TL;DR:
- Vercel has witnessed an impressive 800% increase in AI businesses launching on their platform in the first four months of this year.
- They have introduced an AI accelerator program for individual AI developers and early-stage startups to build and scale their AI solutions.
- Participants will receive coaching from AI experts, access to capital and credits from AI partners, and support from Vercel’s Developer Experience team.
- The program will select forty participants for a six-week intensive accelerator program.
- Vercel’s AI partners, including OpenAI, Hugging Face, Anthropic, Replicate, and LangChain, will provide more than $850,000 in credits for the accelerator program.
- Vercel has also unveiled AI support tools such as an AI playground, AI SDK, and chatbot plugin to enhance customer experience.
- Chatbots are identified as the dominant interface for AI applications, and Vercel aims to provide developers with the necessary infrastructure and workflow.
Main AI News:
Vercel, the leading frontend development platform, has experienced a remarkable surge in AI businesses launching on their platform, with an astounding 800% increase in just the first four months of this year. This unprecedented growth has sparked great enthusiasm among the Vercel community and its customers, who recognize the tremendous potential of AI and large language models.
Lee Robinson, Vice President of Developer Experience at Vercel, acknowledges this exciting development: “We realized there’s something happening here. The community and our customers are really excited about AI and large language models. We’ve been trying to smooth the path for them to actually on-ramp from our platform and our products, to help them build better experiences.”
Responding to the growing demand, Vercel has unveiled an AI accelerator program, tailored for individual AI developers and early-stage startups aspiring to build and scale their AI solutions. This groundbreaking initiative offers participants invaluable access to coaching from esteemed AI experts, as well as access to essential capital and credits from reputable AI partners.
The highly competitive accelerator program will handpick forty participants for an intensive six-week journey. These selected individuals will have the opportunity to engage with AI experts through fireside chats and office hours, receiving unparalleled guidance and mentorship. To further support their growth, Vercel’s Developer Experience team will act as accountability coaches, providing valuable insights and fostering an environment conducive to success.
Robinson emphasizes the advantages of this program: “The folks on the Vercel team who have built a lot of AI applications understand what a great user interface looks like and how you combine together these tools. Giving them coaching for these builders to make something people really want to use, that maybe they could go on to actually be a company that takes on funding, for example, would be awesome.”
The AI accelerator program is strengthened by a formidable lineup of eleven AI partners, including the renowned OpenAI, known for its ChatGPT, as well as industry leaders like Hugging Face, Anthropic, Replicate, and the highly anticipated LangChain evaluation platform. These esteemed partners will generously provide over $850,000 in credits, which will be allocated among the participants to support their progress during the accelerator program.
Recognizing the computational demands that arise when working with AI models, Robinson affirms, “Sometimes these AI models, depending on what they’re trying to build, can be computationally expensive, and they need access to these platforms to be able to actually build their ideas.”
Moreover, participants will benefit from the expertise of a CRV investor, who will offer valuable office hours and engage in a fireside chat, providing critical feedback and guidance on their pitch decks.
In addition to the AI accelerator program, Vercel has unveiled its own suite of AI support tools for customers. These tools include the AI playground, an interactive space where developers can test and experiment with AI technologies effortlessly, without the need for local environment setup or deploying AI models on their own infrastructure. The Vercel AI SDK, an open-source library designed to facilitate the development of conversational streaming text and chat user interfaces in JavaScript, empowers developers to create seamless and engaging experiences. Furthermore, the chatbot plugin allows companies to develop and deploy their own chatbot solutions while maintaining control over their data. With Vercel’s robust security features, organizations can confidently deploy chatbot solutions at scale, ensuring the utmost protection of sensitive company data.
Robinson highlights the significance of chatbots in the AI landscape: “The dominant way developers are building interfaces to AI is through chatbots. We have a massive amount of developers who are really, really interested in AI. Developers want to build these really awesome applications, so we’re trying to give them the infrastructure, the tooling, and the workflow to do that.“
Conclusion:
Vercel’s AI accelerator program and a suite of AI support tools demonstrate their commitment to driving innovation in the market. The remarkable increase in AI businesses launching on their platform indicates a growing demand for AI solutions. By offering coaching, resources, and access to AI partners, Vercel empowers developers and startups to create cutting-edge AI applications. The introduction of AI support tools further enhances the customer experience and positions Vercel as a leading player in the AI development landscape. As businesses increasingly recognize the potential of AI, Vercel’s offerings provide a solid foundation for future growth and success in the market.
