Cathal O'Shea

How Popular Is GenAI?

Sep 30, 2024

There's a buzz around GenAI. It has captured the imagination of a diverse audience. But how popular is it really, and who is driving this surge in interest?

A Personal Encounter with GenAI's Popularity

Earlier this year, I attended the London AWS Summit, and the event highlighted the rising interest in GenAI. The workshop on Generative AI had queues stretching out the door. The interest was so overwhelming that the organizers had to turn people away, suggesting they try to get into a later session. Meanwhile, several other workshops on topics like cloud infrastructure and data analytics were running simultaneously, yet none faced the issue of too many attendees. This firsthand experience underscored just how magnetic GenAI has become, drawing in crowds eager to learn and engage with the technology.

The Ubiquity of GenAI in Everyday Life

Over the past two years, I've noticed a significant shift in how we interact with technology. Tools like ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot and Midjourney have being popular applications used by millions. It's not just tech enthusiasts embracing these tools; students, artists and professionals across various industries are integrating GenAI into their daily routines.

A McKinsey report from early 2024 highlights this transformation. GenAI adoption within organizations has nearly doubled compared to the previous year, with 65% of respondents reporting regular use in at least one business function. It's fascinating to see how businesses are not only reducing costs but also boosting revenues where GenAI is in play. While the tech giants are leading the charge, you can also see small and medium-sized enterprises jumping on board, recognizing GenAI's potential to streamline operations and innovate their offerings.

Awareness and Usage Across Demographics

However, this popularity isn't uniform across all age groups. Younger individuals are at the forefront of adopting these technologies. An Oxford study conducted in six countries revealed that 56% of people aged 18-24 have used tools like ChatGPT, compared to just 16% of those aged 55 and over. While many people are aware of these tools, regular usage is still relatively low; for many, it's been more of an experiment than a daily habit.

Despite the media buzz, a significant portion of the population remains cautious or even unaware of GenAI's potential. In places like the UK, about 30% of people hadn't heard of any major GenAI tools. There is a gap between media coverage and practical engagement.

Expectations for GenAI’s Impact

Looking ahead, there's a widespread belief that GenAI will significantly impact various sectors. According to McKinsey's 2024 survey, 75% of respondents expect GenAI to bring about significant or disruptive changes in their industries in the coming years. The Oxford study echoes this sentiment, with expectations of major shifts in media, research, and our day-to-day interactions with technology.

GenAI is undoubtedly making its mark. Adoption is accelerating across various sectors and demographics, with younger generations leading the way. However, frequent use is still limited, and skepticism about AI's long-term implications persists, particularly in areas that require a high degree of trust.

It's an exciting time, and it’ll be interesting to see how use will evolve over time.

References

1. The State of AI in Early 2024: Gen AI Adoption Spikes and Starts to Generate Value, McKinsey & Company, 2024.
2. Fletcher, Richard, and Nielsen, Rasmus K. Generative AI and News Audiences, Reuters Institute, Oxford University, 2024.

How GenAI Will Empower a New Era of Product Builders

Apr 18, 2024

The Democratization of Product Development

There is a transformation happening, fueled by Generative AI. This transformation is redefining how products get built and who gets to build in the first place. I've witnessed first-hand how GenAI is democratizing the process of product development (see the projects section of this site ), empowering people of all backgrounds to create software in a way that was not possible before. It's a shift that brings a new era of creativity for a new group of builders. Gone are the days when product creation was the exclusive domain of those with extensive technical skills. GenAI tools are emerging as the great equalizers, providing intuitive ways for individuals with less technical abilities to bring their ideas to fruition. The research by Noy and Zhang on leveling in abilities (see below) underscores the egalitarian nature of GenAI. Noy and Zhang show that the individuals who performed the worst on the research control task experienced the greatest improvement on the subsequent task for which individuals were supported by GenAI tools. This finding underscores the potential of GenAI to significantly enhance the performance of those with initially lower skills, thereby leveling the playing field.

The Rise of the New Builder

This research is a testament to how Generative AI tools are narrowing the divide and granting a broader group the chance to shine. Previous no-code or low code tools started to open up product building to a wider audience, but GenAI native building tools are the new vanguard. These GenAI tools provide more intuitive ways to build and, at the same time, are showing a promising trajectory towards a level of complexity in output far from what is currently possible. There is the potential for full-scale application creation by a whole new type of product builder. The question isn't if GenAI tools will evolve from being mere copilots to piloting the creation of complex, market-ready products, but rather when this transition will take full effect.

"Everyone around the world can now become a programmer" - Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia

The trajectory of product development is no longer as constrained by technical prowess as it was before. Diversity and richness of ideas will have greater importance than in the past for builders going forward. Product builders, supported by GenAI tools, won't just iterate on previous ways of developing products; they will leapfrog traditional steps taken and instead find a new way of building where their ideas are less encumbered by the limitations that were there in the past.

Staying Ahead of the Curve – What This Means for Product Builders

It's important to note the pace of change in the AI space. New models that better some previously impressive benchmark are being released every few months. Staying attuned to the rapidly evolving GenAI landscape will be crucial to harnessing its full potential.

A key takeaway for builders is that you need to stay on top of new tools being released, if you want the best return on the opportunity that new generative AI technology brings. Some key steps to stay ahead of the curve:

1. Experiment with new GenAI tools as they are released to understand their capabilities and limitations.
2. Join communities and attend events focused on GenAI to stay informed about the latest developments and best practices.
3. Collaborate with others who are also exploring the potential of GenAI for product development to share insights and learn from each other.

Reflections on the Silicon Valley MBA World Summit

Jan 2, 2024

"There comes a time in every life where the past recedes and the future opens. It's that moment when you turn to face the unknown. Some will turn back to what they already know. Some will walk straight ahead into uncertainty. I can't tell you which one is right. But I can tell you which one is more fun."

The MBA World Summit was a really enjoyable way to visit Silicon Valley. It was great to learn from sessions from MBAs from around the world, learning about new technologies and the different ways things are done in different places. Sessions ranged from exploring SME challenges to interactive discussions about leveraging tools like Chat-GPT. Each speaker was able to bring their specific experience to the topic they were discussing. And speaking to local MBAs was helpful to get a sense of what ideas people are focusing on in the Bay Area.

I also had the opportunity to speak at one of the summit's laboratory sessions. My talk was about how valuable ideas can be found everywhere. That theme, of useful ideas coming from a variety of different places, was clear from the sessions I attended during the summit as people brought new solutions which they had seen be effective in different markets and regions. One common thread that ran through the various talks given was the role of tech as an enabler. In my session, I discussed how technology has not only connected us but has also allowed us to work in ways that were unimaginable just a few years ago. In my talk, I included a quote about the internet by Robert Taylor (who brought together many great teams in Silicon Valley) – "The Internet is not about technology; it's about communication. The Internet connects people who have shared interests, ideas, and needs, regardless of geography". This Robert Taylor quote exemplified the point of my talk, that tech can help bring people together, help groups of people find good ideas and act on these good ideas too.

I picked up a copy of Ideaflow on the trip, a book written by Jeremy Utley and Perry Klebahn (two authors from Stanford's d.school). The book really builds on how ideas can be generated by a team and why idea generation is important. There's many actionable methods within the book, both for how your team can generate more ideas and act on ideas effectively. I'd recommend it as an excellent resource for anyone interested in fostering creativity and innovation.

Reflecting on the summit months later, I am grateful for the learnings and connections it has provided for the year ahead. I had a really good experience, thanks to the speakers and other attendees making the event so worthwhile!