AI Ownership, an Evolution or Revolution?

Software ownership has undergone an interesting evolution. Traditionally, software producers retained ownership, through licensing or the use of Software as a Service (SaaS). However, the AI era provides an opportunity to bring about a significant shift.

A key difference in the AI era is the increasing customization of software for individual users. The ability to retrain models with client data allows organizations to capture their unique tribal knowledge. This customization offers significant advantages over “off-the-shelf” models like ChatGPT.

Organizations typically prefer to keep their data and information secure, away from potential competitors or third parties. Ensuring the safety of data already is a crucial concern for companies in this AI era, but will be even more so with this customized information and data When models are highly customized for each enterprise, who will ultimately own these models? The market is still undecided, but innovative startups like smartR AI and SeerBI are experimenting with transfering model ownership to end-users.

Transfering software ownership to consumers offers several advantages. First, this approach provides end-users with a higher level of security and control that has been lacking in traditional software ownership models. Second, they can choose where to deploy the model. Third, they have assured access to the model, regardless of the vendor’s circumstances. Fourth, as the software becomes an enterprise asset, the model can be sold or licensed to third parties, representing intellectual property for the organization.

However, one drawback of owning the software is the question of how the enterprise will support and upgrade it. To address this, companies can enter into multi-year support contracts with vendors to handle software maintenance and upgrades.

This new approach to selling software provides enterprises with a fresh perspective on their intellectual property, and the role of software in their core value proposition. Bespoke AI captures significant enterprise value and changes the way software is owned, offering organizations greater control over their digital assets.

By Oliver King-Smith, founder and CEO, smartR AI

At smartR AI, Oliver King-Smith spearheads innovative patent applications harnessing AI for societal impact, including advancements in health tracking, support for vulnerable populations, and resource optimization. Their alertR invention aims to enhance independence and quality of life. smartR AI specializes in providing safe private models, that manage risk, while providing high reward. Their most recent addition to the stable is SCOTi® AI– your loyal AI pal, a generative AI application. Their models are specifical trained for every client, they work naturally with people to enhance and optimize productivity, and reveal previously unseen insights from vast data pools. Throughout his career, Oliver has been dedicated to developing cutting-edge technology to address challenges, and today smartR AI is committed to providing safe AI programs within your own secure and private ecosystems.

As a serial entrepreneur, he has founded three companies and contributed to two successful exits. Recognized as “Best Global Life Science AI Solutions Provider – UK 2022” by Corporate Vision and “AI Solutions Provider of the Year 2023” by Corporate Livewire, smartR AI, under Oliver’s leadership, has grown to over 20 team members, focusing on integrating sensors and AI to tackle emerging challenges.

Oliver holds a PhD in Mathematics from UC Berkeley and an executive MBA from Stanford. He’s an innovator with expertise in Data Visualization, Statistics, Machine Vision, Robotics, and AI. Oliver’s entrepreneurial spirit extends to supporting startups and serving on the Board of Directors for Eco-Panels and Elemental Breath.