A recent survey by Pew Research found that only about 18% of Americans have ever used ChatGPT, with men, those 18-29, and the college-educated being more likely to have used it. More people reported using it for entertainment or to learn something than for work.
That survey also found that 52% of Americans are more concerned than excited about the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI), up 14 points since December. The more people know about AI, the more uneasy they feel, with anxiety outweighing enthusiasm among those who have heard much about AI. Younger Americans tend to be more optimistic about AI than their older counterparts, with 42% of 18- to 29-year-olds more concerned and 17% more excited, compared to 61% of adults aged 65 and over who are primarily concerned.
Among all that concern, from a Conversica survey, while almost 90% of business leaders agree on the importance of clear guidelines for AI ethics and corporate responsibility, only 6% have established such guidelines.
According to a report by Canalys, Generative AI will be a $158.6 billion opportunity for the channel ecosystem by 2028, with $15.4 billion expected this year alone. The report highlights AI services and AI software development as the two largest revenue opportunities for the channel ecosystem, with other opportunities including advanced data services and reselling, co-selling, and upselling AI products with services.
Jay McBain from Canalys believes the opportunities for GSIs or ISVs far surpasses the near-term opportunity for MSPs or VARs, and the biggest risk for Gen AI is that it never becomes a product at all. MSPs may be better suited to invest more in security skills and practices over that timeframe. The winners in Gen AI will become Big Tech infrastructure consumption, a few hardware components, and a smattering of implementation and integration services on the customer side.
Channel partners must prepare by determining their AI strategy and offerings, building expertise and strategic AI partnerships, and investing in ongoing development.
There’s concern, not broad adoption, but rapid adoption. With that concern, there’s an understanding of the need to create guidelines, but no work done yet. There’s opportunity…
And I’ll start by saying Jay is probably right. MSPs and VARs may be better suited to putting effort into security.
And I wouldn’t do that if I was running an MSP today… because I wouldn’t want to be running an MSP. I’d want to run a business consulting organization that leverages technology, and while that might be aspirational, that would be my direction. The work of AI ethics, corporate responsibility, and the related business outcomes of the technology look far more profitable and closer to top-line revenue than security. More long-term demand – see above youth-related interest – leads to a longer viability or easier entry at the ground level for the opportunity.
Jay is probably right. There’s probably more short-term need there. But if it was me… I’ll zig where others zag.