As artificial intelligence transforms the consulting industry, the traditional pricing model based on billable hours is quickly becoming obsolete. With AI cutting the time needed for many consulting tasks, clients are demanding a shift to value-based pricing. That’s the essential premise of a thought-provoking article last month by Tracey Shirtcliff that I stumbled upon via a post on LinkedIn. The Billable Hours Model is Under Pressure Shirtcliff – CEO of CPQ pricing platform SCOPE Better – argues that AI’s ability to automate and speed up many consulting tasks means the old model of charging ..read more

In FIR podcast episode 403 of our For Immediate Release podcast, the long-form monthly edition for April, Shel Holtz and I discussed a range of compelling subjects over the course of an 82-minute conversation. I’d like to talk about one of our topics in particular: the remarkable keynote address that Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls, Head of Civil Justice, and the second-most senior judge in the UK, gave to the Manchester Law Society’s AI Conference in March. The conference centred around the theme “AI: Transforming the Work of Lawyers and Judges,” highlighting the increasing importance ..read more

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The relentless and transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in the professional sphere is nowhere more evident than in the complex world of intellectual property (IP) and trademark law. In episode 8 in Season 3 of the Ideas to Innovation podcast I host for Clarivate, we explore the intersection of these three elements. With two experts in the field—Jay Myers, Director of Innovation for the Intellectual Property Practice Group at the Seyfarth Shaw international law firm; and Arun Hill, Senior Consultant at The Clarivate Center for IP and Innovation Research—we delved into how AI i ..read more

Today, we’re witnessing a pivotal transformation in how we search for and interact with information online. With established AI chatbots like ChatGPT and new entrants like Perplexity gaining prominence, the narrative of search is rapidly evolving, presenting a mix of opportunities and challenges for giants and newcomers in the search industry. This transformation is spurred by emerging AI technologies and strategic moves by major companies like Microsoft and Baidu, indicating a shift towards more conversational, AI-driven search experiences. Google has been the primary gateway to the I ..read more

Over the past couple of years, I’ve tried out a variety of webcams that offer features to enable you to look the other person in the eye, at their eye level, when connecting live via Teams, Zoom, etc. They also let you look your audience in the eye, so to speak, if you’re making a group presentation via webcam or recording a video for later use. Plenty of research findings have been published in recent years that set out the measurable benefits and advantages of making direct eye contact when engaging with someone in a video call. Webcams that I’ve tried for direct eye contact do this mo ..read more

In an interview on the FIR Interviews podcast published last week, guest Bill Beutler told Shel Holtz and I that it’s essential for the PR industry to re-engage with the principles of ethical Wikipedia engagement. His insights serve as a reminder of the ongoing evolution of digital communication platforms and the intricate relationship between Wikipedia and the public relations industry, as we explored the changes in that relationship over the past two decades and the current state of affairs in 2024. Bill Beutler is founder and president of Beutler Ink, a digital agency with a unique focus o ..read more

Klarna, a Swedish international fintech company, has introduced an AI assistant developed in collaboration with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT. Klarna says it has significantly transformed its customer service operations. In a press release on 27 February, Klarna itemised an impressive list of achievements in just one month of the global deployment of the AI assistent, essentially a chatbot: The AI assistant has had 2.3 million conversations, two-thirds of Klarna’s customer service chats Doing the equivalent work of 700 full-time agents On par with human agents with regard to customer sat ..read more

In the constantly-evolving landscape of AI-assisted content creation, OpenAI’s latest innovation, Sora, represents a seismic shift. This text-to-video generative AI creator is not just another step forward; it’s a leap into a future where the boundaries between imagination and reality blur. Sora enables creators to make vivid, dynamic videos just by typing a simple text prompt, a development that is as exciting as it is alarming. The examples of Sora’s capabilities are nothing short of breathtaking. From intricate scenes featuring multiple characters and complex motions to detailed backg ..read more

Imagine a modern Speaker’s Corner in Hyde Park, London, a public square that traditionally is a symbol of free speech and public discourse, now surrounded by towering walls made of digital screens displaying algorithmically-generated content. Individuals inside the walls are wholly focused on their personal devices, isolated in their own digital bubbles. The historic podium, once a bustling hub of lively debate and discussion, stands neglected in the centre, symbolising the shift from public, open dialogue to private, fragmented communication in the digital age. The contrast between the ..read more