Generative AI has taken the world by storm. ChatGPT, one of the earliest examples, reached 100 million users in less than two months—faster than TikTok’s 9-month growth. AI has transformed from a sci-fi concept into a practical productivity tool that business leaders, students, and creators use every day.
But why is generative AI so impactful, and why is it so widely accessible? Let’s break it down.
What Makes Generative AI Special?
Generative AI is unique because it can create human-like content across various tasks. According to ChatGPT itself, its generative AI is:
- Designed to generate human-like text that is coherent and contextually relevant.
- Pre-trained on vast datasets, learning patterns and nuances from diverse sources.
- Effective for language-based tasks, including text generation and translation.
This capability makes generative AI instantly usable, without requiring businesses or individuals to spend months training models from scratch.
Traditional AI vs. Generative AI
Before generative AI, using AI in business required a significant investment of time, data, and expertise. A typical AI project involved:
- Collecting relevant data.
- Ensuring the data is high-quality and formatted correctly.
- Training an AI model for a specific task.
- Testing the model and iterating until the results were acceptable.
With generative AI, this process is simplified. It starts with a foundation model—a pre-trained, general-purpose AI that can handle a wide range of tasks immediately.
Key advantages include:
- Minimal setup required. Users can interact with AI using prompts.
- Capable of performing tasks without additional training.
- Can be fine-tuned with small datasets for specific use cases.
Think about the first time you used ChatGPT. You didn’t feed it any data; you simply asked a question or gave a prompt—and it worked. That’s because the foundation model was already trained on massive datasets encompassing a wide variety of knowledge.
Real-World Applications of Generative AI
Generative AI can handle tasks that were once challenging to automate:
- Writing creative content, such as poems or stories.
- Summarizing articles or reports.
- Explaining complex concepts in simple terms.
- Generating ideas for events, marketing, or business strategies.
For businesses, this translates into faster, more cost-effective automation. Traditional AI required expensive resources and long timelines, often making ROI harder to justify. Generative AI lowers the barrier to entry and delivers immediate value.
How Businesses Can Leverage Foundation Models
Foundation models offer three key benefits for businesses:
- Enhanced productivity: Employees can leverage AI to research, ideate, and create faster.
- Cost reduction: Automation becomes more accessible and less expensive.
- Operational excellence: AI can streamline workflows and improve customer experiences.
Businesses can also fine-tune foundation models with their own data to meet specific needs, achieving results comparable to fully custom-trained models—but at a fraction of the time and cost.
Who Benefits Most from Generative AI?
Greg Hodgkinson, Prolifics CTO, identifies three groups of winners:
- Creators: Individuals who add value by using AI to amplify their skills.
- Businesses: Organizations that leverage AI to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences.
- Enablers: Professionals who help integrate AI models and platforms into business operations.
Tip: Explore how AI can enhance your work, from research and ideation to creation and refinement. Don’t ignore generative AI—it could be the most significant development since the internet.
About Greg Hodgkinson
Greg Hodgkinson is Prolifics’ Chief Technology Officer and Worldwide Head of Engineering, as well as an IBM Lifetime Champion. He drives innovation across Prolifics, creating solutions that improve software development and delivery for clients worldwide.
