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These days, AI tools are more accessible than ever to ordinary users and companies, with traces of artificial intelligence visible in nearly every field.
Users share stories on social media about using AI-driven applications to code, summarize, create artwork, and even compose music.
These stories highlight that AI has become a mainstream part of our world, and this is just the beginning.

In the boundless realm of AI, there’s a concept called Capability Overhang, which refers to AI’s hidden capabilities—skills and abilities that researchers have yet to explore fully. You may have heard that AI models are like black boxes, meaning they are so vast and complex that we don’t fully understand their inner workings. The main reason is that current models are far more capable than we imagine, while the methods used to study them remain relatively rudimentary.

Undoubtedly, the term “overhang” aptly describes AI’s integration into our daily lives. Researchers and major tech companies have been developing intelligent models at an astonishing pace for commercial applications for years.
In recent years, applications like ChatGPT and DALL-E have made these capabilities available to the general public. As we move forward, the changes brought by AI are expected to intensify.

The AI industry is projected to reach $422 billion by 2028. A 2020 survey by the McKinsey Global Institute revealed that 50% of companies reported using AI in at least one business-related activity.
Among these, some of the world’s leading tech companies will profoundly impact the growing integration of AI into both commercial and personal spheres.
In this article, we introduce 11 top AI companies that will significantly influence the development of intelligent models.

Leading AI companies can be examined from two perspectives, which sometimes overlap. The first group includes prominent companies that have significantly impacted the field, such as Microsoft, IBM, and Google, which consistently top the list.
The second group comprises companies that, while lower in market value than giants like Google and Microsoft, have made highly valuable and impactful contributions to the AI industry through their projects and innovations.

Leading and Influential Companies in the World of Artificial Intelligence

1. Amazon

Amazon leverages AI in various domains, such as voice recognition and cloud-based machine learning through Amazon Web Services (AWS). In 1994, Amazon became a leader in e-commerce and cloud technology. It entered AI development seriously in 2015 and 2016 when it equipped Alexa devices with voice recognition capabilities.

Amazon’s annual revenue in 2022 was approximately $502.2 billion, with a significant portion tied to AI. The company uses AI, Alexa algorithms, and other products in its online store. Those new to AI can utilize Amazon’s machine learning solutions through SageMaker JumpStart. Amazon has also developed a conversational AI chatbot called Amazon Lex.
In October 2022, Amazon acquired robotics company iRobot Corp, strengthening its role in AI-based household products. Amazon hosts the annual Alexa Prize competition for students to advance AI innovation.

2. Microsoft

Microsoft is actively researching AI for both consumer and enterprise applications. In 2014, alongside the release of Windows 10, it introduced its digital assistant, Cortana, to compete with Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. AI capabilities are a significant part of Microsoft’s Azure cloud services. Additionally, Microsoft provides specialized machine learning and intelligent chatbot services for global businesses.
In 2018, it acquired AI-focused companies Lobe and Xoxco. Some believe its $68 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard was partly aimed at advancing metaverse and AI projects on Azure.

In 2021, Microsoft’s Azure supercomputer, Voyager-EUS2, was listed among the world’s fastest computers. Microsoft uses its supercomputers for AI development. In October 2022, Microsoft unveiled Microsoft Designer, a DALL-E-like AI-driven graphic design tool for creating social media posts, invitations, and other graphic tasks.

3. C3.ai

Though less known than Amazon and Microsoft, C3.ai is a key player in AI development. Its clients, primarily large U.S. organizations, use AI in manufacturing, financial services, oil and gas, chemicals, agriculture, and defense.

Enterprise users can develop applications without writing code using C3.ai’s AI tools or pre-built applications for processing a loan form or hardware maintenance. C3.ai claims its software is compatible with any cloud platform—Microsoft, Amazon, Google, or IBM—without code modifications, and can also be deployed on-premises. Founded in 2009 by Tom Siebel, who previously sold Siebel Systems to Oracle for $1.6 billion in 2006, C3.ai is a significant contributor to enterprise AI solutions.

4. DeepMind

DeepMind, a leading British AI research company now under Alphabet (Google’s parent company), was founded in 2010 by Demis Hassabis, Shane Legg, and Mustafa Suleiman. It initially trained its AI algorithms with video games from the 1970s and 1980s, which became increasingly sophisticated. Google acquired DeepMind in 2014 for $500 million; in 2021, the company reported a profit of $126 million.
DeepMind develops intelligent algorithms to tackle human challenges, such as winning strategy games or understanding complex data structures.
It also created WaveNet, the audio technology behind Google Assistant, and AlphaFold, which models 3D protein structures to accelerate medical research. DeepMind’s inclusion in this list stems from its groundbreaking AI research and achievements.

