Generative AI is transforming the way we work and how businesses operate. As AI evolves, the AI landscape also evolves. Understanding the AI tools and how to incorporate them is important to becoming an effective business leader.
What is the Generative AI Landscape or Ecosystem?
The AI Landscape is a way of organizing and understanding generative AI tools and technologies. Understanding these is vital to successfully building a plan to integrate AI into your work or organization.
What are the Main Components of the Generative AI Landscape or Ecosystem?
The AI Landscape can be categorized into three core areas:
GPTs – GPTs are Generative Pre-Trained Transformers. These are the traditional generative AI tools that started the AI craze. ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini are the three key players. GPTs are usually trained with LLM (large language models) and are trained on all the information on the internet. They can then be further customized and trained with private data or customized GPTs.
Purpose-Built Tools – These are tools that are built for a specific purpose. They are Generative AI tools that typically do one or two things. Purpose-built tools span a broad range of functions and purposes. For example, there are content-based Generative AI tools like Jasper AI or Opusclip. There are also functional AI tools for recruiting, finance, inventory management and more. AI tools exist to achieve almost anything you want.
Integrated AI – Most big software providers are also integrating AI into their services. In many cases, this makes purpose-built tools and GPTs less necessary. For example, Canva and Adobe have image AI built-in. Google is integrating Gemini into Google workspaces, and Microsoft is integrating Copilot into Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.
What are the future trends of the Generative AI Landscape?
There is no question that generative AI will continue to evolve. As we look at the current direction, business leaders should pay attention to a few trends in how the AI landscape is evolving.
Integrated AI reduces the need for GPTs and purpose-built tools – As AI gets integrated into more tools we use, some will become less necessary. For example, when Zoom integrated AI, some Zoom AI tools that created meeting notes instantly became unnecessary. I had previously paid for a subscription to an AI note-taking tool that was instantly replaced by Zoom AI.
Purpose-built tools fill a gap – Niche purpose-built tools still have massive potential. The basic tools will likely be replaced, but tools that achieve something specific extremely well will still have a place. For example, an AI ad optimizer will likely exceed what Google Ads AI can achieve. An AI resume screener can provide better results vs. copying and pasting into a GPT.
Custom GPTs have huge potential – Almost every Fortune 500 client we work with is building a custom GPT. These have huge potential as they provide the LLM training of the large GPT models with customization built on top. For example, a business can train a GPT with their marketing plans, business results, branding, and more.
Integrated AI gets better – Integrated AI isn’t great right now. For example, the functions in tools like Excel and PowerPoint are still minimal and basic. As these tools invest more, they’ll get better. This will lead to mass adoption of AI as users don’t have to go to another tool to access AI; they can access it from the tools they already use. This will be a game-changer in AI adoption.
More tools, then fewer – As the AI landscape evolves, many startups and businesses are integrating AI into their services. This landscape will likely explode in the next few years. Once the excitement of AI wanes, there will likely be large providers and niche purpose-built tools left. Expect the landscape to get bigger first and then retract as large players acquire and integrate AI.
While there are thousands of AI tools (and growing), the reality is that by thinking of AI tools in this landscape, you can add structure to how you aim to adopt AI for yourself and your organization.
