AI Breakthroughs: Salesforce, Zoom, Vonage, Rackspace, More

This edition of AI Breakthroughs encompasses everything artificial intelligence, including promotions, research and innovation among top channel companies such as Salesforce, Zoom, Vonage, Rackspace and more.

Let’s start first with some findings.

The newest CNBC Technology Executive Council survey shows that nearly half of top tech executives plan on making AI their number one budget item over the next year.

For example, CNBC reports cybersecurity as a primary use case for AI. The news agency said: One reason AI needs to be deployed in cybersecurity more broadly is because it is being used by hackers already, and they can gain an early advantage. At least in the short-term, generative AI will increase the ability of malicious actors to create social engineering content that makes it harder for users to distinguish it from legitimate data. A malicious actor may steal email traffic as well as a victim’s address book, enabling spear-phishing messages that focus on the content of the victim’s recent conversations with each of their contacts, and uses the language and syntax for each.

AI Breakthroughs: A ‘Huge High-Risk Bet’

CG Infinity’s Saurajit Kanungo

IT strategist Saurajit Kanungo, and president of CG Infinity, has a word of warning for companies before they make a huge decision to invest in AI.

“Yes, AI has great potential, but it is a huge high-risk bet, and a large percentage of your investment will likely go nowhere,” Kanungo said. “Only invest if you can measure the ROI in business terms — is it going to decrease costs, increase revenue, etc.”

Kanungo says if you invest in generative AI now, there is a high risk of disillusionment in the near future.

See the slideshow above for more research findings and AI breakthroughs. If you didn’t catch the previous roundup, you may do so here.