver tailored assistance makes everyday life more seamless and enjoyable. Healthcare AdvancementsIn healthcare, AI Agents are making a significant impact. They can analyze medical records, provide diagnostic insights, and assist with treatment planning. Multi-modal agents even process medical imaging to aid in diagnoses, marking a groundbreaking advancement for both healthcare professionals and patients. Efficiency in BusinessAI Agents are transforming business operations by improving customer service through 24/7 automated chatbots and streamlining processes in supply chain management, human resources, and data analysis. These systems help optimize operations and support more informed decision-making. Education and LearningIn education, AI Agents offer personalized learning experiences tailored to each student’s needs, helping them learn at their own pace. Teachers also benefit, as AI Agents provide insights to customize instruction and track student progress. Enhanced CybersecurityAs cybersecurity threats evolve, AI Agents play a key role in identifying and mitigating risks. They detect anomalies in real-time, helping organizations protect their data and systems from breaches and attacks. Environmental ImpactAI Agents are contributing to sustainability by optimizing energy consumption in buildings, improving waste management, and monitoring environmental changes. Their role in addressing climate change is increasingly critical. Research and InnovationIn fields like drug discovery and climate modeling, AI Agents accelerate research by processing and analyzing vast amounts of data. Their involvement speeds up discoveries and innovation across multiple domains. Impact of AI Agents Across Key Sectors in 2024 In 2024, AI Agents have become much more than just digital assistants; they are driving transformative change across industries and daily life. Their ability to understand, adapt, and respond to human needs makes technology more efficient, personalized, and accessible. However, as AI Agents continue to evolve, it is crucial to consider ethical concerns and promote responsible use. With mindful integration, AI Agents hold the promise of a more connected, sustainable, and innovative future. If you are ready to explore AI Agents in your business, contact Tectonic today. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more Top Ten Reasons Why Tectonic Loves the Cloud The Cloud is Good for Everyone – Why Tectonic loves the cloud You don’t need to worry about tracking licenses. Read more

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Salesforce Einstein Summer 24 Release Notes

Salesforce Einstein Summer 24 Release Notes

Supercharge your workforce efficiency with predictive and generative AI. Salesforce Einstein Summer 24 Release Notes. Rights of ALBERT EINSTEIN are used with permission of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Represented exclusively by Greenlight. CLOUD FEATURES RELEASE NOTE June ’24 Analytics Report Formula Generation Add Calculated Fields to Your Data Cloud Reports with Einstein Generative AI Field Service Pre-Work Brief Customize the Pre-Work Brief with Prompt Builder Flow Builder Einstein for Flow Let Einstein Build a Draft Flow for You Industries: Contracts Contracts AI Tailor Your Default and New Field Prompts for Effective Data Extraction Industries: Health Cloud Assessment Generation Automate Assessment Generation With Einstein Generative AI Industries: Net Zero Cloud ESG Reports Einstein for Net Zero Cloud Overall Salesforce Scheduler Generate Personalized Appointment Invitation Emails with Prompt Builder Sales Enablement, Relationship Selling, Sales Emails Einstein for Sales Sales Einstein Conversation Insights Einstein Conversation Insights Service Article Recommendations, Feedback Management, Work Summaries Einstein for Service Service Service Catalog Einstein for Service Catalog Einstein Features Salesforce Einstein Summer 24 Release Notes Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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Generative AI Prompts with Retrieval Augmented Generation

Generative AI Prompts with Retrieval Augmented Generation

By now, you’ve likely experimented with generative AI language models (LLMs) such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini to aid in composing emails or crafting social media content. Yet, achieving optimal results can be challenging—particularly if you haven’t mastered the art and science of formulating effective prompts. Generative AI Prompts with Retrieval Augmented Generation. The effectiveness of an AI model hinges on its training data. To excel, it requires precise context and substantial factual information, rather than generic details. This is where Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) comes into play, enabling you to seamlessly integrate your most current and pertinent proprietary data directly into your LLM prompt. Here’s a closer look at how RAG operates and the benefits it can offer your business. Generative AI Prompts with Retrieval Augmented Generation Why RAG Matters: An AI model’s efficacy is determined by the quality of its training data. For optimal performance, it needs specific context and substantial factual information, not just generic data. An off-the-shelf LLM lacks the real-time updates and trustworthy access to proprietary data essential for precise responses. RAG addresses this gap by embedding up-to-date and pertinent proprietary data directly into LLM prompts, enhancing response accuracy. How RAG Works: RAG leverages powerful semantic search technologies within Salesforce to retrieve relevant information from internal data sources like emails, documents, and customer records. This retrieved data is then fed into a generative AI model (such as CodeT5 or Einstein Language), which uses its language understanding capabilities to craft a tailored response based on the retrieved facts and the specific context of the user’s query or task. Case Study: Algo Communications In 2023, Canada-based Algo Communications faced the challenge of rapidly onboarding customer service representatives (CSRs) to support its growth. Seeking a robust solution, the company turned to generative AI, adopting an LLM enhanced with RAG for training CSRs to accurately respond to complex customer inquiries. Algo integrated extensive unstructured data, including chat logs and email history, into its vector database, enhancing the effectiveness of RAG. Within just two months of adopting RAG, Algo’s CSRs exhibited greater confidence and efficiency in addressing inquiries, resulting in a 67% faster resolution of cases. Key Benefits of RAG for Algo Communications: Efficiency Improvement: RAG enabled CSRs to complete cases more quickly, allowing them to address new inquiries at an accelerated pace. Enhanced Onboarding: RAG reduced onboarding time by half, facilitating Algo’s rapid growth trajectory. Brand Consistency: RAG empowered CSRs to maintain the company’s brand identity and ethos while providing AI-assisted responses. Human-Centric Customer Interactions: RAG freed up CSRs to focus on adding a human touch to customer interactions, improving overall service quality and customer satisfaction. Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) enhances the capabilities of generative AI models by integrating current and relevant proprietary data directly into LLM prompts, resulting in more accurate and tailored responses. This technology not only improves efficiency and onboarding but also enables organizations to maintain brand consistency and deliver exceptional customer experiences. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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Salesforce in a Mega-Data Deal with Informatica

