AI’s big, dirty secret

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the current state of AI technology, including the hype and concerns surrounding it. It examines the capabilities and limitations of large language models like ChatGPT, as well as the impressive yet sometimes overstated achievements of other AI systems like Midjourney, SORA, and AI-powered devices like the AI Pin and Rabbit R1. The article also touches on issues of copyright, ethics, and the tendency of companies to exaggerate the potential of their AI technologies to attract investment.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The Current State of AI

1. What are some of the impressive achievements of AI mentioned in the article?

• Midjourney is continuing to push boundaries in terms of image quality, though it has faced copyright controversies.
• SORA from OpenAI has shown extremely impressive (sometimes) video footage generated from a single prompt.
• AI systems that analyze x-rays to save lives are constantly improving.

2. What are some of the limitations and concerns with current AI technologies?

• Large language models like ChatGPT often "hallucinate" or make up information to appear knowledgeable, rather than providing accurate answers.
• There are issues with copyright, as OpenAI was sued by the New York Times for apparently taking thousands of articles without permission.
• Many companies exaggerate the capabilities of their AI technologies to attract investment, similar to the Theranos scandal.

3. How does the article compare the current state of AI to past technological advancements?

• The article notes that with most modern technology, it can be easier to get from 0 to 95% than from 95% to 100% improvement.
• It compares the current AI hype to the dotcom bubble of the early 2000s, where many businesses made "crazy stupid things" based on the promise of the web, with most of them failing miserably.

[02] AI-Powered Devices

1. What are the issues with the AI Pin device described in the article?

• The device suffers from extreme latency, low readability of the projector display, poor battery life, and other problems that make it fall short of the revolutionary potential it was marketed with.
• The article cites a review from MKBHD calling it the "worst new product he has ever reviewed."

2. What concerns are raised about the Rabbit R1 device?

• The article notes that the company's claims about quickly selling out initial batches of the device are impossible to verify and may be exaggerated to create FOMO (fear of missing out).
• It suggests the Rabbit R1 may suffer from similar issues as the AI Pin, with lots of hype but not much actual utility.