Adam Lyth
CEO, Contic
Art generation, personal tutoring and programming code are now possible with AI – even for SMEs and startups. But what can we expect to see?
AI and machine learning (ML) are not just for big organisations. They can be used by SMEs and startups to grow their businesses.
Adam Lyth, Chief Executive of Contic, a tech consultancy that helps SMEs and startups to leverage AI, says: “AI applications that are affordable to SMEs and startups are already here.”
What AI can do now
Numerous AI programs allow even the smallest businesses to do things often considered ‘futuristic.’
One example is AWS (Amazon web services) as its AI/ML services include a recommendation engine, sentiment analysis, voice recognition and an automated document extraction tool. The NVIDIA GauGAN2 AI Art Tool allows anyone to produce professional artwork. GitHub Copilot allows users to describe what they want and immediately suggests code to implement the solution – computers coding computers.
OpenAI has many functions including summarising text, tailoring it to suit comprehension levels, creating headlines and articles and generating study notes. It also allows for realistic images and art from a text description with DALL·E 2.
AI services can cost as little as
£200 – £2,000 a month, depending
on how many customers you have.
Future implementation
Adam says: “Currently, sectors at the cutting edge of AI are MarTech, AdTech and DevTech. But soon, we are likely to see applications that can allow you to add or remove objects from images and live videos; provide bespoke stories, TV series and movies; and boost innovative functions on social media.”
In advertising, he predicts the replacement of website chat functions with AI video calls and customised advertisements to be included in songs, TV programmes and street billboards (using facial recognition).
In politics, he forecasts the rise of AI campaign managers. In education, AI teaching assistants could provide programmes and homework customised to each child. Businesses are seen to thrive with the implementation of these types of technology.
Service costs
Adam says: “AI services can cost as little as £200 – £2,000 a month, depending on how many customers you have.”
“Every business is different, so Contic provides bespoke advice to suit your needs.”