SPOTLIGHT: Alon Talmor, CEO of Ask-AI, on Why Most AI Solutions Fail to Prove Their Worth
Mar 6, 2025
auto_awesome
Alon Talmor, CEO of Ask-AI and an expert in B2B customer experience, discusses the complexities of AI adoption and ROI measurement. He highlights the common failures of AI solutions in proving their worth and emphasizes a value-driven approach. The conversation explores the evolving landscape of AI technologies in customer engagement, challenges in quantifying efficacy, and the need for consultative strategies to address executive concerns. Alon also shares insights on future trends towards cost-effective AI tools with measurable results.
Alon Talmor emphasizes the critical need for AI solutions to demonstrate measurable ROI to overcome skepticism from financial decision-makers.
He predicts a future where AI gains will focus on cost-effective solutions that enhance B2B customer experience and operational efficiency.
Deep dives
The Evolution of AI and B2B Solutions
Alon Talmor discusses his background in AI and natural language processing, noting the evolution of generative AI since 2016. He emphasizes that while foundational model companies like OpenAI have gained prominence, his company, Ask.AI, focuses on creating practical solutions for B2B customer experience. Talmor highlights that customer experience in B2B encompasses all customer touchpoints, from sales to support, and aims to consolidate knowledge across these areas. This approach aims to enhance efficiency, reduce response times, and improve overall service quality for businesses.
Challenges of Differentiation in a Noisy Market
Talmor addresses the challenges of standing out in a crowded AI market, noting that while many companies experiment with AI, few demonstrate measurable value. He points out a critical gap where businesses struggle to justify the return on investment (ROI) of AI solutions, leading to skepticism among financial decision-makers. As organizations explore AI for internal problems, they often find limited options that genuinely deliver value, making differentiation crucial for success. This situation creates a demand for consultative services that help educate C-level executives on evaluating AI technologies effectively.
Future Trends and Measurable AI Value
Looking to the future, Talmor predicts that productivity gains from AI will become essential yet cost-efficient, similar to enterprise search functionalities. He highlights that companies will increasingly seek AI solutions that can provide clear, measurable ROI, particularly in areas of customer experience and operational efficiency. As AI technologies mature, there will be a shift towards solutions that consolidate various tools and datasets, allowing for better insights into customer interactions and productivity. This evolution may drive down costs for AI implementations, making them more accessible yet challenging to justify in terms of budget allocation.
The AI market is noisy, but real business value is hard to prove. In this episode, Alon Talmor, CEO of Ask-AI, tackles the biggest challenge in AI adoption—demonstrating measurable ROI. He shares why many AI solutions fail to justify their cost, how Ask AI approaches value-driven AI, and what businesses should consider before investing.
Thanks for tuning in! Want more content from Pavilion?
New episodes of Topline drop every Sunday with new Topline Spotlight mini-episodes every Thursday. Subscribe to never miss an episode.
Stay ahead with the latest industry developments, emerging go-to-market trends, and valuable benchmarking data. Subscribe to Topline Newsletter for expert insights from Asad Zaman every Thursday.
Tune into The Revenue Leadership Podcast with Kyle Norton every Wednesday. He dives deep into the strategies and tactics that drive success as a revenue leader, featuring real operators like Jason Lemkins of SaaStr, Stevie Case of Vanta, and Ron Gabrisko of Databricks.
Your’re invited! Join the free Topline Slack channel to connect with 600+ revenue leaders, share insights, and keep the conversation going beyond the podcast!
Key chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction to Alon Talmor and Ask.ai (02:50) - The Evolution of AI and Its Impact on B2B Customer Experience (06:04) - Challenges in Differentiating AI Solutions (08:54) - The Importance of Value Selling in AI (11:48) - Measuring ROI and Productivity in AI (14:58) - Future Trends in AI and Customer Experience (18:09) - Consolidation of Tools and Final Thoughts
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode