The artificial intelligence (AI) industry is on the cusp of a major breakthrough, akin to the early stages of the internet, says Clara Shih, CEO of Salesforce AI. Speaking at Viva Tech Paris 2024, Shih drew a compelling parallel between the current state of AI and the internet in 1988.

"Today is like 1988 for AI," Shih remarked. "The first wave [of AI] automates mundane and repetitive tasks. When the technology becomes mature, we will invent new business models."

Shih's comparison to 1988 is significant as it predates the invention of the World Wide Web by just one year. During that period, the internet was a nascent technology with only about 60,000 users, primarily in universities and government offices. The year 1988 marked a pivotal moment as the internet began expanding internationally, connecting countries like Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden to the National Science Foundation Network (NSFNET).

Shih's comments suggest that AI is at a similar juncture, poised for transformative growth. She addressed concerns about a dystopian future where AI replaces human labor by emphasizing that AI, like the internet, is reshaping rather than replacing jobs.

“With the Internet, some jobs were replaced... but across the board, people needed new job descriptions. And we're living that now [with artificial intelligence],” Shih said. She predicts that, similar to how professionals had to adapt to using the internet and search engines like Google in the early 2000s, today's workforce will need to integrate AI into their roles.

Shih's vision is echoed by other industry leaders, including Axel de Goursac, director of AI Factory at LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton). De Goursac emphasized AI's role in augmenting human capabilities rather than replacing them. “We don’t want to replace but augment humans with artificial intelligence,” he stated.

The parallel to the internet's evolution highlights AI's potential to revolutionize industries and create new opportunities. Just as the internet transitioned from a niche technology to a global phenomenon, AI is expected to bring about profound changes, ushering in new business models and enhancing human productivity. As AI continues to develop, it promises to transform the landscape of work and society, much like the internet did in the decades following 1988.