AIaaS (Artificial Intelligence as a Service)
What is AIaaS?
Artificial intelligence as a service refers to off-the-shelf AI tools that enable companies to implement and scale AI techniques at a fraction of the cost of a full, in-house AI.
The concept of everything as a service refers to any software that can be called upon across a network because it relies on cloud computing. In most cases, the software is available off the shelf. You buy it from a third-party vendor, make a few tweaks, and begin using it nearly immediately, even if it hasn’t been totally customized to your system.
For a long time, artificial intelligence was cost-prohibitive to most companies:
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The machines were massive and expensive.
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The programmers who worked on such machines were in short supply (which meant they demanded high payments).
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Many companies didn’t have sufficient data to study.
As cloud services have become incredibly accessible, AI is more accessible: companies can gather and store infinite data. This is where AI-as-a-service comes in.Now, let’s detour into AI so that we have the right expectations when engaging with AIaaS.
The growth of AIaaS
For companies that can’t or are unwilling to build their own clouds and build, test, and utilize their own artificial intelligence systems, AIaaS is the solution. This is the biggest draw: the opportunity to take advantage of data insights without needing the massive up-front investment in talent and resources.
Like other “as a service” options, the same benefits apply with AIaaS:
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Staying focused on core business (not becoming data and machine learning experts)
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Minimizing the risk of investment
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Increasing the benefits you gain from your data
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Improving strategic flexibility
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Making cost flexible and transparent