How to Build Strategic Differentiation with Customized GenAI

Authors

• Luke Treves
• Mika Ruokonen
• Paavo Ritala

Abstract

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) systems have been heralded as transformative technologies. While early adopters may gain short-term advantages, competitive advantage from adoption alone is often short-lived as similar models become widely available. To address this challenge, companies are developing customized and agentic GenAI systems, fine-tuned and trained with proprietary data, and tailored to specific industries and use cases. Drawing on cross-industry data and our interviews with industry experts, we identify three customization approaches in GenAI development— and examine the opportunities and challenges companies face in applying them.

Recommended Citation

Treves, Luke; Ruokonen, Mika; and Ritala, Paavo (2026) "How to Build Strategic Differentiation with Customized GenAI," MIS Quarterly Executive: Vol. 25: Iss. 3, Article 2.
Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/misqe/vol25/iss3/2