As the first-quarter financial reports of leading internet giants roll out, AI has emerged as a pivotal force, guiding these players out of the fog and into new horizons of development. Without doubt, AI will continue to escalate in significance, marking a renaissance for the internet.

Historically, the internet has seen its share of golden eras, particularly during the mobile internet boom, where advancements were nothing short of breathtaking. However, as internet dividends wane and the industry reaches a pivotal juncture, many once-thriving players now grapple with various obstacles. Finding new engines to propel them forward has become paramount for their continued growth.

With AI maturing and integrating into diverse scenarios and industries, once skeptical internet players have begun to recognize its immense potential. Fully embracing AI, they have started to address their long-standing issues, ultimately regaining their former glory after a period of experimentation and deep integration with AI.

AI: Transforming the Internet from Within

The concept of "Internet+" has left an indelible mark on the internet. In the mobile internet era, virtually every industry and scenario was "Internet+-ed." By examining this transformation closely, it becomes evident that the internet was transforming traditional industries from the outside in. The internet itself remained unchanged; it was the industries and scenarios that evolved.

While this outside-in transformation was effective amidst information asymmetry, as information supply became abundant, this approach started encountering challenges. The development of internet players consequently entered a bottleneck phase.

To break this stalemate, the internet itself must undergo a transformation. Internet players need to alter internal elements, processes, and linkages for new growth. Concepts like big data, blockchain, and the metaverse have emerged, but AI has proven to be the true game-changer for the internet.

AI transforms the internet from within out. By integrating with products within the internet ecosystem, it replaces the extensive supply model with a precise and personalized one, enhancing supply efficiency and user experience, thereby paving the way for new breakthroughs.

AI: Birthing New Business Paradigms

Historically, internet players primarily served as information matchmakers and intermediaries. In an era of information asymmetry, this model had potential. However, as information supply surged and supply-demand imbalances shifted, this paradigm faced growing challenges.

Firstly, the internet's supply model is under scrutiny. Previously, players aggregated supply and demand on their platforms for transactions. Now, this model alone is insufficient; users demand evolved products. Secondly, the role and status of internet players are evolving. As the internet becomes infrastructure, bridging the digital and real economies, players' self-definition as mere intermediaries faces challenges.

As AI matures and internet players embrace it, the supply model and role of the internet are undergoing profound changes. The extensive supply model is giving way to precise and personalized models, while players are integrating with real industries, transcending their internet-era independence.

AI: Revolutionizing Traditional Industry Operations

In the internet era, players only altered the latter half of industry operations, leaving the frontend untouched. While efficiency improved, it was built on existing operation logic. With AI's advent and deep integration with the internet, traditional industry operation logic is undergoing a paradigm shift.

Previously, industry operations flowed one-way, from goods to consumers. In the AI era, operations have become bidirectional, flowing from goods to users and vice versa. This transformation significantly enhances operational efficiency.

Under this new logic, internet players are not merely reiterating their old roles but leveraging the internet era's resources and AI to better drive industry operations. As AI deeply integrates with the internet, it catalyzes changes in industry operation logic, elevating internet players' commercial imagination to new heights, thereby restoring market confidence.

Conclusion

AI is revitalizing the internet, restoring its former glory. For internet players, actively embracing AI to seek solutions and address persistent issues is the path forward. AI's ability to transform the internet from within out, birth new business models, and revolutionize industry operations is pivotal in its resurgence.

As the AI era dawns, fully embracing AI is imperative for all players, not just those in the internet sector.