Salesforce in a Mega-Data Deal with Informatica

Since Salesforce announced its acquisition of Slack for $27.7B in late 2020, the cloud software mega-giant has paused its acquisition strategy due to factors like rising interest rates, declining revenues, and a laser focus on profitability. However, recent leaks from The Wall Street Journal and other news publications suggest that Salesforce in a Mega-Data Deal with Informatica, is in advanced talks to acquire Informatica in a deal worth over $11B. Informatica is a significant player in enterprise data management, boasting revenues of over $1.51B and a workforce of over 5,000 employees. They specialize in AI-powered cloud data management, assisting companies in processing and managing large volumes of data from various sources to derive actionable and real-time insights. Salesforce in a Mega-Data Deal with Informatica The synergies between Informatica and Salesforce are many, with both companies focusing on consolidating data from multiple sources to provide comprehensive business insights. This aligns well with Salesforce’s strategic shift towards AI-driven data processing and analysis, aiming to enhance generative and predictive capabilities. While Salesforce’s previous acquisition of MuleSoft in 2018 for $6.5B has proven successful in facilitating API connectivity for real-time integrations, Informatica brings expertise in ETL (Extract-Transform-Load), data quality, and data movement to and from platforms like Snowflake and Databricks. This potential mega-data deal underscores the growing importance of data in the tech industry, especially with the emergence of generative AI and large language models (LLMs) that enable deeper analysis of vast datasets. Salesforce’s recent rebranding of its platform to “Einstein 1” underscores the convergence of AI and data within its product suite. The company’s emphasis on “AI + Data + CRM” reflects its commitment to leveraging data analytics for CRM enhancement, exemplified by the growth of its Data Cloud product. Partnering with industry leaders like Snowflake, Databricks, AWS, and Google, Salesforce aims to offer comprehensive data solutions that integrate seamlessly with existing systems. Informatica’s capabilities in ETL and Master Data Management (MDM) align with this vision, particularly in streamlining data integration and ensuring data quality across disparate systems. In final thoughts, while the Informatica acquisition is still pending finalization, it represents a strategic move by Salesforce to strengthen its position in the AI and data-driven CRM market. As Salesforce continues to evolve its product ecosystem, this acquisition signals its commitment to innovation and leadership in the era of AI-powered data analytics. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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Gen AI Depends on Good Data

Gen AI Depends on Good Data

Accelerate Your Generative AI Journey: A Call to Action for Data Leaders Generative AI is generating immense excitement across organizations, with boards of directors conducting educational workshops and senior management teams brainstorming potential use cases. They need to keep in mind, Gen AI Depends on Good Data. Individuals and departments are already experimenting with the technology to enhance productivity and effectiveness. There needs to be as much effort into data quality as to the technology. The critical work required for generative AI success falls to chief data officers (CDOs), data engineers, and knowledge curators. Unfortunately, many have yet to begin the necessary preparations. A survey in late 2023 of 334 CDOs and data leaders, sponsored by Amazon Web Services and the MIT Chief Data Officer/Information Quality Symposium, coupled with interviews, reveals a gap between enthusiasm and readiness. While there’s a shared excitement about generative AI, much work remains to get organizations ready for it. The Current State of Data Preparedness Most companies have yet to develop new data strategies or manage their data to effectively leverage generative AI. This insight outlines the survey results and suggests next steps for data readiness. Maximizing Value with Generative AI Historically, AI has worked with structured data like numbers in rows and columns. Generative AI, however, utilizes unstructured data—text, images, and video—to generate new content. This technology offers both assistance and competition for human content creators. Survey findings show that 80% of data leaders believe generative AI will transform their business environment, and 62% plan to increase spending on it. Yet, many are not yet realizing substantial economic value from generative AI. Only 6% of respondents have a generative AI application in production deployment. A significant 16% have banned employee use, though this is decreasing as companies address data privacy issues with enterprise versions of generative AI models. Focus on Core Business Areas Experiments with generative AI should target core business areas. Universal Music, for instance, is aggressively experimenting with generative AI for R&D, exploring how it can create music, write lyrics, and imitate artists’ voices while protecting intellectual property rights. Gen AI Depends on Good Data For generative AI to be truly valuable, organizations need to customize vendors’ models with their own data and prepare their data for integration. Generative AI relies on well-curated data to ensure accuracy, recency, uniqueness, and other quality attributes. Poor-quality data yields poor-quality AI responses. Data leaders in our survey cited data quality as the greatest challenge to realizing generative AI’s potential, with 46% highlighting this issue. Jeff McMillan, Chief Data, Analytics, and Innovation Officer at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, emphasizes the importance of high-quality training content and the need to address disparate data sources for successful generative AI implementation. Current Efforts and Challenges Most data leaders have not yet made significant changes to their data strategies. While 93% agree that a data strategy is critical for generative AI, 57% have made no changes, and only 11% strongly agree their organizations have the right data foundation. Organizations making progress are focusing on specific tasks like data integration, cleaning datasets, surveying data, and curating documents for domain-specific AI models. Walid Mehanna, Group Chief Data and AI Officer at Merck Group, and Raj Nimmagadda, Chief Data Officer for R&D at Sanofi, stress the importance of robust data foundations, governance, and standards for generative AI success. Focus on High-Value Data Domains Given the monumental effort required to curate, clean, and integrate all unstructured data for generative AI, organizations should focus on specific data domains where they plan to implement the technology. The most common business areas prioritizing generative AI development include customer operations, software engineering, marketing and sales, and R&D. The Time to Start is Now While other important data projects exist, including improving transaction data and supporting traditional analytics, the preparation for generative AI should not be delayed. Despite some slow pivoting from structured to unstructured data management, and competition among CDOs, CIOs, CTOs, and chief digital officers for leadership in generative AI, the consensus is clear: generative AI is a transformative capability. Preparing a large organization’s data for AI could take several years, and the time to start is now. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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Salesforce Einstein Features

