3 ms·

GPUs run on cash, not goodwill. AI researchers also run on cash -- they have plenty of options and an organization needs to be able to reward them to keep them

GPUs run on cash, not goodwill. AI researchers also run on cash -- they have plenty of options and an organization needs to be able to reward them to keep them motivated and working. OpenAI is only what it is because of its commercial wing. It's not too different from the Mozilla Foundation, which would be instantly dead without their commercial subsidiary. I would much rather OpenAI survives this and continues to thrive -- rather than have Microsoft or Google own the AI future.

mcguire 3y ago
How is one commercial entity better than another?
- qwytw 3y ago
  Having more competition is usually inherently better than having less competition?
- px43 3y ago
  Microsoft is intimately connected to the global surveillance infrastructure currently propping up US imperialism. Parts of the company basically operate as a defense contractor, not much different from Raytheon or Northrup Grumman. For what it's worth, Google has said it's not letting any military play with any of their AI research. Microsoft apparently has no such qualms. Remember when the NSA offered a bounty for eavesdropping on Skype, then Microsoft bought Skype and removed all the encryption? https://www.theregister.com/2009/02/12/nsa_offers_billions_for_skype_pwnage/ https://www.theregister.com/2009/02/12/nsa_offers_billions_f... Giving early access to emerging AGI to an org like Microsoft makes me more than a bit nervous. Recall from this slide in the Snowden leak : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM#/media/File:Prism_slide_5.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM#/media/File:Prism_slide_... that PRISM was originally just a Microsoft thing, very likely built by Microsoft to funnel data to the NSA. Other companies were added later, but we know from the MUSCULAR leak etc, that some companies like Google were added involuntarily, by tapping fiber connections between data centers.
thrwmoz 3y ago
>Mozilla Firefox, once a dominant player in the Internet browser market with a 30% market share, has witnessed a significant decline in its market share. According to Statcounter, Firefox's global market share has plummeted from 30% in 2009 to a current standing of 2.8%. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/mozilla-firefox-internet-browser-market-share-gains-to-74/1082/ https://www.searchenginejournal.com/mozilla-firefox-internet... Yes where would Mozi//a be without all that cash? Let it die so something better can take its place already.
- callalex 3y ago
  Contrary to popular expectation, almost none of Mozilla’s cash is spent on Firefox or anything Firefox related. Do not donate to Mozilla Foundation. https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4387539/firefox-money-investigating-the-bizarre-finances-of-mozilla https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4387539/firefox-money-invest...
DebtDeflation 3y ago
>GPUs run on cash, not goodwill. AI researchers also run on cash I've made this exact point like a dozen times on here and on other forums this weekend and I'm kinda surprised at the amount of blowback I've received. It's the same thing every time - "OpenAI has a specific mission/charter", "the for-profit subsidiary is subservient to the non-profit parent", and "the board of the parent answers to no one and must adhere to the mission/charter even if it means blowing up the whole thing". It's such a shockingly naive point of view. Maybe it made sense a few years ago when the for-profit sub was tiny but it's simply not the case any more given the current valuation/revenue/growth/ownership of the sub. Regardless of what a piece of paper says. My bet is the current corporate structure will not survive the week. If the true believers want to continue the mission while completely ignoring the commercial side, they will soon become volunteers and will have to start a GoFundMe for hardware.
kitsune_ 3y ago
All the board did is replace a CEO, I think there is a whiff of cult of personality in the air. The purpose-driven non-profit corporate structure that they chose was precisely created to prevent such things.
chankstein38 3y ago
This. I may dislike things about OpenAI but the thought of Microsoft absorbing them and things like ChatGPT becoming microsoft products makes me sad.

mcguire 3y ago

How is one commercial entity better than another?

qwytw 3y ago
Having more competition is usually inherently better than having less competition?
px43 3y ago
Microsoft is intimately connected to the global surveillance infrastructure currently propping up US imperialism. Parts of the company basically operate as a defense contractor, not much different from Raytheon or Northrup Grumman. For what it's worth, Google has said it's not letting any military play with any of their AI research. Microsoft apparently has no such qualms. Remember when the NSA offered a bounty for eavesdropping on Skype, then Microsoft bought Skype and removed all the encryption? https://www.theregister.com/2009/02/12/nsa_offers_billions_for_skype_pwnage/ https://www.theregister.com/2009/02/12/nsa_offers_billions_f... Giving early access to emerging AGI to an org like Microsoft makes me more than a bit nervous. Recall from this slide in the Snowden leak : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM#/media/File:Prism_slide_5.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM#/media/File:Prism_slide_... that PRISM was originally just a Microsoft thing, very likely built by Microsoft to funnel data to the NSA. Other companies were added later, but we know from the MUSCULAR leak etc, that some companies like Google were added involuntarily, by tapping fiber connections between data centers.

thrwmoz 3y ago

>Mozilla Firefox, once a dominant player in the Internet browser market with a 30% market share, has witnessed a significant decline in its market share. According to Statcounter, Firefox's global market share has plummeted from 30% in 2009 to a current standing of 2.8%. https://www.searchenginejournal.com/mozilla-firefox-internet-browser-market-share-gains-to-74/1082/ https://www.searchenginejournal.com/mozilla-firefox-internet... Yes where would Mozi//a be without all that cash? Let it die so something better can take its place already.

callalex 3y ago
Contrary to popular expectation, almost none of Mozilla’s cash is spent on Firefox or anything Firefox related. Do not donate to Mozilla Foundation. https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4387539/firefox-money-investigating-the-bizarre-finances-of-mozilla https://lunduke.locals.com/post/4387539/firefox-money-invest...

DebtDeflation 3y ago

>GPUs run on cash, not goodwill. AI researchers also run on cash I've made this exact point like a dozen times on here and on other forums this weekend and I'm kinda surprised at the amount of blowback I've received. It's the same thing every time - "OpenAI has a specific mission/charter", "the for-profit subsidiary is subservient to the non-profit parent", and "the board of the parent answers to no one and must adhere to the mission/charter even if it means blowing up the whole thing". It's such a shockingly naive point of view. Maybe it made sense a few years ago when the for-profit sub was tiny but it's simply not the case any more given the current valuation/revenue/growth/ownership of the sub. Regardless of what a piece of paper says. My bet is the current corporate structure will not survive the week. If the true believers want to continue the mission while completely ignoring the commercial side, they will soon become volunteers and will have to start a GoFundMe for hardware.

kitsune_ 3y ago

All the board did is replace a CEO, I think there is a whiff of cult of personality in the air. The purpose-driven non-profit corporate structure that they chose was precisely created to prevent such things.

chankstein38 3y ago

This. I may dislike things about OpenAI but the thought of Microsoft absorbing them and things like ChatGPT becoming microsoft products makes me sad.