AI reality check

For the last three years, I’ve been active in the middle of the ‘AI storm’: I quit my well-paid job at the largest high-tech company in the south of the Netherlands, started an AI consultancy company, supported setting up several AI initiatives and had many discussions on the topic. Those discussions were at the extremes of “We’re too late as all AI innovation happens in the US and China” up to “We need to make all people in organizations data and AI aware including the receptionists.” Perhaps we should get a little grip on reality.

To stimulate people doing an AI reality check, I often ask them the following: if all companies are desperately looking for AI expertise, why isn’t there a large queue in front of my AI company door? Even if I would do a lousy advertisement job, with the ‘AI hype’ pictured in the media and lack of AI talent, there should be a queue.