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Google banks on AI edge to catch up to cloud rivals Amazon and Microsoft

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Re: Google banks on AI edge to catch up to cloud rivals Amazon and Microsoft

#51
post #36

Whenever I read about how powerful these companies are, it sends chills down my spine.

Saying this about a compute rental service is hilarious They have the power to do what exactly? Sell you some EC2 instances at reasonable prices? lol There’s organizations that have the power to openly kidnap and execute people and we’re being melodramatic about a few buildings with computers in them

That's not an ideal tone for here. From my perspective the most incredible thing is the concentration of IO. I might like at some point for elements of my computer usage to remain private, it would be nice if that ability were preserved. A bit hard to accomplish when 1 out of 4 bits processed globally all run through the same network

Re: Google banks on AI edge to catch up to cloud rivals Amazon and Microsoft

#52

Whenever I read about how powerful these companies are, it sends chills down my spine.

Wait until you learn what governments are.

Governments are companies that have accountability to the public, wherein the public has direct influence over their decisionmaking, unlike regular corporations where people have no influence whatsoever (without lobbying the government to regulate them, anyways).

To the extent that governments work against the people, it is largely because people in some countries are collectively very stupid and willingly support such governments.

Re: Google banks on AI edge to catch up to cloud rivals Amazon and Microsoft

#53

Whenever I read about how powerful these companies are, it sends chills down my spine.

Yep. They can make every mistake imaginable and not work as hard but still win. It’s the power of concentrated capital and monopolistic behavior and what people call “moats” but really is just an unfair advantage. Why should Google or Apple be allowed to copy everyone’s AI tech and just win because of distribution through Chrome or iPhones? We need new antitrust laws and heavy taxes just on the megacorps worth $500B…

There are many valid criticisms of Google, but copying AI tech isn't one of them.

Re: Google banks on AI edge to catch up to cloud rivals Amazon and Microsoft

#54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You mean, the inventor of the transformer technology that made ChatGPT possible, is copying ChatGPT’s technology?

Gemini is a copy of ChatGPT. And ChatGPT was a product invented on top of many previous ideas. The fact that one paper among many was written at Google isn’t relevant to my point. Google entered the competition in AI products late. And now they will use their power unfairly to try and make it win. When they bundle an AI Chatbot into their existing contracts for Google workspace, they are competing unfairly. When the…

Let's not give too much credit to Bell Labs. A handful of researchers were paid to develop transistors and...

That's exactly how fundamental research works.

Transformers is possibly the most significant advancement in machine learning since AlexNet.

Bundling products is valid but different critism.

Re: Google banks on AI edge to catch up to cloud rivals Amazon and Microsoft

#55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You mean, the inventor of the transformer technology that made ChatGPT possible, is copying ChatGPT’s technology?

Gemini is a copy of ChatGPT. And ChatGPT was a product invented on top of many previous ideas. The fact that one paper among many was written at Google isn’t relevant to my point. Google entered the competition in AI products late. And now they will use their power unfairly to try and make it win. When they bundle an AI Chatbot into their existing contracts for Google workspace, they are competing unfairly. When the…

google literally had two divisions doing ai research. It is (was) risk averse and had its hand forced by the runaway success of oai.

Re: Google banks on AI edge to catch up to cloud rivals Amazon and Microsoft

#56

I pray for Google to completely fail the pivot to AI. We don't need another surveillance capitalism company using AI to make us even dumber and more addicted to screens. I so hope that Google goes down. (And I pray the same for Facebook and a couple others).

[dead]

Re: Google banks on AI edge to catch up to cloud rivals Amazon and Microsoft

#57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep. They can make every mistake imaginable and not work as hard but still win. It’s the power of concentrated capital and monopolistic behavior and what people call “moats” but really is just an unfair advantage. Why should Google or Apple be allowed to copy everyone’s AI tech and just win because of distribution through Chrome or iPhones? We need new antitrust laws and heavy taxes just on the megacorps worth $500B…

Not that I'm opposed to new laws, but just having enforcement of the laws we already have would go a long way to fixing the problems. The problem is how to get to the point where there is enforcement. It definitely isn't going to happen with Republicans in power, and it also isn't a sure thing with Democrats in power either. Lina Khan was a good start for a bit there, but she certainly didn't have universal Dem suppo…

I will preface by saying that someone with Lina Khan is sorely needed; Big Tech and other monopolies have gotten way too Big and seriously need to be reined in.

That said, from all the informed takes I've seen, Lina Khan was seriously... flawed (putting it charitably) in her strategy and tactics. To the extent that some observers wondered if she was deliberately sabotaging the agency just to highlight the need for new, more effective laws. She did have a novel theory of consumer harm, but that requires new legislation to enforce. Instead the way she went about it -- including by flouting due process -- was extremely counter-productive.

That was a big reason she was neither very effective in her goals (other than creating a lot of noise) nor have high political support from any side.

Re: Google banks on AI edge to catch up to cloud rivals Amazon and Microsoft

#58

I pray for Google to completely fail the pivot to AI. We don't need another surveillance capitalism company using AI to make us even dumber and more addicted to screens. I so hope that Google goes down. (And I pray the same for Facebook and a couple others).

Huh? Why are you railing against Google? Because of YouTube? How's Google Search making you addicted to screens.

At this rate, you'll hate Apple for making iPhones so damn good, or Starlink for giving really good internet access.

You line of thinking is - gosh, these companies are providing an excellent service, and I hate them for that?

Re: Google banks on AI edge to catch up to cloud rivals Amazon and Microsoft

#59
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Saying this about a compute rental service is hilarious They have the power to do what exactly? Sell you some EC2 instances at reasonable prices? lol There’s organizations that have the power to openly kidnap and execute people and we’re being melodramatic about a few buildings with computers in them

When their customers start using those buildings with computers in them to autonomously determine who to kidnap and execute, I suspect you might understand their point. I’d also note we are one refusal away from the US president declaring DPA control over frontier model providers and their infrastructure a national defense necessity and under his personal control.

Then complain about the US president forcing Microsoft to do X rather than just preemptively criticizing Microsoft for doing nothing

Re: Google banks on AI edge to catch up to cloud rivals Amazon and Microsoft

#60
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Saying this about a compute rental service is hilarious They have the power to do what exactly? Sell you some EC2 instances at reasonable prices? lol There’s organizations that have the power to openly kidnap and execute people and we’re being melodramatic about a few buildings with computers in them

They'll buy your politicians who will give them zero checks on raising energy prices or poisoning your children's minds

Have they been doing this? Evidence?
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