SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 16: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman looks on as the APEC CEO Summit unfolds at Moscone West on November 16, 2023 in San Francisco, California. The APEC Summit is taking place in San Francisco and runs through November 17. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Here are five things that happened in tech this week and how they might affect your business. Did you miss anything?
1 – OpenAI issues a warning.
OpenAI’s latest model, o1, was rated as a “medium” risk by the company due to concerns over its potential misuse in the field of biological threats, such as chemical weapons. While it cannot be used by bad actors to create threats, it could help experts accelerate harmful research. The model exhibits advanced reasoning and manipulation skills, raising safety concerns. To address these risks, experts are urging for AI safety regulations, such as California’s AI bill. (Source: AI Tools Report)
Why this matters to your business:
AI, like so much else in life, is all about risk and reward. We recognize all the benefits this technology can bring to us, both in our personal and professional lives. But as the technology gets smarter, we also recognize the risks, from misinformation and deepfakes to security and governance challenges. The bigger problem for society is that risk-reward decisions are already being made by big tech companies, and governments have little leverage to stop them.
2 – NVIDIA and Salesforce Announce Strategic AI Collaboration: What You Need to Know.
NVIDIA and Salesforce announced a strategic collaboration to enhance AI capabilities for the enterprise. The partnership combines NVIDIA’s AI platform with Salesforce’s platform to optimize predictive and generative AI workflows. The aim is to improve productivity through AI agents, including human-like avatar interactions using NVIDIA ACE and Agentforce technologies. Meanwhile, Salesforce is focusing on training users on AI through its Trailhead platform. The $50 million initiative will provide free AI courses and certifications. The program “AI for All,” aimed at improving AI skills, will also focus on democratizing access to AI education. Training will be available until the end of 2025. (Source: Benzinga, CIO Dive)
Why this matters to your business:
Marc Benioff has been publicly disappointed with Microsoft’s AI offerings, and Salesforce’s AI capabilities have received a lukewarm response, so the company is stepping up. These investments will accelerate the implementation and use of AI for its customers. I don’t see any other CRM company making these kinds of investments, and I think it will be a big benefit to Salesforce.
3 – Intuit introduces the Intuit Enterprise Suite to help businesses grow, streamline operations, and scale.
Intuit has launched the Intuit Enterprise Suite (IES), an all-in-one solution tailored for mid-market businesses that brings together financial management, payroll, marketing, project management and AI-powered insights to increase productivity and profitability. The suite aims to streamline operations, reduce manual tasks and provide real-time business intelligence. (Source: Business Wire)
Why this matters to your business:
This new product line is no longer aimed at small businesses, but is Intuit’s attempt to target mid-sized and large businesses by addressing an age-old challenge that has plagued many businesses: why can’t one system do it all? The update comes in response to the 2024 Business Solutions Survey, which found that most businesses want “better integration capabilities and more automation” in their applications. The company will offer a migration path for current QuickBooks users, initially focusing on the construction and hospitality industries. If you feel like QuickBooks is no longer keeping up, it’s worth serious consideration.
4 – Slack’s new AI-powered assistant aims to streamline your busy work week.
Slack has introduced a new AI-powered assistant called Agentforce, designed to streamline workflow management and simplify busy work weeks. Due to be released next month, the assistant can answer questions, provide status updates, recommend next steps, draft emails, and more. The company has also added AI-enhanced tools: Huddle Notes summarizes real-time voice and messages from huddle threads; Workflow Builder lets users create workflow tasks; and Enhanced Search pulls information from multiple places (Google Files, Slack canvases, video transcripts, and more). (Source: ZDNet)
Why this matters to your business:
Salesforce owns Slack, so the company is also expected to leverage the NVIDIA platform.
5 – Copilot Pages is Microsoft’s new collaborative AI playground for enterprises.
Aiming to put AI at the center of everyday workflows, Microsoft announced new features for its AI Copilot assistant. According to Microsoft, Copilot Pages are designed for “multiplayer AI collaboration.” Copilot Pages are shared with a link, and collaborators can edit and add content. Project plans and meeting notes can also be created in BizChat, Copilot’s work hub. “This is an entirely new pattern of work: multiplayer, human-AI, human-human collaboration,” said Jared Spataro, corporate vice president at Microsoft. (Source: The Verge)
Why this matters to your business:
My advice to use it properly is to get some consulting and training. The software giant also promises to make Copilot in Office faster. We’ll see how that goes…