Salesforce Einstein Features

Salesforce Einstein Discover the power of the #1 AI for CRM with Einstein. Built into the Salesforce Platform, Einstein uses powerful machine learning and large language models to personalize customer interactions and make employees more productive. With Einstein powering the Customer 360, teams can accelerate time to value, predict outcomes, and automatically generate content within the flow of work. Einstein is for everyone, empowering business users, Salesforce Admins and Developers to embed AI into every experience with low code. Salesforce Einstein Features. Einstein Copilot Sales Actions: Sell faster with an AI assistant in the flow of work.Call Exploration: Ask Einstein to synthesize important call information in seconds. Ask Einstein to identify important takeaways and customer sentiment, so you have the context you need to move deals forward.

 Sales Summaries: Summarize records to identify likelihood the deal will close, the competitors involved, key activities, and more. Forecast Guidance: Ask Einstein to inform your forecast and help you identify which deals need your attention. Close Plan: Generate a customized action plan personalized to your customer and sales process. Increase conversion rates with step-by-step guidance and milestones grounded in CRM data. Salesforce Einstein Features Sales Generative AI features: ° Knowledge Creation: ° Search Answers for Agents and Customers: Einstein Copilot Service Actions: Streamline service operations by drafting Knowledge articles and surfacing answers, grounded in knowledge, to the most commonly asked questions. Summarize support interactions to save agent time and formalize institutional knowledge. Surface generated answers to agents’ & customers’ questions that are grounded in your trusted Knowledge base directly into your search page. Search Answers for Agents is included in the Einstein for Service Add-on SKU and Search Answers for Customers is included in the Einstein 1 Service Edition.
Empower agents to deliver more personalized service and reach resolutions faster with an AI assistant built into the flow of work. You can leverage out-of-the-box actions like summarize conversations or answer questions with Knowledge or you can build custom actions to fit your unique business needs. Service Salesforce Einstein Features This Release Einstein CopilotSell faster with an AI assistant. No data requirements
Included in Einstein 1 Sales Edition.hEinstein Copilot: Sales ActionsSell faster with an AI assistant.No data requirements. 
 Call explorer and meeting follow-up requires Einstein Conversation Insights.
Included in Einstein 1 Sales Edition. Generative AIBoost productivity by automating time-consuming tasks.No data requirements. 
 Call summaries and call explorer requires Einstein Conversation Insights.
Included in Einstein 1 Sales Edition. Einstein will use a global model until enough data is available for a local model. For a local model: ≥1,000 lead records created and ≥120 of those converted in the last 6 monthsEinstein Automated Contacts Automatically add new
contacts & events to your CRM≥ 30 business accounts. If you use Person Accounts, >= 50 percent of accounts must be business accounts Einstein Recommended ConnectionsGet insights about your teams network to see who knows your customers and can help out ona deal ≥ 2 users to be connected to Einstein Activity Capture
and Inbox (5 preferred) Einstein Forecasting Easily predict sales forecasts inside
of Salesforce Collaborative Forecasting enabled; use a standard fiscal year; measure forecasts by opportunity revenue; forecast hierarchy must include at least one forecasting enabled user who reports to a forecast manager; opportunities must be in Salesforce ≥ 24 months;Einstein Email Insights Prioritize your inbox with actionable intelligence Einstein Activity Capture enabledEinstein Activity Metiics (Activity 360) Get insight into the activities you enter
manually and automatically from Einstein
Activity Capture Einstein Activity Capture enabled Sales Analytics Get insights into the most common sales KPIs No data requirements. User specific requirements like browser and device apply Einstein Conveisation Insights Gain actionable insights from your sales calls with conversational intelligenceCall or video recordings from Lightning Dialer, Service Cloud Voice, Zoom and other supported CTI audio and video partners.Buyer Assistant Replace web-to-lead forms with real-time conversations. No data requirements – Sales Cloud UE or Sales Engagement. Einstein Opportunity ScoringEinstein Activity CaptuiePrioritize the opportunities most likely to convertAutomatically capture data & add to your CRMEinstein will use a global model until enough data is available for a local model. For a local model: ≥ 200 closed won and ≥ 200 closed lost opportunities in the last 2 years, each with a lifespan of at least 2 days≥ 30 accounts, contacts, or leads; Requires Gmail, Microsoft Exchange 2019, 2016, or 2013 Einstein Relationship Insights Speed prospecting with AI that researches for you. No data requirements. Einstein Next Best Action Deliver optimal recommendations at the point of maximumimpactNo data requirements. User specific requirements like browser and device apply Sales AIGenerate emails, prioritize leads & opportunities most likely to convert, uncover pipeline trends, predict sales forecasts, automate data capture, and more with Einstein for Sales. Generative AIPrompt BuilderEinstein Lead ScoringEinstein Opportunity ScoringEinstein Activity CaptureEinstein Automated ContactsEinstein Recommended ConnectionsEinstein ForecastingEinstein Email InsightsEinstein Activity Metrics (Activity 360)Sales AnalyticsEinstein Conversation InsightsBuyer Assistant Sales AIGenerative AI: 
Feature Why is it so Great? What do I need? Automate common questions and business processes to solve customer requests fasterBoost productivity by auto-generating service replies, summarizing conversations during escalations andtransfers or closed interactions, drafting knowledge articles, and surfacing relevant answers grounded inknowledge for agents’ and customers’ commonly asked questions. Deliver optimal recommendations at the point of maximum impactEliminate the guesswork with AI-powered recommendations for everyoneDecrease time spent on manual data entry for incoming cases and improve case field accuracy and completionAutomate case triage and solve customer requests fasterDecrease time spent selecting field values needed to close a case with chat conversations and improved field accuracySurface the best articles in real time to solve any customer’s questionEliminate time spent typing responses to the most common customer questionsGet insights into contact center operations, understand customers, and deliver enhanced customerexperiencesChat or Messaging channels, minimum of 20 examples for most languagesNo data requirements. User specific requirements like browser and device apply Make sure that your dataset has the minimum records to build a successful recommendation. Recipient Records need a minimum of 100 records,Recommended Item Records need a minimum of 10 records, andPositive Interaction Examples need a minimum of 400 records

