Artificial Intelligence (AI) suddenly seems to be on everyone’s radar, growing in leaps and bounds. Microsoft was first to embrace this new chatbot technology with their Bing and Edge internet browsers for search. They just introduced Copilot, which brings AI to Microsoft 365. This means Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and more. Now Google Bard is entering the space letting users test drive their Chatbot.
Let’s take a look at what’s coming next in this new space. Let’s take a closer look at this new segment, see what we can expect next and who the winners will be.
First, the reason Microsoft was first into this new space is they are looking for a competitive advantage. This completive edge is worth gold to them. It is really as simple and as complex as that.
Chatbot, ChatGPT, GPT-4 AI spreading to Microsoft 365 Copilot
The only problem with this is, that edge will be short lived because Google is already rolling out Bard, which is their version.
This will not only redefine Microsoft and their suite of software and services and search engines but will also impact and expand this entire segment and all competitors.
Many are wondering what the competitive marketplace will look like going forward after AI Chatbot technology changes everything.
That’s the million-dollar-question.
Chatbot AI lets Microsoft, Google reinvent industry further and faster
Today, we are in the very, early stages of reinventing the world we operate in. This means the power of AI will be used by Microsoft to take them further, faster than ever before. It will also do the same for Google.
The world of search engines has not changed much since Google won the battle against Yahoo!, Netscape and others. Now, the way we think about and use these will change dramatically.
That being said, it is important to recognize this new technology is in its very early stage and is not always ready for prime time.
You remember years ago when Apple introduced their Apple Maps for navigation on the iPhone and it told drivers to turn into a lake.
That’s the kind of thing that happens today with these early Chatbots. Occasionally they go off the deep end. Industry terminology says, they hallucinate. Sounds like the 1960’s man!
What that means is today we never know whether the information we are getting is accurate or not. So, be aware.
AI, chatbot triggering competitive battle between Microsoft and Google
This new competitive environment may be exactly what Microsoft has been searching for. They have tried countless time to be successful in the smartphone segment. Maybe this is their next, big growth wave. We’ll see.
This also has the power not only to impact the entire competitive marketplace, but every player, new and old.
Early adopters like Microsoft will have a competitive advantage, for a while anyway. Then, over time and as this segment grows and matures, it will become a necessary cost of doing business for all competitors. That’s when all services will offer this.
AI, Chatbot, ChatGPT, GPT-4, Bard and whatever comes next has the potential to reshape the entire marketplace, virtually overnight. Expect this to occur.
Compare chatbot, ChatGPT, GPT-4, Bard to smartphone revolution
This kind of change has happened before. Consider the smartphone world with Apple iPhone and Google Android.
It started with Motorola leading the wireless world for decades, then lost their way in the late 1990’s when the network switched from analog to digital. Nokia took the lead sending Motorola to the back of the pack of competitors.
Next, Blackberry entered the early smartphone segment sending Nokia to the back of the pack along with Motorola.
Then Apple iPhone and Google Android entered the marketplace and catapulted them to the top of the charts virtually overnight in the new, super-smartphone sector sending Blackberry and Palm to the bottom of the list of handset competitors along with Nokia and Motorola.
As the technology continues to move forward, it has left past leaders behind in the dust.
Change happens instantly, then plays out over years going forward
Earthshaking change happens instantly, then playout over time going forward.
I have been saying for years that we should expect the next wave of change. Now with AI and chatbot technology, it looks like we may have finally begun this next chapter.
Google just launched their early chatbot version called Bard, to a limited user group for testing. That means it’s only a matter of time before it becomes available to everyone.
This means the race is officially on between Microsoft ChatGPT and GPT-4 and Google Bard.
Microsoft has the early advantage. Users have been excited and turning to Bing and Edge from Microsoft because Google search does not yet offer this new technology.
Now, Google Bard is getting ready to launch to the public, so things are going to get very interesting and very confusing.
Microsoft early mover chatbot advantage will be short-lived
This will take both Microsoft and Google to new levels further and faster than before. The advantage Microsoft has by being first will be short-lived. I expect this surge to continue and accelerate.
The two next questions are these.
· One, what will be next from Microsoft?
· Two, what other competitors will enter this same space and change their world?
We should expect competitors and other large companies to follow Microsoft and Google. That means we should expect others like Apple, Amazon, Facebook or Meta and many others to jump in and change their world as well.
Pull the camera back and get a longer-term, historical perspective
Going forward, we will likely look back at this year as the era when everything changed, once again. Today, we are too close to see this level of change as a reality.
So, we need to pull the camera back and take a longer-term, historical perspective of how these changes are reshaping our world.
Remember, change happens quickly. It was just a few months ago, in November to be exact, when the Chatbot called ChatGPT was introduced.
So, let’s keep our eyes open. Let’s keep our eyes on both Microsoft and Google to see how this impacts them for the long-term, and what is coming next. Will this be a long-term event or a short-term firework display?
Chatbot technology will continue to expand, change and advance going forward.
This is a very exciting time whether you are an investor, an industry executive, a worker or a user in this new area. We all want to play a role as this new technology moves forward. So, buckle up, the ride has begun.
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