• Episode 46: AGI Funny Business (Model), with Brian Merchant, December 2 2024

  • Dec 18 2024
  • Length: 1 hr and 3 mins
  • Podcast

Episode 46: AGI Funny Business (Model), with Brian Merchant, December 2 2024

  • Summary

  • Once upon a time, artificial general intelligence was the only business plan OpenAI seemed to have. Tech journalist Brian Merchant joins Emily and Alex for a time warp to the beginning of the current wave of AI hype, nearly a decade ago. And it sure seemed like Elon Musk, Sam Altman, and company were luring investor dollars to their newly-formed venture solely on the hand-wavy promise that someday, LLMs themselves would figure out how to turn a profit.

    Brian Merchant is an author, journalist in residence at the AI Now Institute, and co-host of the tech news podcast System Crash.

    References:

    Elon Musk and partners form nonprofit to stop AI from ruining the world

    How Elon Musk and Y Combinator Plan to Stop Computers From Taking Over

    Elon Musk's Billion-Dollar AI Plan Is About Far More Than Saving the World

    Brian’s recent report on the business model of AGI, for the AI Now Institute: AI Generated Business: The rise of AGI and the rush to find a working revenue model

    Previously on MAIHT3K: Episode 21: The True Meaning of 'Open Source' (feat. Sarah West and Andreas Liesenfeld)

    Fresh AI Hell:

    OpenAI explores advertising as it steps up revenue drive

    If an AI company ran Campbell's Soup with the same practices they use to handle data

    Humans are the new 'luxury item'

    Itching to write a book? AI publisher Spines wants to make a deal

    A company pitched Emily her own 'verified avatar'

    Don't upload your medical images to chatbots

    A look at a pilot program in Georgia that uses 'jailbots' to track inmates


    You can check out future livestreams on Twitch.

    Our book, 'The AI Con,' comes out in May! Pre-order your copy now.

    Subscribe to our newsletter via Buttondown.

    Follow us!

    Emily

    • Bluesky: emilymbender.bsky.social
    • Mastodon: dair-community.social/@EmilyMBender

    Alex

    • Bluesky: alexhanna.bsky.social
    • Mastodon: dair-community.social/@alex
    • Twitter: @alexhanna

    Music by Toby Menon.
    Artwork by Naomi Pleasure-Park.
    Production by Christie Taylor.

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