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Harnessing Sales Data

Harnessing Sales Data

Harnessing Sales Data for Better Insights and Rapid Deal Closure Sales data is a critical asset for gaining insights and closing deals swiftly. With the ever-expanding data footprint, including customer response rates, leads in the pipeline, and quota attainment, tracking these metrics is essential. Ignoring them can be detrimental, as nearly all sales professionals recognize the importance of real-time data in meeting customer expectations, according to the Trends in Data and Analytics for Sales Report. However, concerns about data setup for generative AI and data accuracy persist. Sixty-three percent of sales professionals report that their company’s data isn’t optimized for AI, and only 42% are confident in their data’s accuracy. The demand for sales data has become a focal point for sales leaders and representatives, who increasingly rely on data to enhance customer engagement and productivity through trusted sources and AI integration. What is Sales Data? Sales data encompasses two main categories: external data, which includes information about prospects such as demographics, interests, behavior, and engagement; and internal sales data, including deal attributes and sales performance metrics. This data helps inform deal actions, assess progress toward sales targets or key performance indicators (KPIs), and supports tools like AI to enhance efficiency. Why is Sales Data Important? Sales data provides a measurable framework for all sales activities, enabling the setting of performance benchmarks and targets. It helps identify risks in the pipeline and highlights opportunities for upselling or fostering competition among sales reps. The data is also crucial for leveraging generative AI, which can automate tasks such as email drafting and sales pitch creation, provided the data is accurate and well-organized. Types of Sales Data Collecting and Utilizing Sales Data To effectively collect and utilize sales data, invest in a CRM system that serves as a centralized data repository with analytics capabilities. Automate data collection within the CRM, integrate data from other tools, and prioritize the security of sensitive information. Visualizing data through dashboards can help track progress toward business goals and make informed decisions. Real-Life Application: A Case Study A global consulting firm used sales data to enhance win rates and accelerate deal velocity. By integrating CRM analytics with data from various sources, the firm identified key deal attributes impacting success and adjusted strategies accordingly. The use of AI-driven “opportunity scores” further enabled the firm to monitor deal health and optimize resource allocation. Essential Tools for Harnessing Sales Data Turning Sales Data into Actionable Insights Regularly reviewing CRM-generated insights and adjusting strategies based on these insights is crucial for closing more deals and delivering consistent value to customers. By focusing on data-driven decision-making, sales teams can stay competitive and meet evolving customer needs. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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Service and Generative AI

