By now, you may have heard a lot about AI and its wild, wacky world. I’m not here to tell you what AI can or would do. I’m here to tell you some facts. The facts are brought to you by the 2024 AI Index Report prepared by Stanford. It’s their seventh edition, and mind you, it has some jaw-dropping information. Plus, I’ll also share insights from three lectures given at the University of Glasgow. Think of it as a mix between a sci-fi thriller, a comedy show, and a dash of horror.
1. AI: Smarter, Yet Still Clueless
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made huge strides, outperforming humans in image classification and language comprehension. But, when it comes to complex math, it flops like a fish out of water. It’s like having a super-genius who can’t count past ten without using their fingers. Imagine Einstein getting stumped by a Sudoku puzzle.
2. Industry Dominance: Academia, Who?
In 2023, the industry produced 51 significant machine learning models, leaving academia in the dust with a mere 15. It’s like watching a heavyweight match where academia forgot their gloves. Better luck next year, brainiacs! Picture a classroom where the nerds have taken over, and the professors are just trying to keep up.
3. AI Training Costs: A Billionaire’s Playground
Training advanced AI models now costs a fortune. OpenAI’s GPT-4 training cost $78 million, while Google’s Gemini Ultra hit an astronomical $191 million. Who knew training robots would be more expensive than launching a space mission? It’s like saying, “Hey, let’s throw some more money into this bottomless pit and see if it spits out a miracle.”
4. The USA Leads the Way
The United States rolled out 61 notable AI models, leaving other nations in the rearview mirror. It’s like the AI Olympics, and Team USA is sweeping all the gold medals. Sorry, rest of the world, better luck next time. The US is like that overachieving kid in school who wins every science fair, leaving everyone else with participation ribbons.
5. Patent Frenzy: The Global Race
AI patents surged by 62.7%, with China snagging a significant 61.1% share. Picture a global race where everyone’s sprinting to patent their latest AI inventions. The finish line? Dominance in the future tech landscape. It’s a cutthroat competition where inventors are hoarding patents like kids hoard candy on Halloween.
6. Open-Source Surge: The Nerds Strike Back
Open-source AI projects on GitHub have exploded, making it the ultimate nerd fest where everyone’s sharing their coolest new AI toys. Revenge of the nerds? More like the glorious uprising of the tech geeks! It’s like Comic-Con but with more code and fewer costumes (or maybe not, who knows what they wear at hackathons).
7. Generative AI: Cash Cow Extravaganza
Generative AI funding soared to $25.2 billion. Turns out, AI-generated art and poetry are the new gold mines. Who knew that digital creativity could be such a lucrative business? Imagine an AI poet winning the Pulitzer Prize while human poets everywhere cry into their lattes.
8. AI in Healthcare: Doctor Robo at Your Service
AI is revolutionizing healthcare with systems like EVEscape and AlphaMissence. Imagine a doctor who doesn’t need coffee breaks and never gets tired. That’s the future of medicine, folks—robots diagnosing your ailments with pinpoint accuracy. It’s like having WebMD on steroids, but without the constant fear of having every symptom point to a rare disease.
9. Regulations Boom: The AI Babysitters
AI regulations in the US jumped with 25 new rules in 2023. It’s like the government suddenly realized their AI toddler needs some serious babysitting before it wreaks havoc. Better safe than sorry, right? Picture a frantic parent baby-proofing the house after realizing their toddler just learned to climb the furniture.
10. Public Anxiety: The Fear Factor
Awareness about AI’s impact is growing, and so is the nervousness. According to Ipsos, 66% believe AI will change their lives in the next few years, and 52% are just plain scared. Can you blame them? The robots are coming, and they might just take your job! It’s like watching a horror movie where the monster is your friendly neighborhood AI, smiling as it takes over your daily tasks.
My Favorite Takeaway
Now, let’s talk about the University of Glasgow’s academic trio who boldly titled their paper “ChatGPT is Bullshit.” Intriguing, right? The gist of their argument is that ChatGPT and other Language Learning Models (LLMs) have no concern for truth because they lack genuine understanding. They hilariously pointed out that calling false outputs “hallucinations” gives these AIs a bit too much credit—as if they have a mind to wander off in the first place! It’s like saying your toaster is daydreaming when it burns your toast.
We’re only at the beginning. The next chapter is brewing, and it promises to be even more thrilling, hilarious, and terrifying.
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