Latest news with #ToddFisher
Forbes
07-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Beyond The AI Race: Why Fundamentals Will Determine The Real Winners
Todd Fisher is the co-founder and CEO of CallTrackingMetrics. The AI race is on. Most companies are rushing to deploy some type of 'AI-powered' solution. Voice AI, in particular, is making a lot of noise. The global voice AI market was worth $5.4 billion in 2024, climbing by 25% from 2023. But who are the competitors? Players remain largely undifferentiated in the saturated voice AI landscape. Companies that rush out AI features will be a flash in the pan. Those executing their fundamental business principles can ultimately create sustainable competitive advantages and own the market. Build A Foundation For The Future Amid all the hype surrounding AI the past few years, it's become increasingly difficult to cut through the buzz to find actual value in the technology. AI is quickly becoming expected as infrastructure, not just a new and novel type of technology. Its proliferation means it's no longer a special selling point—rather, it's an expected, basic part of any software service that many companies aren't even charging extra for anymore. It's now just assumed to be included. By the end of this year, I expect that not having AI integrated into your services will be seen as a red flag because it's becoming such a baseline expectation rather than a competitive advantage. The smartest organizations are shifting their focus back to the fundamentals of their business while viewing AI as a supporting tool that extracts more value from their core business principles. This need to get back to basics is especially true in the voice AI space. With so many players in the game, the competition is simultaneously fierce and toothless. The voice AI pool is so crowded that something huge would have to happen to make a splash in this environment, but major players like OpenAI and Anthropic are poised to make that splash. I predict these leaders in the space will develop connector protocols that allow users to choose their preferred AI vendor while accessing data from smaller, more specialized data source providers. This emerging model will allow users to conduct deep research by combining their chosen AI with relevant data services. This relevant data is going to be the key to future-proofed AI success—if your data foundation is strong, your AI will behave better and be more accurate. A Return To The Fundamentals Pursuing cutting-edge AI tech without defining clear objectives will often result in fragmented efforts that fail to deliver meaningful results. Plug-and-play solutions will no longer be enough to stand out in the crowded voice AI arena. For organizations that want to take their AI product to the next level, they must focus on their business fundamentals, which means identifying and solving customer pain points. This focused strategy helps ensure that AI is addressing genuine business needs and producing meaningful results. New tech benefits can excite and entice, but the kicker is whether or not they solve actual problems. Making customers' lives easier will generate more long-term loyalty than flashy features with limited benefits. Ultimately, mastering your organization's essential capabilities remains the key to winning the AI race and achieving sustainable competitive advantage and long-term growth. Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US CHIPS Act office lays off about a third of its staff, sources say
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - About one-third of the staff in the U.S. Commerce Department office overseeing $39 billion of manufacturing subsidies for chipmakers was laid off this week, two sources familiar with the situation said. The Commerce Department did not respond to requests for comment. Reuters reported last month that the new Trump administration, which has embarked on a dramatic overhaul of the federal government, is reviewing the projects awarded under the 2022 U.S. CHIPS Act. That law is meant to boost U.S. domestic semiconductor output with grants and loans to companies across the chip industry. About 40 staff members lost their jobs on Monday, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The staffers, who had probationary status, received emails at about 2 p.m. EST on Monday that they were terminated and they were out the door by 4 p.m., one of the people said. Some 20 other staffers departed last week as part of the government's deferred resignation program, the person said. The chief investment officer of the office, Todd Fisher, resigned last week, according to an email seen by Reuters. A source familiar with the situation said his resignation was planned in recent months.
Reuters
04-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
US CHIPS Act office lays off about a third of its staff, sources say
WASHINGTON, March 4 (Reuters) - About one-third of the staff in the U.S. Commerce Department office overseeing $39 billion of manufacturing subsidies for chipmakers was laid off this week, two sources familiar with the situation said. The Commerce Department did not respond to requests for comment. Reuters reported last month that the new Trump administration, which has embarked on a dramatic overhaul of the federal government, is reviewing the projects awarded under the 2022 U.S. CHIPS Act. That law is meant to boost U.S. domestic semiconductor output with grants and loans to companies across the chip industry. About 40 staff members lost their jobs on Monday, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The staffers, who had probationary status, received emails at about 2 p.m. EST on Monday that they were terminated and they were out the door by 4 p.m., one of the people said. Some 20 other staffers departed last week as part of the government's deferred resignation program, the person said. The chief investment officer of the office, Todd Fisher, resigned last week, according to an email seen by Reuters. A source familiar with the situation said his resignation was planned in recent months.