Embark on Your AI Journey

Everywhere you turn, there’s talk of Artificial Intelligence (AI)! Whether you’re just dipping your toes into the AI waters or steadily increasing your knowledge, one thing remains clear: AI is the future of work, and we’re here to guide you through mastering AI skills on Trailhead, Salesforce’s free online learning platform. Embark on Your AI Journey Amidst the buzz about how AI advancements will revolutionize our lives, it’s natural to harbor concerns about what the future holds or if your job might be at risk. However, the outlook is optimistic. Successful AI implementation means augmenting, not replacing, the human workforce. According to IDC, the Salesforce economy, fueled by AI, is projected to generate a net gain of $2.02 trillion in worldwide business revenues and create 11.6 million jobs globally between 2022 and 2028. AI is undoubtedly the future of work, and learning AI skills on Trailhead can empower you to thrive in this evolving landscape. Whether you’re interested in Machine Learning, Generative AI, Ethical AI Use, Data Management, Critical Thinking, or Problem-Solving, Trailhead offers comprehensive resources to equip you with the necessary expertise. Trailblazers who commit to mastering AI skills now will navigate the impending AI revolution with ease across various sectors and industries. Moreover, they’ll be well-positioned to seize the abundant opportunities AI brings. The potential applications of AI in the workplace are immense, with 60% of global workers expressing excitement about leveraging Generative AI for their roles. Imagine the productivity boost AI could provide by handling mundane tasks! Executives predict that 40% of workers will need to reskill in the next three years due to AI, yet 62% feel they lack the necessary AI skills. The challenge lies in discerning which tools and skills to prioritize. AI isn’t exclusive to developers or data scientists; it has implications for all business professionals. Salespeople can craft compelling prospecting emails, service reps can expedite issue resolution through case swarming, and marketers can craft personalized customer journeys—all with the aid of AI. AI is not someone else’s concern; it’s for anyone in business. Meet Einstein Copilot, your conversational AI assistant for CRM, revolutionizing productivity across your organization. As more companies recognize AI’s value, the demand for skilled professionals to implement AI-based systems is skyrocketing. However, the scarcity of experts presents an opportunity for individuals to upskill and position themselves as indispensable AI champions within their companies. Now is the time to embark on your AI journey. To help you navigate the complex AI landscape, we’ve identified five key areas of expertise sought after by employers: Regardless of your focus area, investing time in learning about AI promises substantial returns. By deepening your understanding of AI, you’re not only enhancing your value to your company but also future-proofing your career in an AI-driven world. Discover how Salesforce is revolutionizing business with generative AI technology, and explore the Salesforce AI Associate Certification to validate your foundational AI skills. Join the Be a Trailblazer with AI Skills Quest on Trailhead for a fun and engaging learning experience. Spread the word to your friends and colleagues—everyone can embark on their AI learning journey on Trailhead. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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LLM Knowledge Test

