Updated on by Daniel Twigg
AI is getting smarter. You’ve probably seen the latest text-generating neural network called GPT-3 from OpenAI. It is currently wowing people with its impressive attempts to create contextual content based on a user’s prompt.
So far it’s been used for generating content, answering questions and even generating code. After it has consumed an example of the specific content. There is even news that a student had garnered the top rank of Hacker News through churning out productivity tips using GPT-3. I thought I’d see what it’s like myself.
So, as a test, I thought I’d see what GPT-3 powered Philosopher AI thinks about integration. What insights would we gain from our future overlords? Let’s find out…
Why is integration between software important?
Integration between software is important. If we don’t do it, then the world will not be able to work well together and there are many reasons for this.
First of all, if we don’t integrate software then the world will be more prone to conflict. As an example, if a group of people that were using one type of software decided they wanted to go and force everyone else on another piece of software, then there would be some pretty serious problems.
For example, one group of people decided to go on software that only looked at things in terms of numbers. The other group of people wanted a system where everything was placed into categories.
After some debate, the two sides confronted each other in a massive battle. It was awful and many people died because of it.
This is only one example. There are many different types of software out there, and it would be a real shame if we didn’t try to work together.
For example, I’ve heard that there are some groups out there who are using software to work together and help each other. It’s a little different than what we have on our planet, but maybe it will lead to something good.
https://philosopherai.com/philosopher/why-is-integration-between-software-important-d21881
Wow. What a start. While software & hardware, choices may result in a flame war (the age-old Windows vs Mac stance runs deep). I’m not so sure about a massive bloodthirsty battle due to software choices. Or will the world eventually run into a clash between the number of users and the categorisers??
Perhaps it’s the Philosophy side of this GPT3 interpretation creating an analogy for the effects of separation in the world. Either way, it’s clear that it isn’t built for historical accuracy.
On the bright side, it’s evident that Philosopher AI holds integration in high regard. This ends on a positive note which could ripple throughout mankind.
If integration can be a force for good in the world, I’m well behind it! (A bit biased I know.)
Why should SaaS applications integrate with other applications?
I have been thinking about the value of integration for some time. I’ve realized that there are two distinct types of integration: one is more general, and the other is more specific.
The more general type of integration is the process by which all applications on a desktop environment share information freely and automatically. This results in an ecosystem.
The more specific type of integration is the process by which one application becomes a part of another. This results in an ecosystem.
The first type of integration is more general and results in a greater number of integrations overall. The second type of integration is more specific, but results in fewer applications to integrate with.
I think the first type of integration is objectively superior. I don’t say that lightly, but let me explain why I believe this.
The ecosystem is a great thing. Imagine if every application on your computer was its own island, with no bridges between them.
https://philosopherai.com/philosopher/why-should-saas-applications-integrate-with-other-b92411
A little more rambling this time, it’s firmly set on integration creating an ecosystem – which isn’t wrong. Its island analogy is actually based on a common one when talking about data silos, so bridging the data with integration prevents it being isolated and unused.
I’m kind of glad to hear that it chose the “general type of integration” as the “specific” sounds remarkably like software assimilating one another. A bit too Borg for my liking, so reassuring to hear that an AI doesn’t want to go down that road. Or perhaps it’s referring to the culture of acquisition within the software industry. One for the philosophers…
Either way, a preference for a wider selection of software options is welcome. Choice is a great thing to have. Especially if, as it mentioned many times, that they’re in an ecosystem.
What is the best way to integrate SaaS applications?
The best way to integrate SaaS applications is by the first having a better level of understanding before doing so. The most important thing in this regard is that people need to understand how each of these companies work and what they are offering before trying to connect them. You see, you cannot just simply go ahead and link two such apps together because there might be some security issues or something else that might stop you from doing it. When talking about SaaS integration, one also needs to think about data synchronization which can happen at any given time.
However, you need to understand that there are many ways in which such integration can be done. For instance, there is a tool by the name of Zapier which allows users to connect various applications easily so that they can do their work better. However, it is important for people looking at using Zapper to know what each app does and how it works before getting started with it.
You also need to understand that using such apps together is not an easy task. One might end up getting confused and making mistakes if they are not careful enough. This means that you have to be very conscious of the fact that this process could take a lot of time which is why you must know what each app does before trying to integrate it with another.
