By Sergio Pulgarin*
During the recent visit of Professor Paul Cheek from MIT to the Tec de Monterrey Business School in CDMX we talked about the challenges of entrepreneurship and innovation in the country, and of course, the inevitable topic in any contemporary dialogue related to the future of business: The role of Artificial Intelligence in the transformation of business.
Personally, I wanted to take the conversation beyond the commonplaces—AI replacing traditional professions, the human competencies that AI cannot replace, or the basic premises for the ethical and responsible use of AI in companies—to focus on the other side of the discussion, that of the impact of Artificial Intelligence in business contexts that already enjoy a “business as usual” of greater intensity in innovation, constant incorporation of cutting-edge technologies and a natural vocation for disruption in the markets. That is, the scope of the so-called “exponential startups” or technology-based ventures that have the capacity to generate high volumes of growth and employability, in short periods of time.
The conversation led me to two central reflections that I want to share. The first is the emergence of the so-called “AI driven Enterprises“, and the second is the new global business panorama that emerges as a consequence of the growth and evolution of this type of company. Unlike traditional digital companies where artificial intelligence is a tool to increase efficiencies, IA driven Enterprises (or AIDEs) put this technology at the core of the business model by making AI act as the nervous system that connects strategy and operation, and that continuously learns to make better decisions.
TOWARDS A NEW GEOMETRY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Historically, new ventures have been classified into two types. Those driven by efficiency, which are characterized by lean operating structures, incremental innovation and low capital requirements, are the common place where a significant portion of SMEs tend to converge. In parallel, there are startups driven by Innovation (or IDEs), their business model is supported by a structure that seeks to break the status quo of the market, generally backed by venture capital and have robust and highly trained management teams.
AIDEs combine the ambition for growth, scalability and vocation to disrupt the SDI market, with the flexibility and structural lightness of SMEs. By incorporating artificial intelligence in all stages of the sales process, from market research to post-sales, and all other functional areas of the operation. These companies significantly reduce the need for large initial investments in personnel and equipment. The result is a new “geometry of entrepreneurship” where talent and innovation capacity have a greater weight than investment capital.
One of the cases that reflects this new type of company is “Lovable”, a Swedish AI Startup that developed a platform capable of creating applications and websites from simple instructions in natural language, thus, anyone without technical knowledge in programming can generate professional quality solutions. Since its founding in 2023, the company has recorded exponential growth, reaching more than 2 million users and $100 million in revenue with no more than 20 direct employees.
THE NEW GLOBAL BUSINESS PANORAMA
The expansion of this type of companies is transforming the architecture of the global economic system. In the conversation with Professor Cheek we agreed that a new panorama is approaching where the distribution of talent and wealth will no longer concentrate exclusively on large sources of capital. We will live in a world where small teams with robust competencies in management y data sciencethey will compete on equal terms with large corporations, thus generating a more diverse, dynamic and equitable business ecosystem.
If we dig a little deeper, the implications are enormous and on multiple fronts, in a world of decentralized innovation the notion of traditional technological hubs like Silicon Valley or Shenzhen is redefined. With the right stimulus, smaller ecosystems such as Monterrey, CDMX, Bogotá and Buenos Aires could accelerate their growth, leveraged by local talent and with agile and flexible investment structures that allow them to scale quickly.
This transformation requires a reconfiguration of support, financing and skills development systems by governments, universities and investment funds to ensure the necessary conditions as growth poles. The AIDEs represent more than a simple technological change, they are an opportunity to transform the business fabric with a proposal that redesigns the social contract of innovation. As Professor Cheek mentions: “The question is not whether companies will use AI, but how deeply they will allow AI to transform them.”
About the author:
*Sergio Pulgarin es is Regional Dean of the Tec de Monterrey Business School in Mexico City.
Linkedin click here.
The opinions expressed are solely the responsibility of their authors and are completely independent of the position and editorial line of Forbes Mexico.
Follow information about business and current events in Forbes Mexico