LLM Knowledge Test

Large Language Models. How much do you know about them? Take the LLM Knowledge Test to find out. Question 1Do you need to have a vector store for all your text-based LLM use cases? A. Yes B. No Correct Answer: B ExplanationA vector store is used to store the vector representation of a word or sentence. These vector representations capture the semantic meaning of the words or sentences and are used in various NLP tasks. However, not all text-based LLM use cases require a vector store. Some tasks, such as summarization, sentiment analysis, and translation, do not need context augmentation. Here is why: Question 2Which technique helps mitigate bias in prompt-based learning? A. Fine-tuning B. Data augmentation C. Prompt calibration D. Gradient clipping Correct Answer: C ExplanationPrompt calibration involves adjusting prompts to minimize bias in the generated outputs. Fine-tuning modifies the model itself, while data augmentation expands the training data. Gradient clipping prevents exploding gradients during training. Question 3Which of the following is NOT a technique specifically used for aligning Large Language Models (LLMs) with human values and preferences? A. RLHF B. Direct Preference Optimization C. Data Augmentation Correct Answer: C ExplanationData Augmentation is a general machine learning technique that involves expanding the training data with variations or modifications of existing data. While it can indirectly impact LLM alignment by influencing the model’s learning patterns, it’s not specifically designed for human value alignment. Incorrect Options: A) Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) is a technique where human feedback is used to refine the LLM’s reward function, guiding it towards generating outputs that align with human preferences. B) Direct Preference Optimization (DPO) is another technique that directly compares different LLM outputs based on human preferences to guide the learning process. Question 4In Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF), what describes “reward hacking”? A. Optimizes for desired behavior B. Exploits reward function Correct Answer: B ExplanationReward hacking refers to a situation in RLHF where the agent discovers unintended loopholes or biases in the reward function to achieve high rewards without actually following the desired behavior. The agent essentially “games the system” to maximize its reward metric. Why Option A is Incorrect:While optimizing for the desired behavior is the intended outcome of RLHF, it doesn’t represent reward hacking. Option A describes a successful training process. In reward hacking, the agent deviates from the desired behavior and finds an unintended way to maximize the reward. Question 5Fine-tuning GenAI model for a task (e.g., Creative writing), which factor significantly impacts the model’s ability to adapt to the target task? A. Size of fine-tuning dataset B. Pre-trained model architecture Correct Answer: B ExplanationThe architecture of the pre-trained model acts as the foundation for fine-tuning. A complex and versatile architecture like those used in large models (e.g., GPT-3) allows for greater adaptation to diverse tasks. The size of the fine-tuning dataset plays a role, but it’s secondary. A well-architected pre-trained model can learn from a relatively small dataset and generalize effectively to the target task. Why A is Incorrect:While the size of the fine-tuning dataset can enhance performance, it’s not the most crucial factor. Even a massive dataset cannot compensate for limitations in the pre-trained model’s architecture. A well-designed pre-trained model can extract relevant patterns from a smaller dataset and outperform a less sophisticated model with a larger dataset. Question 6What does the self-attention mechanism in transformer architecture allow the model to do? A. Weigh word importance B. Predict next word C. Automatic summarization Correct Answer: A ExplanationThe self-attention mechanism in transformers acts as a spotlight, illuminating the relative importance of words within a sentence. In essence, self-attention allows transformers to dynamically adjust the focus based on the current word being processed. Words with higher similarity scores contribute more significantly, leading to a richer understanding of word importance and sentence structure. This empowers transformers for various NLP tasks that heavily rely on context-aware analysis. Incorrect Options: Question 7What is one advantage of using subword algorithms like BPE or WordPiece in Large Language Models (LLMs)? A. Limit vocabulary size B. Reduce amount of training data C. Make computationally efficient Correct Answer: A ExplanationLLMs deal with massive amounts of text, leading to a very large vocabulary if you consider every single word. Subword algorithms like Byte Pair Encoding (BPE) and WordPiece break down words into smaller meaningful units (subwords) which are then used as the vocabulary. This significantly reduces the vocabulary size while still capturing the meaning of most words, making the model more efficient to train and use. Incorrect Answer Explanations: Question 8Compared to Softmax, how does Adaptive Softmax speed up large language models? A. Sparse word reps B. Zipf’s law exploit C. Pre-trained embedding Correct Answer: B ExplanationStandard Softmax struggles with vast vocabularies, requiring expensive calculations for every word. Imagine a large language model predicting the next word in a sentence. Softmax multiplies massive matrices for each word in the vocabulary, leading to billions of operations! Adaptive Softmax leverages Zipf’s law (common words are frequent, rare words are infrequent) to group words by frequency. Frequent words get precise calculations in smaller groups, while rare words are grouped together for more efficient computations. This significantly reduces the cost of training large language models. Incorrect Answer Explanations: Question 9Which configuration parameter for inference can be adjusted to either increase or decrease randomness within the model output layer? A. Max new tokens B. Top-k sampling C. Temperature Correct Answer: C ExplanationDuring text generation, large language models (LLMs) rely on a softmax layer to assign probabilities to potential next words. Temperature acts as a key parameter influencing the randomness of these probability distributions. Why other options are incorrect: Question 10What transformer model uses masking & bi-directional context for masked token prediction? A. Autoencoder B. Autoregressive C. Sequence-to-sequence Correct Answer: A ExplanationAutoencoder models are pre-trained using masked language modeling. They use randomly masked tokens in the input sequence, and the pretraining objective is to predict the masked tokens to reconstruct the original sentence. Question 11What technique allows you to scale model

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Ethical and Responsible AI

Ethical and Responsible AI

Responsible AI and ethical AI are closely connected, with each offering complementary yet distinct principles for the development and use of AI systems. Organizations that aim for success must integrate both frameworks, as they are mutually reinforcing. Responsible AI emphasizes accountability, transparency, and adherence to regulations. Ethical AI—sometimes called AI ethics—focuses on broader moral values like fairness, privacy, and societal impact. In recent discussions, the significance of both has come to the forefront, encouraging organizations to explore the unique advantages of integrating these frameworks. While Responsible AI provides the practical tools for implementation, ethical AI offers the guiding principles. Without clear ethical grounding, responsible AI initiatives can lack purpose, while ethical aspirations cannot be realized without concrete actions. Moreover, ethical AI concerns often shape the regulatory frameworks responsible AI must comply with, showing how deeply interwoven they are. By combining ethical and responsible AI, organizations can build systems that are not only compliant with legal requirements but also aligned with human values, minimizing potential harm. The Need for Ethical AI Ethical AI is about ensuring that AI systems adhere to values and moral expectations. These principles evolve over time and can vary by culture or region. Nonetheless, core principles—like fairness, transparency, and harm reduction—remain consistent across geographies. Many organizations have recognized the importance of ethical AI and have taken initial steps to create ethical frameworks. This is essential, as AI technologies have the potential to disrupt societal norms, potentially necessitating an updated social contract—the implicit understanding of how society functions. Ethical AI helps drive discussions about this evolving social contract, establishing boundaries for acceptable AI use. In fact, many ethical AI frameworks have influenced regulatory efforts, though some regulations are being developed alongside or ahead of these ethical standards. Shaping this landscape requires collaboration among diverse stakeholders: consumers, activists, researchers, lawmakers, and technologists. Power dynamics also play a role, with certain groups exerting more influence over how ethical AI takes shape. Ethical AI vs. Responsible AI Ethical AI is aspirational, considering AI’s long-term impact on society. Many ethical issues have emerged, especially with the rise of generative AI. For instance, machine learning bias—when AI outputs are skewed due to flawed or biased training data—can perpetuate inequalities in high-stakes areas like loan approvals or law enforcement. Other concerns, like AI hallucinations and deepfakes, further underscore the potential risks to human values like safety and equality. Responsible AI, on the other hand, bridges ethical concerns with business realities. It addresses issues like data security, transparency, and regulatory compliance. Responsible AI offers practical methods to embed ethical aspirations into each phase of the AI lifecycle—from development to deployment and beyond. The relationship between the two is akin to a company’s vision versus its operational strategy. Ethical AI defines the high-level values, while responsible AI offers the actionable steps needed to implement those values. Challenges in Practice For modern organizations, efficiency and consistency are key, and standardized processes are the norm. This applies to AI development as well. Ethical AI, while often discussed in the context of broader societal impacts, must be integrated into existing business processes through responsible AI frameworks. These frameworks often include user-friendly checklists, evaluation guides, and templates to help operationalize ethical principles across the organization. Implementing Responsible AI To fully embed ethical AI within responsible AI frameworks, organizations should focus on the following areas: By effectively combining ethical and responsible AI, organizations can create AI systems that are not only technically and legally sound but also morally aligned and socially responsible. Content edited October 2024. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more Top Ten Reasons Why Tectonic Loves the Cloud The Cloud is Good for Everyone – Why Tectonic loves the cloud You don’t need to worry about tracking licenses. Read more

