I have a feeling I’ll be doing periodic AI segments now. With the adoption numbers I reported earlier this week, there’s a “there there” and actual consulting and advising needs for customers.
So a few updates.
Fiverr, the marketplace for freelancers has released some data on demand. Per reporting in Venture Beat, the company is reporting a surge in companies trying to use or create products that use generative AI engines, with a 1,400% increase in searches for AI-related services over the last six months. To that end, he said companies have been looking for skilled freelancers who can also help them build AI-powered applications. There is also sizable demand from organizations for help building prompts for generative AI engines.
With the release of ChatGPT and some other generative AI programs, we may see a flurry more as the industry puts aside some of their ethics pledges to avoid being left behind. Remember that 2016 Microsoft Research bot Tay that started spewing offensive and racist comments? Think that. Axios with a summary, as you can expect companies like Google and Meta to release products they may have held back on previously.
And that may be ahead of any regulation, which another article examines. There’s the new NIST framework I talked about already, which is voluntary. The regulatory impact in the US may be a patchwork. Still, the EU approved the Artificial Intelligence Regulation Act last December, with the European Parliament set to vote on it this spring and adoption by the end of 2023. And, The U.S. and the EU Friday signed an agreement to collaborate on “responsible advancements” in AI.
So we may end up with the EU’s rules.
Why do we care?
That demand for freelancers is part of the demand overall. Sure, we need to watch if this sustains. Market demand came quickly, and don’t sleep on this opportunity. Customers will want to not only use the technology but also think through the implications and keep an eye on any regulatory impacts. That’s why you use a voluntary framework.