This is INTO INDIA with a difference – in this blog I am handing over to my friend Vinay Sarawagi who has written the clearest summary of how you should proceed with AI. Vinay is the Founder, The Media GCC | Mindful Media l AI Trust and Safety and is a former Senior Vice President – Digital at The Times Group.
READ HIS REPORT ON “BEYOND THE HYPE”:
Artificial intelligence is the most transformative tech of the century. This doesn’t change another fact: we’re in a hype cycle. Snake oil is being sold in AI’s name.
The Big Tech Reality Check
Organizations and governments are overwhelmed by AI. Smart money sticks to first principles.
Watch what organisations like Apple and Google do. When they slow certain AI implementations, despite hundreds of billions in revenue at stake, it tells you something critical. The technology shows bright sparks. It’s not there yet.
This isn’t about legacy companies being outpaced by emerging tech. Google has done more AI research than most universities combined. These companies aren’t behind the curve. They’re mindful of the gap.
When an AI startup claims breakthrough capabilities that Apple, Google, or Microsoft can’t match, take it with a bucket of salt. These tech giants possess both the expertise and cash reserves, running into hundreds of billions, to acquire any capability they lack.
First Principles in an Age of Disruption
Stop panicking. Avoid emotional responses that swing between overwhelming fear and outright denial.
Two priorities matter: educate yourself your teams on AI’s capabilities and limitations. Stick to your business fundamentals.
Market Psychology and the Innovation Cycle
Markets behave like human psychology. A decade ago, predicting a tech that could replace half of all jobs within 2-3 decades would have seemed absurd. Most believed fundamental innovations were complete. Only incremental progress remained possible.
Then ChatGPT arrived. A public-facing tool that gave everyone a glimpse into generative AI’s power. BOOM! Gold rush mentality.
Markets respond with boom and bust cycles. This process rediscovers the new normal. The challenge: distinguishing hype from real potential while living through it.
This requires a multi-dimensional approach. Grounded, pragmatic, sharp, incisive, data-driven. Also lateral and far-reaching. Finding the sweet spot demands all these perspectives simultaneously.
Separating Signal from Noise
AI will redefine everything we know about our world. True statement.
Today, a lot of AI marketing is snake oil. Also true.
Develop filters. Differentiate real capability from hype. Know what’s right for your business adoption strategy. Always return to first principles.
Strategic Implementation Framework
One week of data can blind you. One month isn’t much better. Long-term data matters. Qualitative benchmarks matter too.
When trillion dollar tech giants proceed cautiously, pay attention. Their restraint reflects deep understanding of current boundaries, not innovation failure.
The future belongs to those who harness AI’s power while avoiding its pitfalls.
vinay@thegcc.media
Into India 