The history of modern Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an epic involving visionary scientists, bold entrepreneurs, and major tech companies in a race to achieve Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). At stake are not only vast sums of money but also the transformation of our jobs and societies. This story is driven by a small group of individuals with exceptional abilities, immense egos, and disagreements that will have dramatic consequences.
The Beginnings (2010-2014):
– In 2010, British scientists Demis Hassabis and Mustafa Suleyman founded DeepMind, convinced that AGI would arrive soon. They reached out to investors like Peter Thiel and Elon Musk.
– Geoff Hinton and his team at the University of Toronto published a key paper on neural networks in 2012. Google hired them after a bidding war.
– Google acquired DeepMind in 2014, with conditions on ethical use. Facebook also sought talent in AI.
The Musk-Page Rift and the Birth of OpenAI (2015):
– Elon Musk and Larry Page strongly debated the future of AI in 2015. Musk disengaged from DeepMind and viewed Google as a risk to humanity.
– Musk teamed up with Sam Altman to create OpenAI as a counterbalance to Google. They sought donations of up to $1 billion.
The Impact of “Attention is All You Need” (2017):
– The paper “Attention is All You Need” introduced the concept of the transformer, exponentially improving machine learning capabilities. Nvidia became crucial by providing GPUs for training models.
– Tensions at OpenAI: Elon Musk questioned the open-source strategy and wanted to buy the company, but Altman resisted. Dario Amodei and others left OpenAI to found Anthropic.
The Era of Large Language Models (2019-2022):
– Microsoft invested $1 billion in OpenAI in 2019. In 2022, after an impressive demo, it expanded its investment and acquired 49% of OpenAI’s commercial subsidiary.
– In 2022, OpenAI launched GPT-3 and DALL-E, while Google struggled with its chatbot Lambda. Anthropic received investments from Google and others.
The Explosion of ChatGPT and the Tech Giants’ Reaction (2022-2023):
– In November 2022, OpenAI unexpectedly launched ChatGPT. It went viral, reaching 100 million users in weeks.
– Microsoft announced the integration of AI into all its products, launching the new Bing in February 2023. Google hastily responded with errors in the presentation of Bard.
– Facebook open-sourced its AI models and reorganized the company around AI.
– Nvidia greatly benefited by providing chips for AI.
Present and Future (2024 onwards):
– The Microsoft-OpenAI alliance leads, with the imminent launch of GPT-5. Google grapples with the “innovator’s dilemma,” while Meta bets on AI in its apps.
– Specific hardware devices for AI emerge. Speculation arises about Apple’s plans, as it has acquired multiple AI startups.
– Tesla’s potential future in AI applied to vehicles and robots.
– The likely emergence of disruptive AI startups in the coming years.
Conclusion:
The history of modern AI is an epic of dizzying innovation, conflicting egos, massive investments, and a potential that both amazes and scares. The exact future is uncertain, but this technological race will undoubtedly define our civilization’s destiny.
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