Founders from LaunchNotes, Spinach.io, and AppForge.ai have all successfully built and launched AI apps for the Atlassian Marketplace. In this candid panel discussion, Atlassian Ventures Portfolio Management Lead, Philip Braddock, sat down with Tyler Davis, Yoav Grossman and Hubert Kut (2022 Codegeist Winner) to learn more about their views and experience with AI.
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Future of AI
Artificial intelligence is a transformative force, akin to the cloud revolution that has the potential to be integrated into every facet of technology and daily life. AI is becoming a native functionality that applications must adopt, because its capabilities rival "another human that you can put into any situation,” Yoav Grossman. However, the aim is to utilize AI to automate tasks, assist with decision-making, and free up human time for more meaningful and creative activities. Giving AI the potential to liberate workforces and recalibrate work life balance. AI has the potential to revolutionize how we work and live by augmenting our capabilities and making complex tasks simple.
AI building tips
Hubert Kut offers practical advice for those venturing into AI development, emphasizing the significance of getting the basics and building familiarity with existing AI tools, “start small, use the services, then play around with more advanced stuff.” He encourages aspiring developers to approach AI development much like learning a new skill or language, beginning with foundational services and gradually progressing to more advanced ones.
Yoav Grossman also reiterates the importances of experimentation and approaching this new frontier with curiosity. "You really don’t have to productize or put anything into production. Most of the work that I’m doing is in the playground, just exploring new ideas, feeding new contacts, playing around until I find something that seems to kind of work." AI doesn't require extensive technical expertise, tinker with the technology until it serves you.
Overcoming AI Challenges
There are many nuances involved in harnessing AI’s potential. Hubert Kut touches upon the challenge of guaranteeing the desired outcomes from AI algorithms. The dynamic nature of AI, its learning process, and the variation in results pose unlimited potential, but also unpredictable results. "You cannot predict what AI will give you, because that’s the nature of AI, it’s learning, changing, and never gives twice the same answer.”
Once you have determined a formula for the right input, building something scalable can be just as difficult. Tyler Davis explains "we manage our model internally so having to learn how to scale those effectively with usage, and just balance that with the cost of doing so has been a big challenge." The AI landscape is dynamic and evolving, overcoming these challenges requires continuous adaptation and learning.
Responsible AI
Tyler Davis underscores the significance of data control, especially when dealing with open AI models, highlighting that many users lack trust in these close-source models. He explains that his company decided to select and host its AI model to minimize third-party involvement in data processing, emphasizing the need to protect customer data from exposure to unfamiliar entities.
Yoav Grossman shares how privacy and security are paramount, discussing their proactive approach to addressing privacy concerns from the outset of AI development. He emphasizes the importance of compliance with privacy regulations, particularly in Europe, like GDPR. Yoav advocates for taking a slower, compliance-focused approach initially, which ultimately sets the foundation for the company’s trustworthiness and long-term success.
Hubert Kut emphasizes the need for startups to be security-conscious from the start. He recommends leveraging secure public cloud services, such as Google Cloud or AWS, that provide strong security measures and encourages newcomers to the AI and Atlassian Marketplace space to rely on well-established, secure platforms to process and store customer data. These insights collectively underscore the critical importance of responsible AI development, both for regulatory compliance and building trust among customers in an era of increasing data privacy concerns.
Conclusion
In this eye opening discussion with the founders of AppForge, LaunchNotes, and Spinach.io, we gain valuable insights into the burgeoning world of AI app development within the Atlassian Marketplace. As the AI revolution garners momentum, it is evident that AI is more than a technological enhancement; it represents a transformative force capable of reshaping our work and daily lives. The founders’ shared wisdom, ranging from practical development tips to addressing challenges and prioritizing responsible AI, highlights the imperative of embracing AI’s potential with cautious optimism, making it clear that with the right approach, it has the power to augment human capabilities, ushering in a new era of productivity, creativity, and trust in technology.
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