AI 101: Narrow vs Horizontal AI
AI applications can be categorized into two broad categories
We continue to do lots of education and overviews of Generative AI (ChatGPT, Midjourney, etc.) for investors and executives, and “AI” can be confusing for the millions trying to understand its business impact for the first time.
The massive wave of digitization of business processes continues and Generative AI has only accelerated this. There are two main types of AI applications: Narrow and Horizontal. Both solve business problems and both will be a part of companies’ AI investment portfolio.
(These two types are called by different names. Yes, I know that “narrow” is not the opposite of horizontal, but the term “vertical” implies industry-specific applications and ends up confusing people.)
Here is a basic summary of the differences:
Email me your questions (and any corrections).
Notable upcoming events
Harvard Business School Generative AI Summer Series - Session #3, Thursday July 6 at 3p EST via Zoom (Paul Baier presenting with HBS Professor Shikhar Ghosh). Free but registration is required.
Generative AI World conference Sep 12-13 in Boston, is an in-person 2 day conference focused on enterprise Generative AI use cases. Lots of great speakers, networking and learning opportunities. This is a paid event. Learn more here about ROI of a time and dollar investment.
"Everything is determined, every beginning and ending, by forces over which we have no control. It is determined for the insect, as well as for the star. Human beings, vegetables, or cosmic dust, we all dance to a mysterious tune, intoned in the distance by an invisible piper." - Albert Einstein
Onward,
Paul