Plug and play AI-how companies can benefit from AI as a service

Abstract

The vast possibilities of artificial intelligence (AI) have recently opened to a broad user base, for example, via ChatGPT. Entrepreneurs and innovators are increasingly developing AI-based products, and companies can solve problems with a growing range of available AI as a Service (AIaaS) products. However, there is only limited research available in the field of applied AI for business practices so far, maybe due to the novelty of the topic. We aim to build an initial step for theory in this field by putting AIaaS into the spotlight and forming the intersection of applied AI and its practical wildlife as AIaaS. We aim to contribute an empirically driven taxonomy of Plug and Play AI tools, a method common in information systems. Thus, we contribute to the theoretical foundation of AIaaS for further research and address practitioners with practical guidance in the broad AI application space.