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AI Then and Now

AI Then and Now

AI: Transforming User Interactions and Experiences Have you ever been greeted by a waitress who already knows your breakfast order? It’s a relief not to detail every aspect — temperature, how do you want your eggs, what kind of juice, bacon or sausage, etc. This example encapsulates the journey we’re navigating with AI today. AI Then and Now. This article isn’t about ordering breakfast; it’s about the evolution of user interactions, particularly how generative AI might evolve based on past trends in graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and emerging trends in AI interactions. We’ll explore the significance of context bundling, user curation, trust, and ecosystems as key trends in AI user experience in this Tectonic insight. From Commands to Conversations Let’s rewind to the early days of computing when users had to type precise commands in a Command-Line Interface (CLI). Imagine the challenge of remembering the exact command to open a file or copy data. This complexity meant that only a few people could use computers effectively. To reach a broader audience, a shift was necessary. You might think Apple’s creation of the mouse and drop down menues was the pinnacle of success, but truly the evolution predates Apple. Enter ELIZA in 1964, an early natural language processing program that engaged users in basic conversations through keyword recognition and scripted responses. Although groundbreaking, ELIZA’s interactions were far from flexible or scalable. Around the same time, Xerox PARC was developing the Graphical User Interface (GUI), later popularized by Apple in 1984 and Microsoft shortly thereafter. GUIs transformed computing by replacing complex commands with icons, menus, and windows navigable by a mouse. This innovation made computers accessible and intuitive for everyday tasks, laying the groundwork for technology’s universal role in our lives. Not only did it make computing accessible to the masses but it layed the foundation upon which every household would soon have one or more computers! The Evolution of AI Interfaces Just as early computing transitioned from the complexity of CLI to the simplicity of GUIs, we’re witnessing a parallel evolution in generative AI. User prompts are essentially mini-programs crafted in natural language, with the quality of outcomes depending on our prompt engineering skills. We are moving towards bundling complex inputs into simpler, more user-friendly interfaces with the complexity hidden in the background. Context Bundling Context bundling simplifies interactions by combining related information into a single command. This addresses the challenge of conveying complex instructions to achieve desired outcomes, enhancing efficiency and output quality by aligning user intent and machine understanding in one go. We’ve seen context bundling emerge across generative AI tools. For instance, sample prompts in Edge, Google Chrome’s tab manager, and trigger-words in Stable Diffusion fine-tune AI outputs. Context bundling isn’t always about conversation; it’s about achieving user goals efficiently without lengthy interactions. Context bundling is the difference in ordering the eggs versus telling the cook how to crack and prepare it. User Curation Despite advancements, there remains a spectrum of needs where users must refine outputs to achieve specific goals. This is especially true for tasks like researching, brainstorming, creating content, refining images, or editing. As context windows and multi-modal capabilities expand, guiding users through complexity becomes even more crucial. Humans constantly curate their experiences, whether by highlighting text in a book or picking out keywords in a conversation. Similarly, users interacting with ChatGPT often highlight relevant information to guide their next steps. By making it easier for users to curate and refine their outputs, AI tools can offer higher-quality results and enrich user experiences. User creation takes ordering breakfast from a manual conversational process to the click of a button on a vending-like system. Designing for Trust Trust is a significant barrier to the widespread adoption of generative AI. To build trust, we need to consider factors such as previous experiences, risk tolerance, interaction consistency, and social context. Without trust, in AI or your breakfast order, it becomes easier just to do it yourself. Trust is broken if the waitress brings you the wrong items, or if the artificial intelligence fails to meet your reasonable expectations. Context Ecosystems Generative AI has revolutionized productivity by lowering the barrier for users to start tasks, mirroring the benefits and journey of the GUI. However, modern UX has evolved beyond simple interfaces. The future of generative AI lies in creating ecosystems where AI tools collaborate with users in a seamless workflow. We see emergent examples like Edge, Chrome, and Pixel Assistant integrating AI functionality into their software. This integration goes beyond conversational windows, making AI aware of the software context and enhancing productivity. The Future of AI Interaction Generative AI will likely evolve to become a collaborator in our daily tasks. Tools like Grammarly and Github Copilot already show how AI can assist users in creating and refining content. As our comfort with AI grows, we may see generative AI managing both digital and physical aspects of our lives, augmenting reality and redefining productivity. The evolution of generative AI interactions is repeating the history of human-computer interaction. By creating better experiences that bundle context into simpler interactions, empower user curation, and augment known ecosystems, we can make generative AI more trustworthy, accessible, usable, and beneficial for everyone. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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Where Will AI Take Us?

