In the fast-paced world of artificial intelligence (AI), companies are rushing to implement its capabilities, but the path from concept to deployment remains rife with challenges. AI promises tangible business benefits, however the complexities around its implementation are proving difficult for most enterprises. In fact, of those with AI projects in the works, half of them still find themselves in pilot or proof-of-concept stage, according to an S&P Global 2023 survey. Leading the reasons for their predicament: data management, security and computational resource challenges.
The Pioneers: Pienso's Genesis at MIT
Amid this new world, Pienso stands at the vanguard of innovation, established by MIT alumni Birago Jones and Karthik Dinakar in 2016. Their story began when the two were graduate students at MIT’s Media Lab, collaborating on a class project aimed at helping social media platforms improve their ability to moderate and flag content that could be used by bullies.
However, the epiphany came when they realized that the efficacy of their AI model was wholly dependent upon proper training with the right data. Their quest led them to subject-matter experts — teenagers — who truly knew what to look for in the data. It was in that moment, they say, that Pienso, an AI suite for non-technical talent, was born.
Pienso's Mission: Empowering Non-Technical Talent
“Expanding the AI conversation past the giant language models is a good thing,” said Birago Jones, CEO of Pienso. “In order to unleash AI to manage business processes and interface with consumers we can’t limit the power to train and fine-tune models to AI engineers. We want any domain expert to be able to harness the power of AI.”
Navigating AI Deployment Challenges
AI Training Made Accessible
Pienso acts as a guiding force for users, simplifying the process of annotating or labeling training data crucial for pre-tuned open-source or custom AI models. This no-code interface means researchers, marketers, and customer support teams can actively contribute to AI training without requiring an extensive knowledge of coding.
Integration Flexibility
The platform seamlessly integrates with enterprise systems through APIs, offering a cloud or on-premises deployment option. Noteworthy is Pienso's ability to operate independently without APIs or third-party services, ensuring data remains within a secure environment. This flexibility is crucial for businesses prioritizing data privacy and security.
Real-World Applications
Sky's Journey with Pienso
The U.K. broadcaster, Sky, exemplifies Pienso's impact, utilizing the platform to analyze customer service calls. Jones emphasizes that Pienso's flexibility allows teams to train models directly using their company's data, addressing privacy concerns and ensuring accuracy tailored to each company's nuances.
Government Endorsement
An unnamed U.S. government agency has tested Pienso for monitoring illegal weapons tracking, showcasing the platform's versatility in addressing diverse challenges.
Pienso's Business Model and Recent Funding
Pienso's approach extends beyond its tech, too -- it's as much about the business. Companies pay a yearly license based on the number of AI models deployed (it didn't share exact pricing). This way, companies can test models without paying much up-front. It is attracting other investments, too. It recently received $10 million during a Series A funding round. The company said this round was led by Latimer Ventures and "reflects the growing confidence in Pienso's potential."
Future Endeavors: Scaling Pienso's Impact
Part and parcel with the recent investment, Pienso is on the cusp of scaling up. In addition to expanding its sales, marketing, and customer success teams, as well as recruiting engineering talent, the company plans to put the fresh capital toward enhancing platform features. “We’re excited to see AI being used to level the playing field for the average business user. Pienso is democratizing AI, focusing on empowering domain experts to get actionable insights from their data,” Luke Cooper of Latimer Ventures, who’s also joining Pienso’s board, said in a statement.
Conclusion
In a landscape where companies continue to face AI deployment complexities, Pienso is emerging as a major player in the space, making AI training and deployment accessible to non-technical experts. With a user-friendly interface, integration flexibility, and real-world applications, Pienso has positioned its product to revolutionize how businesses roll out AI.