Business Tech News: The Most Popular AI Tools Of 2024

Business Tech News: The Most Popular AI Tools of 2024

 

 

Here are five key developments in business tech news from this week and their implications for your business. Did you miss them?

 

David Gewirtz of ZDNet reported on the most popular AI tools for 2024. The most widely used AI tools by market share are as follows: ChatGPT (54.96 percent), the publishing tool Canva (14.92 percent), the translation platform DeepL (5.38 percent), Google Gemini (4.75 percent), and Character.AI (3.90 percent). Gewirtz noted that measuring the popularity of each tool is challenging since some are standalone applications while others are integrated into larger products. Metrics from platforms like Semrush and Similarweb were used to estimate traffic volume. Additionally, tools such as Claude, Perplexity AI, and Microsoft Copilot were also mentioned in the report. (Source: ZDNet)

 

**Why This Is Important for Your Business:**

While these tools are interesting, they resemble the era when the iPhone was first introduced, followed by the launch of the App Store with a plethora of apps. The most effective tools either evolved into unicorns or were acquired by larger tech companies. As we look to the future, I expect the list above to change significantly within a few years. In 2024, AI may still be overhyped, unreliable, and not ready for serious business application, but these tools will likely improve and be replaced by more advanced options.

 

**Business Tech News #2 – Major Changes Coming to AI in 2025: Microsoft**

 According to executives at Microsoft, significant changes are on the horizon for AI in 2025. Ashley Llorens, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President and Managing Director, indicated that we can expect AI to handle a more sophisticated range of tasks. More powerful and energy-efficient AI models will be introduced, and AI agents will become increasingly prominent, taking on specific tasks autonomously or semi-autonomously (e.g., extracting data from expense reports or simulating conversations to analyze which business processes are most efficient). Additionally, there will be a concerted effort to bring AI features to a broader consumer base. Microsoft is developing AI agents to help employees connect and facilitate tasks such as scheduling "coffee chats" with colleagues. (Source: Yahoo Finance)

 

**Why This Is Important for Your Business:**

I've previously discussed the role of AI agents, especially in industries like financial services, where they are already replacing human workers. While these changes will be rolled out in 2025, it's essential to remain cautious. The age-old rule in technology is: NEVER buy the first version of any software application, especially if it’s made by Microsoft. AI agents will require one to two years to address initial bugs and become widely integrated into business applications. This time will also be necessary for us to fully understand their capabilities and determine how they can be best utilized in our businesses.