Where Will AI Take Us?

Author Jeremy Wagstaff wrote a very thought provoking article on the future of AI, and how much of it we could predict based on the past. This insight expands on that article. Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn. These machines can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and language translation. Many people think of artificial intelligence in the vein of how they personally use it. Some people don’t even realize when they are using it. Artificial intelligence has long been a concept in human mythology and literature. Our imaginations have been grabbed by the thought of sentient machines constructed by humans, from Talos, the enormous bronze automaton (self-operating machine) that safeguarded the island of Crete in Greek mythology, to the spacecraft-controlling HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Artificial Intelligence comes in a variety of flavors, if you will. Artificial intelligence can be categorized in several ways, including by capability and functionality: You likely weren’t even aware of all of the above categorizations of artificial intelligence. Most of us still would sub set into generative ai, a subset of narrow AI, predictive ai, and reactive ai. Reflect on the AI journey through the Three C’s – Computation, Cognition, and Communication – as the guiding pillars for understanding the transformative potential of AI. Gain insights into how these concepts converge to shape the future of technology. Beyond a definition, what really is artificial intelligence, who makes it, who uses it, what does it do and how. Artificial Intelligence Companies – A Sampling AI and Its Challenges Artificial intelligence (AI) presents a novel and significant challenge to the fundamental ideas underpinning the modern state, affecting governance, social and mental health, the balance between capitalism and individual protection, and international cooperation and commerce. Addressing this amorphous technology, which lacks a clear definition yet pervades increasing facets of life, is complex and daunting. It is essential to recognize what should not be done, drawing lessons from past mistakes that may not be reversible this time. In the 1920s, the concept of a street was fluid. People viewed city streets as public spaces open to anyone not endangering or obstructing others. However, conflicts between ‘joy riders’ and ‘jay walkers’ began to emerge, with judges often siding with pedestrians in lawsuits. Motorist associations and the car industry lobbied to prioritize vehicles, leading to the construction of vehicle-only thoroughfares. The dominance of cars prevailed for a century, but recent efforts have sought to reverse this trend with ‘complete streets,’ bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and traffic calming measures. Technology, such as electric micro-mobility and improved VR/AR for street design, plays a role in this transformation. The guy digging out a road bed for chariots and Roman armies likely considered none of this. Addressing new technology is not easy to do, and it’s taken changes to our planet’s climate, a pandemic, and the deaths of tens of millions of people in traffic accidents (3.6 million in the U.S. since 1899). If we had better understood the implications of the first automobile technology, perhaps we could have made better decisions. Similarly, society should avoid repeating past mistakes with AI. The market has driven AI’s development, often prioritizing those who stand to profit over consumers. You know, capitalism. The rapid adoption and expansion of AI, driven by commercial and nationalist competition, have created significant distortions. Companies like Nvidia have soared in value due to AI chip sales, and governments are heavily investing in AI technology to gain competitive advantages. Listening to AI experts highlights the enormity of the commitment being made and reveals that these experts, despite their knowledge, may not be the best sources for AI guidance. The size and impact of AI are already redirecting massive resources and creating new challenges. For example, AI’s demand for energy, chips, memory, and talent is immense, and the future of AI-driven applications depends on the availability of computing resources. The rise in demand for AI has already led to significant industry changes. Data centers are transforming into ‘AI data centers,’ and the demand for specialized AI chips and memory is skyrocketing. The U.S. government is investing billions to boost its position in AI, and countries like China are rapidly advancing in AI expertise. China may be behind in physical assets, but it is moving fast on expertise, generating almost half of the world’s top AI researchers (Source: New York Times). The U.S. has just announced it will provide chip maker Intel with $20 billion in grants and loans to boost the country’s position in AI. Nvidia is now the third largest company in the world, entirely because its specialized chips account for more than 70 percent of AI chip sales. Memory-maker Micro has mostly run out of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) stocks because of the chips’ usage in AI—one customer paid $600 million up-front to lock in supply, according to a story by Stack. Back in January, the International Energy Agency forecast that data centers may more than double their electrical consumption by 2026 (Source: Sandra MacGregor, Data Center Knowledge). AI is sucking up all the payroll: Those tech workers who don’t have AI skills are finding fewer roles and lower salaries—or their jobs disappearing entirely to automation and AI (Source: Belle Lin at WSJ). Sam Altman of OpenAI sees a future where demand for AI-driven apps is limited only by the amount of computing available at a price the consumer is willing o pay. “Compute is going to be the currency of the future. I think it will be maybe the most precious commodity in the world, and I think we should be investing heavily to make a lot more compute.” Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO This AI buildup is reminiscent of past technological transformations, where powerful interests shaped outcomes, often at the expense of broader societal considerations. Consider early car manufacturers. They focused on a need for factories, components, and roads.

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