We’ve already warned businesses to avoid using automated tools that have biased or discriminatory impacts. But the fact is that some products with AI claims might not even work as advertised in the first place.” In the months ahead, we are likely to see more examples of AI washing come to light. Regulatory agencies, media groups and customers are paying close attention to AI in advertising and calling out companies that are misleading customers and investors. For channel partners, this shift is both a wakeup call and an opportunity. Companies must be ready to defend their use of AI and demonstrate exactly how they are using it to enhance their operations. Beyond the Hype At this point most business leaders are aware they need AI to compete, even if they are not certain how or where they should be using it. Workers also are increasingly viewing AI as a positive technology that can eliminate manual, timeconsuming tasks. In a Censuswide study sponsored by Jitterbit, 85 percent of office workers said they expect AI to improve their roles, while 96 percent believe AI can enhance their professional skills. This positive sentiment bodes well for partners that are selling AI-enhanced products and services. But eventually, the hype surrounding AI will pass. When this happens, AI will no longer carry the same weight. Gartner’s latest Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies predicted that generative AI is transitioning toward a state of market disillusionment. More recently, in its 2024 Emerging Tech Impact Radar, Gartner explained that AI-centric technology “is moving from hype to a critical enabler for most tech providers in the next two years, fueled by advancements in domainspecific and multimodal LLMs, model hubs, provenance detectors and hallucination management.” As AI becomes an essential product component, companies will begin to de-emphasize the technology in their sales and marketing strategies. This shift is already starting to take place, with organizations such as SaaS provider Hex now offering complementary AI. “Charging extra for AI is like having an add-on for ‘cloud’ in 2014,” the company said in a blog post. “That might have been a meaningful – and potentially monetizeable! – distinction for a short time, but within a couple of years it was just table stakes. We believe that AI will follow a similar arc. Anyone starting a new SaaS app today is building it assuming AI, and don’t have add-ons or a non-AI tier. This is where the puck is going, so we might as well go there.” Changing Gears To remain competitive with AI, partners are encouraged to start focusing less on AI features and benefits and more on specific outcomes during consultations. Leading with AI as the main selling point does not always work – especially with small-and mediumsized customers that lack robust technical teams. “The fact that an app uses AI does not automatically make it valuable or interesting to the average SMB,” vcita CEO Itzek Levy recently told Forbes. “If you ask your local barber or tax consultant what they think of a new AI app, they probably won’t How is your company currently using AI? (Select all that apply) Marketing 38.72% Customer service 34.13% Product/service development 31.94% Sales 30.14% Business forecasting 16.37% Human resources 15.17% Payroll/bookkeeping 12.74% Appointment/reservation scheduling 10.38% Shift scheduling 8.98% Other 3.79% Not currently using AI 21.56% Source: Cox Business 2024 SMB Owner survey 28 THE CHANNEL MANAGER’S PLAYBOOK
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