Photo by D koi on Unsplash

For the past fifteen years, the term GAFA has become ingrained in our collective consciousness, referring to the American web giants who have become integral to our daily lives through the services we utilize. While it may appear that these companies hold unchallenged dominion over the Internet in the Western world, it is important to acknowledge two crucial factors. Firstly, GAFA’s dominance is limited to the West, as they face formidable competition from the BAITUX conglomerate in Asia. Moreover, certain countries such as South Korea and Japan exhibit a preference for their indigenous tools, driven by cultural reasons. Similarly, the Russian market boasts its own formidable giants. In light of ongoing events, GAFA and BAITUX probably aspire to overthrow these competitors once the Ukrainian conflict concludes, but this is another topic.

Another pertinent aspect to consider is that even before the emergence of GAFAM, numerous corporate behemoths existed and subsequently faltered. For instance, Kodak succumbed to obsolescence with the advent of digital cameras, while BlackBerry and Nokia crumbled in the face of smartphones. The market has consistently witnessed radical shifts when novel technologies are introduced, rendering the rise of a new dominant player entirely plausible.

Photo by Eirik Solheim on Unsplash

The year 2023 witnessed an unprecedented surge in the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), particularly through platforms such as Chat GPT, Dall-e, and Mid Journey.

The proliferation of AI on a grand scale has empowered the general public to avail tools that were once exclusive to researchers or domain experts.

Consequently, a palpable excitement surrounding AI has emerged, transforming it into a buzzword. Even long-standing companies are now proudly showcasing their utilization of AI technology.

Although AI has been present for numerous years, the advent of Chat GPT and Mid Journey has unlocked fresh avenues and professional prospects. However, it is worth noting that platforms like ChatGPT or Bard explicitly emphasize their prototype and research nature upon launch, aiming to refine the existing models and enabling users to explore novel applications and functionalities.

As a result, it is highly likely that in the coming years, new AI-powered tools accessible to the general public, leveraging cutting-edge technologies, will come to fruition. Perhaps start-ups are taking cues from the web giants’ substantial investments in AI today to safeguard against potential dethronement tomorrow.

Photo by Rajeshwar Bachu on Unsplash

The current buzz surrounding AI centers on a particular type known as conversational AI, where computer systems engage in simulated discussions. Prominent examples of this include Chat GPT and Bard.

Additionally, there are text-to-image AI models that facilitate the generation of coherent visual representations based on textual descriptions. Equally noteworthy are image-to-image AIs that leverage artificial intelligence to enhance existing images by comprehending and analyzing their content.

Among these, Chat GPT undoubtedly holds a dominant position in today’s market, with its affiliation to Microsoft. It is worth noting, however, that OpenAI remains a separate entity primarily associated with research, even so, Microsoft is still playing a significant role. Speculatively, a future scenario could emerge where OpenAI decides to forge an independent path, potentially diverging from Microsoft’s influence.

Facebook’s Llama, an open-source alternative just like to OpenAI, deserves mention. Some people have already install Llama on their computers, training it with customized datasets. This use case offers insights into user needs : offline AI applications. The ability to harness artificial intelligence locally, without dependency on an internet connection, enhances its practicality and opens up new avenues for utilization.

Google has recently find another significant use case: linking the chat to a classical research. This serves as an entry point from the AI to Google search and allows users to check sources by themselves.

Due to the vast number of users who heavily rely on smartphones, chatGPT has recently lauchn a mobile app. There is a need to provide users with artificially intelligent solutions tailored to both the UI and UX suited for mobile experience. A company offering smartphones that integrat artificial intelligence will possess a competitive edge over their counterparts. Apple’s initial attempt at this was evident with the introduction of Siri alongside the launch of the iPhone. Although the technology was relatively bad at the time, Siri remained a selling feature, showcasing the potential of having a built-in personal assistant.

Photo by Omid Armin on Unsplash

When considering textual or visual content, it is plausible that film studios will take keen interest in leveraging AI. The most intriguing prospect would be the automatic generation of films based on user-desired genres. This would entail offering tailor-made films to users, potentially revolutionizing the film industry by automating various aspects such as scripting, shooting, and set generation. Additionally, AI-powered tools enabling music creation based on descriptions are likely to achieve tremendous success in the future. These tools will play a pivotal role in the production of low-budget series, enabling individuals to unleash their musical ideas and rhythms without possessing the instrumental talent to create them.

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

Regarding competition, it is evident that major tech conglomerates are making substantial investments to secure their positions. Microsoft is directly competing with Google by integrating Chat GPT into Bing and incorporating artificial intelligence directly into the Windows ecosystem. This endeavor has compelled Google to accelerate the development and integration of Bard into its suite of software, including Google Sheets and Google Docs. However, the current tools being developed primarily focus on search-related functions and still lack seamless integration and widespread applications.

One significant advantage enjoyed by GAFA, as they invest heavily in research projects like OpenAI, is that companies are likely to rely on these research models to build their own artificial intelligence solutions. For instance, Duolingo aims to incorporate conversational models that simulate human interaction to provide language practice opportunities. This application holds great promise, but it will likely rely on platforms such as Chat GPT4.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

In terms of competition, it is crucial to monitor sectors and companies that propose comprehensive models as a foundation for developing artificial intelligence applications. Research centers in Europe notably France and Germany, may not be technology producers per se, but they contribute exceptional researchers who have played significant roles in shaping the current state of artificial intelligence. Therefore, it is not inconceivable for a new European model to emerge and attract attention.

Similarly, Chinese and Russian giants should not be overlooked, as they possess their own local ecosystems, making the development of specialized artificial intelligence solutions within their regions a distinct possibility. Notably, certain tools like AliExpress’s conversational robot, which is currently confined to the shopping site, could potentially expand beyond company borders in the future. Additionally, it is important to acknowledge that Asian application models tend to have global reach, making it comparatively easier to integrate a new tool in Asia compared to launching one in the west.

Photo by Adem AY on Unsplash

Several sectors, such as advertising, healthcare, and personal assistants, remain ripe for further development and exploitation. It is plausible that new players will emerge in these domains. Furthermore, the future is likely to witness a convergence of various artificial intelligence technologies, with personal assistants taking a prominent role in managing these tools. One could envision interacting with a voice assistant, instructing it to generate an image,the assistant would connect to other specialized AI like Mid-Journey to create and display the desired image, eliminating the need for manual website visits and account creation. Personal assistants are poised for a resurgence, signaling a potential revival of Siri, Alexa, and their counterparts.