This post first appeared on ClearBlade Founder & CEO Eric Simone’s LinkedIn newsletter, Eric on the Edge. Subscribe on LinkedIn. 

It’s Valentine’s Day, and all the hype around Generative AI (GenAI) has me wondering—are we looking at it through rose-colored glasses, or is it delivering real, measurable, and repeatable business value?

GenAI has captivated the world with its ability to generate content from vast amounts of human data, primarily sourced from the Internet. Its accessibility through tools like ChatGPT makes it feel like magic. I use ChatGPT Finance to play the role of a competent CFO at times!

GenAI is blurring the lines between human and machine interaction, making tasks faster and more efficient. At ClearBlade, we’ve integrated it into our own end-user applications. Our GenAI Assistant in Intelligent Assets simplifies no-code IoT, allowing business operators to leverage AI with ease.

It’s undeniably cool—and it’s here to stay. But the initial hype has started to settle, even among the biggest companies.

The Puppy Love Phase of GenAI

We’re still in the early days—the puppy love phase. Imagine adopting an adorable puppy. You’re enamored at first, but soon, reality kicks in. Two months later, it’s still not potty-trained, making messes, and sometimes acting unpredictably.

That’s where we are with GenAI. It’s exciting, but it still “hallucinates” at times and isn’t always reliable.

According to Techzine, 90% of companies anticipate GenAI will increase costs, with an expected 70% ROI in three years. While the potential is massive, today’s GenAI isn’t the fully trained, dependable companion businesses need—yet.

The Real Thing: Narrow AI

Now, let’s talk about true love—practical, proven, and ROI-driven. That’s what narrow AI delivers. It’s not flashy, but it works hard and provides real value.

Some real-world use cases we’ve seen:

• Water Filtration Monitoring: Detecting anomalies in flow rate and pressure to identify leaks early.
• Predictive Maintenance in Energy: Monitoring power generation rates to prevent costly downtime.
• Intelligent Video Analytics at the Edge: Enhancing security without storing excessive personal data.
• Facility Energy Optimization: Analyzing usage patterns to identify immediate cost savings.
• Remote Wellsite Monitoring: Controlling and optimizing drilling operations from afar.

These solutions aren’t theoretical—they’re delivering ROI today.

Making AI Accessible to All

The best part? You don’t need to be a data scientist or software developer to implement AI in your business. With ClearBlade’s Intelligent Assets, AI insights based on machine data are just a few clicks away.

While GenAI evolves, narrow AI is already delivering results in days, not years. We’re just getting started—join us as we explore practical AI applications that leverage real-world data to drive ROI.