Here are five things in business tech news that happened this week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them?
ZDNet’s David Gewirtz reported on the most popular AI teams for 2024. Highlighting the data collected in August, the most used AI teams on the market consistent with the percentage are: ChatGPT (54. 96%); the editorial tool Canva (14. 92%); DeepL translation platform (5. 38%); Google Gemini (4. 75 percent); and Character. AI (3. 90%). Gewirtz noted that it is difficult to measure the popularity of each, since some teams are independent while others are integrated into the products. Metrics from platforms such as Semrush and Similarweb were used to estimate traffic volume. . Claude, Perplexity AI and Microsoft Copilot were also on the list. (Source: ZDNet)
It’s all smart and fun. But it’s like when the iPhone came and then the AppStore came and all these apps appeared. The smart ones have become unicorns or have been absorbed by big technologies. The list above? I bet that in a few years it will be absolutely different. In 2024, AI will be overblown and unreliable and, in fact, not fit to be used in prime time across businesses. But of course, those apps will be bigger and smarter and will most likely be replaced by more complex offerings.
According to executives at Microsoft, significant changes coming to AI in 2025. Ashley Llorens – Microsoft’s corporate vice president and managing director – said that we can expect AI to handle “a more sophisticated set of tasks.” Companies will release more powerful and energy-efficient AI models. AI Agents will become more prominent, performing specific tasks autonomously or semi-autonomously (e.g., extracting specific information from expense reports or simulating conversations to analyze which company processes are most efficient). Efforts to bring AI features to more consumers will be stepped-up. Microsoft is developing AI agents to connect employees and facilitate tasks like scheduling “coffee chats” with colleagues. (Source: Yahoo Finance)
I wrote here about agents. And I’ve written here about how some industries (particularly money services) are already replacing others with AI applications. All of this will be implemented in 2025. But before you get excited, don’t forget the oldest law in technology: NEVER buy the first edition of any software, especially if it was created through Microsoft. Agents will need a year or two to get rid of the most ubiquitous bugs and applications in our businesses. This time we will need to fully understand what they can do and how to use them most productively in our businesses.
LegalZoom and 1-800Accountant have entered into a multi-year strategic partnership to offer full-service tax and bookkeeping solutions for small business owners. According to the press release, LegalZoom customers will have access to year-round, expert-led bookkeeping and tax services provided by 1-800Accountant. A recent survey revealed that tax management, liability protection, and legitimacy are key motivations for small business owners, making advisory services critically important. This collaboration aims to enhance LegalZoom’s ecosystem of products, partnerships, and services that support small business owners’ legal, compliance, and business management needs. The new product offering is expected to launch in January 2025. (Source: GlobeNewswire)
It’s a smart concept for businesses that use either service to take advantage of the other. Hopefully, this partnership will provide a more cost-effective solution. But this will scare off very small businesses, perhaps those with fewer than 10 employees. Larger and more complex, your taxes deserve to be outsourced to CPAs and other professionals who are more familiar with your clients’ businesses, not simply to an “800” accounting branch with rotating staff.
HR expert Cheryl Swirnow outlined her key predictions for how human resources will transform by 2025. Swirnow anticipates that HR will shift from a support role to a central player in corporate leadership, with over 55 percent of CEOs involving HR leaders in strategic decisions. HR will no longer be seen as the sole answer to retention and cultural challenges – instead, companies will adopt a more collaborative, cross-functional approach. Investments in HR Tech will increase significantly as companies that don’t adopt advanced HR technology will struggle to remain competitive. Additionally, employee wellbeing – an issue that workers have been more vocal about in the pandemic era – will become a central business priority. “HR isn’t just a side player—it’s a game-changer for business success,” Swirnow said. (Source: Fast Company)
That CEOs involve HR leaders. in its strategic decisions it is not a generational factor, it is a critical control factor and we all do it. HR generation decisions are made in collaboration with an organization’s HR, IT, and other leaders.
Wix’s new AI feature – AI Site-Chat – is designed to help businesses engage with customers online. The AI Site-Chat acts as a virtual agent, answering customer questions and providing relevant information around the clock – even when business owners are unavailable. It integrates with the site’s internal systems to pull live data, ensuring accurate and up-to-date responses – a key function in capturing leads. The chat feature is fully customizable to reflect the brand’s voice and can be configured with specific guidelines. “Businesses can seamlessly use this feature to deliver real-time, conversational customer service, sales, and support in one place,” said Yaniv Ben Simon, Head of Product for AI Site-Chat at Wix. (Source: MarTech Cube)
That’s great, but corporations also deserve similar AI offerings from their CRM (customer appointment management) vendors. Most smart customer CRM platforms have those kinds of features that integrate seamlessly into an online page and can then be used for other services and marketing efforts.
Every Sunday, I round up five enterprise technology news stories and give my take on why they’re vital to your business.
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