5/5 (1)

In a world where a single viral video can transform an obscure product into the next global must-have product, predicting consumer behavior has never been more difficult or more valuable to firms. Traditional analytics tools still look backward, summarizing what has already happened. PulseAI changes that.

PulseAI is a Generative AI-powered forecasting platform that enables companies to anticipate and act on short-term demand spikes driven by social media trends. By integrating GenAI into predictive analytics, the platform transforms descriptive reports from various social media platforms into real-time, prescriptive insights, helping businesses move from reaction to anticipation.

At its core, PulseAI functions as an ecosystem driver in the B2B SaaS analytics market. It connects data providers, brands, and marketing agencies through a networked platform where every new participant strengthens the whole system. The more users contribute data, the smarter the AI becomes in continuously improves prediction accuracy. This network effect not only enhances performance but also forms PulseAI’s strategic defensibility against imitators.

Economically, PulseAI operates within the information-goods model: high initial development costs but near-zero marginal costs for serving additional clients. To capture value efficiently, the platform uses a tiered versioning strategy similar to leading SaaS firms such as ChatGPT. Clients can choose between Basic, Standard, and Premium tiers, aligning price directly with the level of GenAI capability and business impact delivered. This ensures that companies deriving greater financial benefits through improved forecasting, reduced costs or increased revenue also contribute proportionally to PulseAI’s growth.

The expected impact is both operational and strategic. Brands gain the ability to anticipate consumer demand in real time, reducing stockouts and overproduction that cost the global retail sector over $1.2 trillion annually (IHL Group, 2023). Faster, data-driven decisions translate into measurable efficiency gains, stronger brand relevance, and higher customer satisfaction. Early adopters of PulseAI’s solution can expect not only better forecasting but also gain a competitive edge in terms of timing, responsiveness, and agility.

However, success will depend on addressing key challenges. Data quality and ethical governance are critical to ensure transparency and compliance with evolving regulations such as the EU AI Act (Bublitz et al., 2024). In addition, PulseAI must continuously innovate its predictive models to preserve differentiation and maintain trust through proven financial results.

Ultimately, PulseAI illustrates how Generative AI redefines analytics: from descriptive to prescriptive, from insight to action. By transforming online signals into immediate, economically optimized decisions for businesses, it bridges the gap between digital noise and strategic foresight, thereby helping organizations turn uncertainty into opportunity.

Authors are the members of Information Strategy Team 38

References:

Bublitz, C., Molnár-Gábor, F., & Soekadar, S. R. (2024). Implications of the novel EU AI Act for neurotechnologies. Neuron. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2024.08.011

IHL Group (2023) Inventory Distortion Worldwide: Franklin, TN: IHL Group. Available at: https://blueyonder.com/resources/retail-inventory-distortion-report

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Nowadays, Generative AI has quickly become a great companion for a lot of students, with ChatGPT and Claude being at the forefront of the most used tools in universities. I’ve only recently started using Claude, and while both tools seem quite similar at face value (e.g., they generate text, help brainstorm ideas, or summarize articles), in practice, some differences are noticeable. To me, ChatGPT feels a lot more structured and precise, somewhat formal and to the point. Whereas Claude comes from a more qualitative angle, where responses feel more conversational and creative. Using and switching between these two made me realize that these systems don’t just provide answers to me, but they also influence and reshaped the way I study and approach academic work.

Yet, using these tools in a university setting isn’t as straightforward. Every assignment now comes with the awareness of AI-checking software. Even when just using Claude to brainstorm for different angles or ChatGPT to help me rewrite a sentence, I think about whether it will be flagged, which sometimes creates an odd tension with using these tools. While the use of AI is often celebrated as innovative and productive, in academia, it can be treated as something that needs to be hidden.

This experience makes me think about what the future of academia, including GenAI tools, will look like. It’s definitely unavoidable, and transparency with the use of AI moving forward could be encouraged. Just as we cite books or journal articles, students could note how AI supported their work and was used in an assignment. For example, notation added on how ChatGPT was used to refine structure or Claude was consulted for brainstorming could uphold academic integrity intact, and would allow students to learn how to work with AI critically and openly. Universities should perhaps teach courses on AI literacy, equipping us to navigate this future where collaboration with these tools is likely the norm.

5/5 (2)

Scholars and industry analysts often frame Amazon as a prime example of a successful digital ecosystem driver, as it was pivotal in the shift from traditional business models, and it did well by creating a valuable experience for customers through its data-driven platform (Weill, P., & Woerner, S. L., 2015). This made me wonder, is Amazon as unchallenged as it seems, or are there newer disruptions it should be watchful of?

In the last year, TikTok Shop has grown in Europe, opening in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Ireland after making billions of dollars in sales in Southeast Asia and the US. According to the Washington Post, TikTok drove around $14.7 billion in revenue in 2023 for just small-business owners (Lorenz, 2024). While the Netherlands does not yet have a dedicated TikTok Shop, the market is growing rapidly across Europe and is thought to have more than 72 million potential customers (Arjan, 2025).

TikTok’s model, unlike other social shopping experiences, keeps buyers in its app. Products are discovered directly in the feed, as TikTok uses its algorithm to suggest products, often through users’ favorite creators, rather than through a traditional search (Melgarejo-Espinoza et al., 2025). Thus, it shows users personalized advertisements based on their engagement habits, not just shopping habits. This makes shopping on TikTok Shop feel like a natural part of entertainment instead of a separate shopping activity. In this way, TikTok changes how people expect to interact with e-commerce, showing how a platform with strong consumer relationships, originally outside of the retail industry, can provide competitive services and put pressure on well-established retail ecosystems like Amazon. It seems then that even secure market leaders like Amazon must continuously assess digital threats.

From your point of view, do you think TikTok’s e-commerce is a passing trend, or could it potentially disrupt Amazon’s dominance in Europe?

References:
Arjan. (2025, March 31). 72 million Europeans gain access to TikTok Shop. E-commerce News.
https://ecommercenews.eu/72-million-europeans-gain-access-to-tiktok-shop/

Lorenz, T. (2024, March 13).“TikTok Claims Its Contribution to the Economy Is Huge.” The
Washington Post. www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/03/13/tik-tok-economic-impact-report/.

Melgarejo-Espinoza, R., Gonzales-Cruz, M., Chavez-Perez, J., & Iparraguirre-Villanueva, O.
(2025). Impact of the TikTok algorithm on the effectiveness of marketing strategies: A
study of consumer behavior and content preferences. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.14569/ijacsa.2025.0160215

Weill, P., & Woerner, S. L. 2015. Thriving in an increasingly digital ecosystem. MIT Sloan
Management Review, 56(4), 27.