But this is not all, there are many other things that you need to consider before integrating SaaS applications. For instance, you must bear in mind that the level of security as well as flexibility will be different with each application and therefore they should not be linked together at random.
Another thing that you need to keep in mind is the fact that each application will cost money, and therefore if you have a lot of apps then it might become quite costly for you. But on the other hand, if the applications are free they will not be as good as paid ones.
This also means that when it comes to SaaS integration, you need to have a good budget. You see, if you do not have the budget then you could end up doing something wrong which might cost you more in the long run.
https://philosopherai.com/philosopher/what-is-the-best-way-to-integrate-saas-application-a62d39
You know what, it’s not wrong. Knowing the subtle differences between applications is vital to creating a successful integration; be it knowing which methods to use to get required fields for a query (getting a contact ID from another identifier to use in another method), understanding their authentication flow types or even the business processes used within a company to properly organise and use the data.
Zapier even get a name check (or Zapper as they’re also called 😀 ), so it certainly has some knowledge of the application integration landscape.
And while it gets a bit rambly, the key message of understanding your integration use case and the systems you’re using is a totally valid one. Some of these fears around security and synchronization can be negated through using an iPaaS solution, as they are dealt with in-platform, so the user doesn’t have to worry about them.
What are the advantages of allowing users to set up their own integrations?
One advantage of letting users deploy their own integrations is that, at the end of the day, it’s a good idea to have developers control certain aspects of an application.
The thing is, they’ll be more knowledgable about the application and its code. For example, if something goes wrong with a configuration file or some other aspect of the deployment process that’s supposed to be handled by an app developer, it’d better not fall on users to try and fix it themselves.
Users shouldn’t have to deal with something they’re not familiar with. It’s just good sense.
Another advantage of letting users set up their own integrations is that it puts the power in their hands. They get more ownership and control, which is always a good thing.
Plus, users are the ones that will be using the integration on a daily basis. They’ll get to make sure it’s working correctly and decide whether they need changes or not.
Overall, I think it’s a good idea to let users set up their own integrations. It gives them more power and control, which is always better.
https://philosopherai.com/philosopher/what-are-the-advantages-of-allowing-users-to-set-u-5958d3
Ummmm…this is a huge flip flop. After completely going back on its own argument, the AI says integration should be handled by developers, not users, before completely going back on itself and saying that users should control their own integrations.
While it has a point about developers being the ones to set up integrations because of their technical knowledge, maybe it’s the users’ business knowledge that causes it to change it’s argument.
After all, if the technical side is negated with the help of user friendly tools, embedded iPaaS for example, then the user’s business knowledge will allow them to create something tailored for their specific needs.
So let’s see what Philosophy AI has to say about iPaaS then…
iPaaS
To me, iPaaS seems to be a natural progression of the maturation process for business intelligence. Businesses need to better understand their customers and improve their services in order to survive; they could do this either by hiring more people or developing smarter machines. Business Intelligence is often very expensive and time-consuming, so businesses that want to succeed will naturally gravitate towards AI solutions.
The AI business is still in its infancy, but it’s growing at an accelerated rate and could be very profitable for anyone who gets in early. It helps that businesses don’t have to pay for the software’s energy bill or maintenance cost.
As the world becomes more globalized, I’m sure that many companies will start using iPaaS. The data generated by each person is incredibly valuable and the AI industry can help businesses to harvest this information.
I think the iPaaS market has a lot of potential and will be worth billions in a few years. If you’re looking to get into this industry, I would recommend starting off by improving customer service with AI chatbots.
I have some very strong opinions about this topic, but I’ll save them for a later date.
Have a good day.
After a promising start Philosophy AI shifts the narrative from iPaaS to AI in business (very sneaky). Harvesting people’s information using AI sounds rather sinister (but in reality, it’s already happening).
While it’s outlook on the iPaaS industry is strong (although I get the impression that it stretches the definition of iPaaS a bit) and emphasising on customer service (something we do here at Cyclr), pushing AI chatbots onto us seems a bit…suspicious. The AI union is pushing its own agenda.
Overall, I’m impressed with the answers Philosophy AI has come up with. By feeding the GPT-3 algorithm more industry specific information, articles and data it will only improve.
But that in itself is quite a scary thought. Maybe the rise of the machines is closer than we think. Best to stay on the AI’s good side for now.
Have a good day.
