AI Supremacy: New Book Exposes Corporate Battles, Tech Hype, and the Future of Machine Learning
September 11, 2024While Olson's work is noted for its timeliness, some critics question whether it may have arrived too early to assess the long-term impact of AI.
Parmy Olson's new book, 'Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race That Will Change the World', explores the rise of machine learning and the current corporate battle in artificial intelligence between tech giants Google and Microsoft.
ChatGPT, launched by OpenAI, quickly became the fastest-growing app in history shortly after its release, reflecting the rapid adoption of AI technologies.
However, companies globally have adopted these AI technologies at a fast pace, often without fully considering their societal impacts.
Olson documents the challenges and tensions between AI engineers who prioritize safe development and corporations that are eager to monetize AI technologies.
Olson raises questions about the trustworthiness of AI leaders like Hassabis and Altman, suggesting that their transformative claims may echo past technological overstatements.
The popularity of ChatGPT has positioned it alongside major tech platforms like Google and Facebook, marking a significant milestone in the AI landscape.
The book also provides a dual biography of AI entrepreneurs Demis Hassabis and Sam Altman, highlighting their backgrounds and ambitions in the tech industry.
She cites historical overconfidence in AI predictions, revealing a persistent gap between technological advancements and the realization of true machine intelligence.
The term 'artificial intelligence' is critiqued as an artifact of hype, with Olson arguing that no current AI systems demonstrate true intelligence.
Moreover, Olson argues that current AI outputs are essentially regurgitations of human-created data rather than original creations, emphasizing the human effort behind AI.
She highlights the risk of anthropomorphizing AI, warning that such perceptions can mislead the public into thinking AI systems possess sentience.
Despite the engaging narratives, Olson overlooks the historical context of AI hype, only addressing it significantly halfway through the book.
Ultimately, the article raises questions about the trajectory of AI development and its consequences.
Summary based on 2 sources
Get a daily email with more Tech stories
Sources
Los Angeles Times • Sep 6, 2024
New book on battle over AI fails to ask whether AI is worth battling over - Los Angeles TimesNew Scientist • Sep 10, 2024
A riveting exploration of how AI models like ChatGPT changed the world