This week, I ran into a group of friends visiting an office to review a company’s product that had newly integrated AI. It struck me as rather odd that they were willing to pay extra for this feature. The truth is, most AI solutions available today are simply integrating APIs like OpenAI’s GPT-4. Rarely are companies developing their own large-scale AI language models. This means that the majority of AI implementations are not as unique or special as they might seem. If you’re paying enterprise pricing to get add on AI to something, you’re basically getting screwed.
The Necessity for AI Integration in Software Development
If you’re in the business of software development or offering Software as a Service (SaaS) products, it’s critical to acknowledge that implementing AI is no longer an optional extra. APIs make it incredibly easy to add AI functionality to your own products. It’s important to be aware that if someone tries to upsell you on SaaS or sell you on high-level enterprise pricing for AI, you could likely build the same solution yourself using a straightforward API call.
For example, take this very blog post you’re reading. It started from a recorded transcription. OpenAI transcribed the original voice note, and then ChatGPT transformed it into a more polished and structured article—all by simply connecting an API. Finally, a few personal touches were added to finalize the piece. I didn’t even use code. It’s just a bunch of zapier zaps linked together. Is it perfect? God no. But it’s almost the same result you’d get if you paid a ton of money.
Beware of Life-Changing AI Claims
Next time someone claims their AI integration offers life-changing capabilities, be skeptical. Chances are they’re just attaching the ChatGPT or OpenAI API to a specific use case. Remember that powerful AI technology is accessible for everyone through APIs like these. Don’t settle for overpriced solutions when you can easily take advantage of AI capabilities yourself.
