You may have heard of it: Lucie, 100 % French generative artificial intelligence, was a real “buzz” … but not the one we expected. Only three days after its launch, the AI was already on the hot seat, victim of its own mistakes. And yet, its creator, Alexandre Zapolsky, founder of Linagora, defends himself and swears that he has nothing to regret. Explanations.
Lucie, an ambitious academic research project, quickly skidded. Very quickly. In three days, errors in eccentric calculations and absurd responses (the famous “cow’s egg”, did you remember?) Invaded social networks. The public, Internet users, journalists … Everyone hastened to make fun of this AI supposed to be at the cutting edge of technology. But let’s not be mistaken: in this chaos, Lucie has also been talked about.
“The buzz is the buzz”: the creator defends his baby despite the flop!
On the Tech & Co set, Zapolsky did not chew his words. For him, the fact that Lucie has created such a buzz (whether negative or positive) remains a victory. “Everyone knows Lucie now, and that’s what matters. Bad buzz, good buzz… all, it’s to be in the buzz ”he launched. For the creator, the main thing is to draw attention. And even if it makes teeth cringe, it shows that the project has taken an important step. Zapolsky, faithful to his bold entrepreneur character, recalled a simple but fundamental truth: “If you want to learn to run, you should first know how to fall. »» And here it is a question of falling to leave better. There is no way to innovation, especially when you take risks.
Learn from his mistakes to bounce back
That said, Alexandre does not hide that everything was not perfect. “We should have been clearer from the start”he admits to our colleagues. A little more transparency on the fact that Lucie was in the academic research phase, and not a finished product ready to be used by the general public, may have made it possible to avoid the media storm.
Moreover, according to him, bad criticisms were exacerbated by malicious boots, contributing to the destabilization of the project. It is not an excuse, but a reminder that risk management in the digital universe requires constant vigilance, especially in the face of external attacks.
Relairs in two months?
And contrary to what one might think after such chaos, the creator remains more than ever determined. “We’re going to relaunch Lucie,” he said. There is a recovery plan for AI, with a much more solid version. “We need data for our AI to evolve”he underlines, evoking the need to “fill the tank” of Lucie so that she becomes really performing. And that is not an option, it is an obligation. A new version should be ready within two months, better equipped to avoid the famous “hallucinations” and more resistant in the face of malicious attacks.
Do not fear failure, learn
Lucie, this is a bit of the perfect example of a project which, at the start, seems to have failed but which, in fact, carries in him the germs of a future success. For leaders and entrepreneurs, here is the real lesson: failure is often the greatest ally of success. Accept to trip, but don’t let a misstep you fall forever. Use it to strengthen your strategy, improve your product, and refine your message.
Finally, what emerges from this story is that taking risks is part of the process of any innovative business. Failure is inevitable, but it is also a chance to improve and become more efficient.
