What exactly did Google lose to OpenAI? I’m yet to find a popular application of GPT outside Copilot.
It seems to me like the truly popular and useful models right now are in the video/image space, which is also not Google’s business.
Ask HN: How did Google lose so much ground to OpenAI?
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Re: Ask HN: How did Google lose so much ground to OpenAI?
#22I don't think google lost ground to OpenAI in terms of technology, but losing it in terms of reputation. People no longer view Google as a shining model of engineering success anymore. I work in cloud space, GCP is almost an afterthought now. ChatGPT actually put Azure into better light than AWS.
Considering all the messes with the ChatGPT launch, I'm not sure if Azure is in a better light than AWS. It runs better on the API than the website, so that raises some question on the site itself.
Re: Ask HN: How did Google lose so much ground to OpenAI?
#23Google's plan was to guard AI and put it lock and key and use it to enable better core products. OpenAI primary focus is enable AI to all. Bard came out to show investors they have something just as good and didn't impress. Google needs new leadership and things can flip back
Google has a history of keeping its innovations under wraps. The Google File System and MapReduce programming models, for instance, remained proprietary until Google engineers shared them in a 2003 publication (https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/research.google.c...). It wasn't until a few years later that the Hadoop project, under the Apache Software Foundation, emerged, providing an open-source framework for distributed storage and processing of large datasets.
Google's approach to AI advancements follows a similar pattern. Projects like Imagen and Muse boast impressive capabilities but remain locked away, inaccessible to anyone outside of Google. While the company may be a thought leader in the field, the true value of a product lies in its utility. Possessing unique and groundbreaking technology that remains inaccessible to the broader public is comparable to owning an NFT art piece—intriguing but ultimately of limited practical value.
Re: Ask HN: How did Google lose so much ground to OpenAI?
#24Well,Google needs to hire some tech-savvy leaders and streamline their processes if they want to keep up with the likes of OpenAI. With too many non-technical folks calling the shots, it's no wonder they struggle to execute quickly and innovate.
Google needs to trim some fat from their leadership and streamline their processes if they want to keep up with the agile and innovative pace of OpenAI. It's no wonder they're falling behind if they're more focused on stakeholder alignment sessions than actually developing their AI products. Maybe they should hire some product managers who actually understand technology and engineers who don't overcomplicate things. Otherwise, they'll continue to play catch-up while OpenAI leads the way in the AI industry. Google only wakes up when competition does stuff. See nest for ring, pixel for iPhone or android for iOS.
Re: Ask HN: How did Google lose so much ground to OpenAI?
#25What exactly did Google lose to OpenAI? I’m yet to find a popular application of GPT outside Copilot. It seems to me like the truly popular and useful models right now are in the video/image space, which is also not Google’s business.
Maybe some search users? I use ChatGPT as my primary search engine now, via an API CLI. It answers abstract / conceptual / complex queries far better than Google. Google's just a secondary search engine now for me, if I need some links or details. Surely I can't be the only one using ChatGPT this way.
Re: Ask HN: How did Google lose so much ground to OpenAI?
#26I don't think google lost ground to OpenAI in terms of technology, but losing it in terms of reputation. People no longer view Google as a shining model of engineering success anymore. I work in cloud space, GCP is almost an afterthought now. ChatGPT actually put Azure into better light than AWS.
Google is essentially millenial IBM at this point
Re: Ask HN: How did Google lose so much ground to OpenAI?
#27[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: How did Google lose so much ground to OpenAI?
#28I think it is overblown. ChatGPT was released about a few months ago and google have already created their own alternative albeit a worse version. I would say that is pretty good for an enterprise organisation to react that fast.
Right. Reaching 100 million users within 3 months of launching is definitely overblown.
Re: Ask HN: How did Google lose so much ground to OpenAI?
#29I think it is overblown. ChatGPT was released about a few months ago and google have already created their own alternative albeit a worse version. I would say that is pretty good for an enterprise organisation to react that fast.
Right. Reaching 100 million users within 3 months of launching is definitely overblown.
Perhaps I was not clear. I meant google loosing ground in AI is overblown not ChatGPT itself.
Re: Ask HN: How did Google lose so much ground to OpenAI?
#30I don't think google lost ground to OpenAI in terms of technology, but losing it in terms of reputation. People no longer view Google as a shining model of engineering success anymore. I work in cloud space, GCP is almost an afterthought now. ChatGPT actually put Azure into better light than AWS.
I feel like GCP's losing ground to AWS and Azure has been a trend for at least before AI, though perhaps you're saying the same thing, that Google has long lost the reputational lead.
I can't speak from experience, but what I hear from friends of friends is that Azure is really on the come up, though in my experience AWS has still been the default. GCP seemed to be more tempting when they were the only ones throwing tons of money at you and Firebase had less alternatives.