5. H2O.ai Inc

Founded in 2012 by open-source community experts, H2O.ai believes AI development and use should be accessible to all. Its cloud platform offers pre-trained AI models, ready-to-use app stores, and minimal-coding solutions.
Valued at approximately $1.6 billion, H2O.ai’s annual revenue is estimated at $47.4 million. Its recent financial quarters were managed by major banks like Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Goldman Sachs, underscoring its importance in financial services.

H2O.ai’s platform enables users to develop AI models and applications through automated machine learning. Its Feature Store allows clients to build and enhance AI applications. Its AI-based document management tool can also classify, extract, and label content. While its open-source services are free, advanced tools require a subscription.
H2O.ai’s inclusion in this list is due to its success in addressing common AI development challenges, such as feature drift detection. Its free machine learning tools are compatible with Apache Hadoop, Spark, and Kubernetes.

6. IBM

IBM is renowned for its AI engine, Watson, extensive AI research, and commercial products. It offers AI solutions for decision-making, natural language processing, and intelligent automation. Initially developed with MIT to compete in games like chess, Watson is now used in areas like HR, finance, and supply chain management. In 2020, IBM’s revenue was $73 billion, with about $1 billion from its Watson Health unit.

IBM actively pursues AI, with teams dedicated to AI hardware, testing, conversational AI, computer vision, and more. Its inclusion in this list is due to its pioneering work in developing one of the first AI systems capable of answering questions in natural language. IBM allows clients to use its products on-premises or via the cloud.

7. Meta Platforms

Founded in 2004 as Facebook, Meta has a long history of working on AI tools. Beyond its current capabilities, Meta is developing an AI supercomputer to support hundreds of languages, augmented reality tools, and the metaverse. Meta’s AI-driven facial recognition technology is used across social media platforms, and its Oculus headset enables realistic interactions in virtual and augmented reality. Meta’s new AI algorithm, based on the Linformer architecture, can detect hate speech content.

8. OpenAI

OpenAI, founded in 2015, has achieved remarkable AI milestones in its seven-year history. Initially secretive in pursuing advanced AI, OpenAI created the groundbreaking text-to-image project DALL-E. Its GPT-3 language model gained rapid popularity for its impressive output quality, making it challenging to distinguish AI-generated content.
OpenAI’s tools are now widely accessible and essentially free. Its AI technology is used in language-learning apps like Duolingo.

OpenAI’s inclusion in this list is due to its open-source, free models, which are scalable and accurate and have driven innovation at companies like Microsoft, Intel, and IBM. GPT-3 and GPT-4 are versatile, capable of generating code, text, and even poetry.

9. SenseTime

AI is used in various domains, but one of the most impactful—and controversial—is automated surveillance. Chinese startup SenseTime has developed facial recognition software that is reportedly more powerful than Google’s and Meta’s models. Alibaba has invested over $4.5 billion in SenseTime, making it the world’s most valuable AI startup.

Beyond facial recognition, SenseTime provides AI services to enhance smartphone camera apps for brands like Oppo and Vivo, beauty effects and AR filters for Chinese social platforms like Weibo, and authentication mechanisms for financial apps like Huanbei and Rong360.
Founded in 2014 by Tang Xiao and Xu Li, SenseTime began collaborating with Qualcomm in 2017 and reported $534 million in revenue in 2020.
Its research focus and partnerships with governments and companies for machine vision and smart city AI solutions earn it a spot on this list. Currently, SenseTime is focusing on autonomous driving.

10. Nvidia

Nvidia, a well-known name in the tech industry, has been a leader in chip manufacturing for nearly two decades and is renowned for its CUDA programming language. AI developers value Nvidia’s GPUs for their parallel processing capabilities, which are widely used in machine learning and AI.
The Leonardo supercomputer, one of the world’s fastest, uses Nvidia GPUs. Meta is also building a massive AI supercomputer with 6,080 Nvidia A100 GPUs and Nvidia’s Quantum InfiniBand network.
Nvidia’s long-standing expertise in AI and its GPUs’ critical role in machine learning secure its place on this list.

11. Intel

Intel, the world’s largest chipmaker for consumer and enterprise markets, has key AI hardware and software projects. Its Nervana processor is used in machine learning, while the Movidius processor supports neural networks and object recognition.
Intel is also developing natural language processing and deep learning solutions. Its slogan, “Accelerate your AI journey with Intel,” reflects this commitment.

In 2022, Intel unveiled FakeCatcher, an online deepfake detection tool that analyzes blood flow in video pixels to identify fake videos with 96% accuracy in milliseconds. (FakeCatcher looks for authentic cues in real videos by evaluating “blood flow” signals in pixels, which change as the heart pumps blood.
These signals are collected from the face and translated into spatial and temporal maps by algorithms.) As the largest chipmaker by revenue, Intel, under CEO Pat Gelsinger, has prioritized AI, emphasizing the growing need for advanced processors in AI development.