Almost everything I come in contact to has some relationship to AI technology. Even if a potential application for AI has not yet been crafted, there is nothing I can think of that escapes possible "AI-ization." This is to say, from my perspective, everything either is or should be ushered in the direction of AI.
Given I am drawn to think of AI in this light, what I find funny is that the abundant media coverage, market reports, academic articles, and even my own experience in the AI space do not communicate the value of AI from the position that matters most: the consumer.
Does venture capital find huge opportunities in AI? Yes. Has technological advancements in software and hardware brought about an AI revolution? Absolutely. Do every day consumers (individuals and enterprises alike) particularly care? I'm unsure. Does VC opportunism and tech advancements equate to anything without consumers? Definitely not.
From the sources listed above (VC's, academics, consulting market reports, media), I see a cycle, created in the relationship between an AI filter bubble and communal reinforcement, that effects our perception of the entire space. Without knowing, most of us (including myself) agree with the hype, in the process amplify it, and forget as part of the buy-in that those producing the hype have at most a marginal part in materializing all it is supposed to be. I'd advocate for a re-examination of how we think about AI, and push toward a better understanding of its significance for consumers (maybe more direct from the horse's mouth).
I'll conclude with an example of some advice, that stands against what popular logic would likely dictate. One of our Zeroth.ai mentors, with extensive experience in AI, gave advice to our early-stage start-ups by dissuading each from labeling themselves as an "AI startup." Though his recommendation doesn't come with much context, I'd like to fancy it's because he identified that AI can associate your product/service with a lot of bullshit that has nothing to do with its actual value for customers (at least in their mind). Everyone in the AI space, especially the entrepreneurs, should be very critical of what they buy into, how its produced, and how it effects their ability to succeed.