Town CEO Jean-Denis Greze on why most people still don’t know what to ask AI

AI technology is rapidly advancing, yet many ordinary people struggle to utilize it effectively. Town, a San Francisco startup co-founded by CEO Jean-Denis Greze and Tony Vincent, is working to change that. Recently securing a $108 million Series B round at a $1 billion valuation, Town aims to make AI more accessible and practical for small businesses and mid-market firms.

Greze, who previously worked as CTO at Plaid, believes that AI assistants can be more than just search engines. Instead, he envisions them as stand-alone tools that can perform tasks for users, rather than just searching for information. The challenge, however, lies in onboarding users and teaching them how to make the most of these powerful tools.

One promising use case involves a small travel firm that was wasting 25 minutes each day drafting emails to handle damaged equipment. After implementing a Town workflow, they reduced this time to just 5 minutes. Town's product, called Townie, aims to fill the gap in AI assistance for small businesses, offering functionalities that go beyond simple conversation.

As Town looks to the future, Greze is particularly excited about the potential of live voice assistants and "agent to agent" functionality, which could allow AI to connect people within an organization based on shared connections, all while preserving privacy. Despite the rapid pace of AI development and the intense competition, Greze remains committed to driving Town forward, despite the challenges of keeping up with the rapid pace of innovation.