Generative AI (GenAI) is full of potential, but like any rapidly evolving technology, it carries the risk of technical debt. Making the right decisions now can prevent future headaches. Let’s explore how you can be shrewd about your GenAI investments.
What is it?
Technical debt is the future cost incurred when you choose a quick or easy solution now instead of a taking some time to make a more informed choice. It’s like borrowing against the future; you take on a bit of “debt” for the sake of speed or ease, but it often means paying interest later in the form of increased costs for maintenance or reworking a solution. In the GenAI space, with everything moving so quickly, technical debt might mean you picked a tool or platform that’s not future-proof, locking you in and making it costly to pivot when things inevitably change.
Avoiding technical debt means looking ahead and understanding which choices will remain flexible, adaptable, and supportive as the technology continues to develop.
What does it mean from a business perspective?
Navigating GenAI through a business lens can feel like being at an all you can eat buffet – so many options. This is where the Gartner Hype Cycle and Magic Quadrant come in handy (see the great YouTube video from Chris Howard – link below).
The Hype Cycle shows where a technology is in its journey from over-inflated expectations to eventual productivity. Many GenAI tools are currently riding high on hype, GenAI itself is high on the hype cycle (although heading down). Your goal is to choose technologies that can survive the “Trough of Disillusionment” and make it to the “Plateau of Productivity” – that point when the technology is stable, mature and delivering real value. Picking winners at this stage is difficult, but crucial to avoiding getting stuck with an abandoned or underdeveloped tool.
The Gartner Magic Quadrant can help here by identifying leaders. Ideally, you want vendors and technologies that demonstrate strong vision and execution. Not all cutting-edge solutions are created equal; understanding where a tool falls in these frameworks helps you avoid betting on a vendor (or technology) that might not make it.
And don’t forget – with GenAI, as we’ve just said, there’s always the risk of too much choice. When every company is releasing an AI product, it’s tempting to jump in without a plan. Successful navigation means understanding that hype alone doesn’t equal longevity or suitability for your specific needs.
What do I do with it?
Start by taking a careful look at the tools or platforms you’re considering. The Hype Cycle gives you a sense of where the overarching technology (in our case GenAI) is and then take a look at the leaders in the Magic Quadrant. Think about your use case and how each vendor and technology will integrate with your existing systems – not just today, but five years from now (taking on a new vendor adds work and costs real $’s).
Focus on flexibility. Choose tools with robust APIs, good support, and strong partnerships. This means that even if you need to switch things up later, you won’t be left scrambling to rebuild from scratch. Technical debt grows when your choices box you in, making future changes expensive and difficult.
Finally, build a culture that’s comfortable experimenting with GenAI without rushing into full-scale adoption. Use pilot projects, develop clear ROI metrics, and use phased rollouts – these are your allies. Take your time to understand how a technology will evolve alongside your organisation before committing to a large-scale implementation.
GenAI is here to stay, but the specific players and tools may change. With a strategic approach, you can help avoid technical debt and give yourself the ability to respond when things change.
Further Reading
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