In a recent interaction with Express Computer, Prem Naraindas, Founder & CEO, Katonic AI, highlighted the company’s distinctive position in the AI sector and its contributions to the broader ecosystem. He emphasised Katonic AI’s pivotal role in empowering organisations across all layers of the AI landscape, facilitating the seamless construction, deployment, and monitoring of enterprise-grade generative AI applications.
Some edited excerpts from the interview:
Can you provide an overview of the current state of the artificial intelligence industry, and what trends or developments are shaping its future?
When considering the global AI landscape, it can be categorised into four distinct layers, each hosting a flurry of activity. The first layer comprises data labelling and data engineering companies. They collect, sanitise, label, and streamline data, prepping it for use in training and fine-tuning models. The second layer includes vector database and knowledge graph companies, which ensure the data is stored in a format that is easily consumable by large language models. The third layer is occupied by powerful AI companies and R&D centres that leverage substantial financial resources to build and fine-tune large language models. Open AI, a closed-source example, and Llama from Meta, an open-source one, are prime examples. The fourth and last layer is made up of companies that offer platforms to facilitate the application of the building mentioned above. They create applications that end-users or organisations can utilise. Some of these companies also construct pointed applications that address specific problems.
In India, most Gen AI startups focus on this top layer, employing a GenAI-based solution to solve a specific problem. Katonic AI stands apart from the crowd. We empower organisations across all four layers. With our platform, organisations can construct, deploy, and monitor enterprise-grade Generative AI applications, fine-tune their models, or even create new ones from ground zero, all in a single location.
As for trends and developments, 2024 will witness agencies making significant investments in tailoring AI solutions for enterprises. These solutions, constructed using foundational AI models, audience insights, creative intelligence, and first-party client data, are expected to be beneficial to agencies that aim to foster partnerships and innovation. Simultaneously, companies are increasing their investment and technology budget for AI capabilities, reflecting a broader industry commitment to advancing AI technologies.
In 2024, AI-driven automation is poised to become indispensable, freeing us from mundane tasks and enabling a focus on creativity, innovation, and strategic thinking. AI-powered bots will handle repetitive duties in customer service, manufacturing, and software development, allowing human workers to concentrate on complex cases, valuable interactions, and driving advancements. These represent only a handful of the projected shifts and developments expected to influence the AI industry in 2024. As AI maintains its rapid evolution, it becomes evident that its influence will permeate every facet of society. To harness its potential for progress, inclusivity, and a brighter future for everyone, it is crucial to stay on top of developments, seize opportunities, and confront challenges head-on.
How is artificial intelligence influencing and transforming specific industries, and what role does Katonic AI play in these transformations?
The AI industry is currently attracting significant attention, leading to a surge in funds and talent for rapid development. The accessibility of Generative AI to the public, enabling interaction without coding, marks a pivotal moment.
There are key drivers that fuel this shift. One of them is open-source foundation models, exemplified by Meta’s LLaMa 2, which reduce adoption costs, outperforming competitors in tasks like information extraction from unstructured documents.
Generative AI eliminates the need for structured data, benefiting organisations struggling with data quality. Foundation models, trained on extensive datasets, make generative AI accessible for small and medium-sized businesses to solve various challenges.
The AI industry is profoundly influencing industries worldwide, revolutionising traditional practices, and fostering innovation. For example, in healthcare, AI enhances diagnostics and accelerates drug discovery, while finance benefits from predictive analytics for risk management. Manufacturing sees increased efficiency through AI-driven automation, and retail experiences improved customer interactions with personalised recommendations.
Katonic stands out as a platform, not just a standalone solution provider. This approach allows businesses to build both Generative and traditional AI applications on a single platform, resonating with leaders seeking comprehensive AI solutions for organizational challenges.
The platform has completely no code, which means even business users can build a powerful app in days instead of months. They have the freedom to choose from 70+ of the world’s large foundational models because the Katonic platforms run in a Kubernetes cluster and can be deployed anywhere, such as multi-cloud, on-premises, or the edge. For organisations wanting to fine-tune and even build their own models, we are among the very few companies that have the capabilities to allow them to do this.
How does Katonic AI fit into the broader AI ecosystem, and what unique contributions does your company make to the field?
The Katonic AI platform allows businesses to build their own Generative AI and ML applications. Our Generative AI platform is completely no-code, which means that even business users can build a powerful app with enterprise-grade security in minutes instead of months. Additionally, users have the freedom to choose from 70+ large foundational models. Katonic platforms run in a Kubernetes cluster and can be deployed anywhere, such as multi-cloud, on-premises, or the edge.
We currently offer 25+ ready-to-use templates across application categories like AI Assistants, Chatbots, Extraction, Summarisation, Generation, Semantic Search, and Classification. We will be rolling out additional categories and templates for Data analysis, Content moderation, Code assistance (co-pilots), and Recommendation systems. We currently have 2500+ active users and over 20+ enterprise customers who are actively using the platform.
Gen AI is like the gold rush, and Katonic AI is like a shop selling maps and digging tools. In a nutshell, we enable businesses to build, deploy, and monitor generative AI models; quickly, cost-effectively, and securely. From a differentiation point of view, we are completely infrastructure agnostic. We offer flexibility and choice for organisations by being LLM agnostic, letting organisations choose a model of their choice. In fact, we are probably the only organisation that lets you play around with over 100+ open-source foundation models for free through Katonic Playground. Upon identifying an ideal LLM, we enable secure application development. Our prompt tuning feature streamlines model creation without coding, allowing easy testing and conversion into a scalable API.
While many competitors focus on providing a specific solution, Katonic AI is an enabler for all organisations wanting to start or scale their Generative AI journey, including the Generative AI startups in India. Our vision is to democratise Generative AI by providing organisations of all sizes and shapes an opportunity to safely and securely use GenAI to grow their businesses.
What are some of the key challenges and opportunities you see in the AI industry today, and how is Katonic AI addressing these challenges?
There are endless opportunities within the AI industry. One notable trend is the democratisation of AI, facilitated by user-friendly platforms. These empower individuals, irrespective of technical expertise, to harness AI’s power. Entrepreneurs can create applications without coding, and educators can personalise learning experiences. Education plays a crucial role, with institutions offering AI-specific courses, online resources, and government initiatives to standardise access.
AI, beyond enhancing business efficiency, holds the potential for positive global change. From optimising farming practices to addressing poverty, AI can impact society. Additionally, AI fuels creativity, with dedicated platforms fostering collaborative opportunities. This accelerates the development of new generative AI applications, revolutionising creative partnerships.
Challenges in the AI industry, like data bias and explainability, are addressed by Katonic AI’s transparent and explainable AI (XAI). Security and privacy concerns are tackled through best practices and on-device AI solutions. The goal is to democratise AI, making it accessible with user-friendly tools, especially for underrepresented communities. In India, while most Generative AI startups focus on specific problems, Katonic AI stands out by empowering organisations across all layers. Our platform allows the construction, deployment, and monitoring of enterprise-grade Generative AI applications in a single location. The new year holds significant growth and expanded opportunities for us at Katonic.