AI’s Real Hurdle? Not Cost, But Security and Adoption

nLet’s explore some AI trends. Charles Rubenfeld highlights the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence, featuring insights from a “Charts and Tarts” event attended by key tech leaders. Notable trends include the plummeting costs of AI, with the performance of models like GPT-4 now costing nearly one thousand times less than just 18 months ago, facilitating broader integration into products. A survey indicated that thirty-nine percent of the U.S. population were monthly users of AI as of August 2024, surpassing the early adoption rates of personal computers and the internet. The report emphasizes that while some view AI adoption as slow, it is actually advancing faster than many previous innovations. Furthermore, consulting firms are playing a crucial role in assisting businesses with their AI strategies, with Accenture reporting that generative AI now makes up six percent of their total business.

And since listeners love use cases, The New York Times has embraced artificial intelligence tools in its newsroom to assist staff with editing, summarizing, and writing tasks. In a recent internal email, the publication confirmed the rollout of a new AI tool named Echo, which will help summarize articles and briefings. The staff will receive training on AI usage, with new editorial guidelines emphasizing that while AI can assist in generating promotional content and summaries, human journalists must oversee and be accountable for the final product. The Times has also introduced several other AI tools, such as GitHub Copilot for programming and Google Vertex AI for product development.

In fact, Big businesses are still hesitant about adopting artificial intelligence agents, according to a recent survey conducted by The Wall Street Journal at its CIO Network Summit. The survey revealed that eighty-two percent of respondents are either experimenting with AI agents or not considering them at all, primarily due to concerns about the accuracy of current AI technologies and the lack of sufficient security measures to protect data, with twenty-nine percent expressing distrust.

Why do we care?
Businesses are clearly investing in AI expertise, meaning IT consultants and MSPs that offer AI strategy, implementation, and governance services will see growing demand. Security & accuracy concerns remain a barrier. Service providers who can build AI security frameworks, ensure compliance, and reduce AI risks will have an edge.

AI isn’t replacing jobs yet—it’s augmenting them. The New York Times’ approach shows how AI is being integrated as a tool, not a full automation solution. Companies hesitant about AI adoption may be more open to AI-powered augmentation strategies.

AI costs are no longer a blocker—but usability is. Now that AI is cheap, the challenge shifts to making it reliable and practical for enterprise use cases. And let’s do the AI product stuff.