Sustaining vs. Disruptive Innovation in the AI Era

Select insights and tools in the vast ocean of AI.

Summaries | Insights | Points of Views

In Today’s Edition

• NFX: Start-ups vs Incumbents in the AI Era

• Samsung Galaxy S24’s New AI Features

• Google’s Gen-AI Search is Powering 84% of Queries

AI Start-ups

Start-ups vs Incumbents in the AI Era

Summary - Peter Flint, founding partner of NFX and co-founder/former CEO of Trulia, explores the dynamic between startups and incumbents in the age of AI, stating it can fuel sustaining or disruptive innovation. Incumbents like Google and OpenAI can leverage their immense resources to sustain innovation. Startups can identify and capitalize on market niches by outmaneuvering incumbents through agility and laser-focused iterations on specific customer needs.

Buoy points:

• Sustaining innovation - ex. AI applied to ad targeting on Facebook.

• Disruptive innovation - ex. Uber and Lyft created new supply for local transportation, circumventing the taxi business.

• Established players have data, money, resources and brand recognition

• Startups are more nimble and can be hyper-focused on solving a small but vital problem that the market needs. Use agility as a weapon.

• The focus on customers will be a key factor for successful solutions.

POV - 2024 promises to be crazier than last year. Personally, I will be looking for sustaining vs. disruptive innovations. As the author mentions, some innovations will come fast, while others will have a delayed impact. What innovations do you anticipate?

Samsung S24

Samsung Galaxy S24’s New AI Features

Summary - We’ve officially entered the smartphone AI race. Samsung unveiled a suite of new AI features for its Galaxy S24 lineup, aiming to improve communication, productivity, and creativity. These features, collectively called "Galaxy AI," represent Samsung's effort to democratize AI innovation. While currently limited to the S24 series, there are plans to roll them out to select older Galaxy devices later this year.

Buoy points (features that we know of):

• Circle to Search: Makes searching for on-screen content easier by drawing circles or using the S Pen.

•  Live Translate: Offers real-time two-way text and voice translation during phone calls in 13 languages.

• Interpreter: Provides two-way text-based translation in a split-screen view for in-person conversations.

• Chat Assist: Translates messages on the fly and suggests tone adjustments through "Tone Tweak."

• Context-aware Android Auto messaging: Summarizes messages, generates replies, and offers actions like sending ETA.

• Note Assist & Transcript Assist: Use AI to summarize, format, and translate notes and recordings.

• Edit Suggestion & Generative Edit: Recommend and automatically apply photo edits, filling in edit gaps seamlessly.

• AI Watermarking: Identifies AI-edited/generated images to promote transparency.

• Instant Slow-mo: Generates additional frames for slow-motion effects even in non-slow-motion videos.

POV - To be sure, this is only the beginning of the smartphone AI race. Samsung will have more features to add, and we anxiously await to see what the iPhone and Pixel will have in store. Let’s see what Apple and Google offers as their first entrants in the smartphone AI race.

Google SGE

Google’s Gen-AI Search is Powering 84% of Queries

Summary - Google's Generative AI Search Experience (SGE) might revolutionize search by using AI to deliver results based on the context, sentiment, intent, and nuances of queries, per Adweek. This challenges traditional search methods and forces brands to adapt their SEO strategies.

Buoy points:

• SGE goes beyond keywords, searching with deeper meaning, to provide more relevant and insightful results.

• Disruption for brands: Traditional SEO tactics may no longer be enough, as brands need to focus on creating high-quality content and establishing subject matter expertise.

• SGE is still in development. Limited opt-in rollout thus far in U.S., India and Japan.

• Users can expect search to become more intuitive and personalized as AI technology advances.

POV - As if Google’s search algorithm wasn’t opaque and ever-changing as it is, AI-powered searches will bring a whole new ball game. It will surely impact the entire SEO industry. How will Google weave this into paid search?