Digital Event Horizon
Linus Torvalds warns of the dangers of AI hype, saying 90% of AI marketing is fluff with no real substance. Can we trust GenAI to deliver on its promises? Only time will tell.
Linus Torvalds expresses skepticism towards generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) due to what he calls "90% hype" and "10% reality".Torvalds believes the tech industry's focus on AI has created a "bad position" where marketing overshadows actual workloads.He cites OpenAI's ChatGPT as making great demonstrations but is concerned about the hype surrounding it.Torvalds expresses concerns about the tech industry's tendency to over-promise and under-deliver with new technologies.He notes that significant amounts of money have been invested in AI start-ups, but returns are limited.
Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel, has spoken out about his skepticism towards generative artificial intelligence (AI). In a recent interview at the Open Source Summit in Vienna, Torvalds expressed his thoughts on modern technologies, specifically GenAI. He stated that 90% of AI marketing is hype, and he prefers to ignore it.
Torvalds believes that the tech industry's focus on AI has created a "bad position" where 10% reality is overshadowed by 90% marketing. He thinks that this hype cycle will eventually burst, and we'll see what real workloads are being used for GenAI in five years. Torvalds also mentioned that OpenAI's ChatGPT is making great demonstrations, but he doesn't like the hype cycle surrounding it.
The Linux kernel developer expressed his concerns about the tech industry's tendency to over-promise and under-deliver when it comes to new technologies. He cited an example where before AI, people were talking about cryptocurrency, and now everyone's excited about GenAI. Torvalds stated that this is a problem because "before AI, a couple of years ago, the only thing people talked about was crypto and I just don't like the hype cycle."
Torvalds also mentioned that a significant amount of money has been invested in AI start-ups since 2023, with over $95 billion spent so far. However, the big four hyperscalers have sunk $200 billion in capital expenditure, but only about $20 billion of revenue is coming from consumers and businesses in terms of AI services.
Gary Marcus, a professor emeritus at New York University and an AI expert, shared similar views on GenAI. He stated that it has its uses but "isn't all that reliable." Marcus also mentioned that everyone is pushing GenAI to make back their immense investments, but it's not going well. In 2023, there was nothing but hype; in 2024, he sees a lot of disillusionment.
The skepticism surrounding GenAI is not unique to Torvalds and Marcus. The industry is known for its marketing bluster, and the tech community is starting to wake up to the fact that not all AI promises are met. As the tech landscape continues to evolve, it's essential to separate reality from hype and understand what real workloads are being used for GenAI.
In conclusion, Linus Torvalds' skepticism towards GenAI highlights the need for a critical approach when it comes to new technologies. The industry must learn to distinguish between marketing hype and actual substance, ensuring that we're investing in technologies that will truly make a difference.
Linus Torvalds warns of the dangers of AI hype, saying 90% of AI marketing is fluff with no real substance. Can we trust GenAI to deliver on its promises? Only time will tell.
Related Information:
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/10/29/linus_torvalds_ai_hype/
Published: Tue Oct 29 15:52:21 2024 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
