Google Contemplates its AI Fortune While Microsoft Cashes Checks.

“Google Thinks It Can Cash In on Generative AI. Microsoft Already Has”

“Last week, Microsoft and Alphabet, Google’s parent company, reported earnings. The numbingly huge numbers—Alphabet’s net income was over $18 billion—are a sharp reminder that we’re living in the age of AI giants. These companies aren’t just changing the way we live and work, but also the future of AI.”

Now let’s take a moment to comprehend those numbers. Alphabet’s net proceeds surpassed a whopping $18 billion? We’ve been propelled headlong into the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) titans. We’re not solely discussing the transformation of lifestyles and work environments here; it’s the advancement and future of AI we’re talking about.

These mammoth companies, Microsoft and Alphabet, are no longer content to merely influence the way we interact, connect, work, or play. Oh no, that’s far too commonplace for the likes of them. Now they’ve set their sights on reshaping the landscape of AI itself. But not in a ‘let’s gently nudge things forward’ kind of way. It’s more akin to ‘let’s shape the world in our own vision.’ It is indeed a brave and exciting new world!

In the quarters leading up to this, they’ve been toiling tirelessly, investing heavily in something popularly known as ‘Generative AI.’ The concept may sound like the plot twist to the next big sci-fi movie, but it’s actually quite real. Generative AI is about creating new content, essentially getting machines to be not just smart, but also imaginative. Yes, you read that correctly – we really are in the realm of machines daydreaming up brilliant, creative ideas.

To dive a tad deeper into these terrain-altering developments, let’s consider Microsoft’s newest feat, a language model called GPT-3. This model’s defined not as merely the equivalent of an extremely smart parrot that can repeat complicated phrases, but as a parrot that’s endowed with the power of original thought. Imbuing a machine with imagination and creativity was believed to be something from Asimov’s imagination, but here we are!

One could argue we’re standing at the precipice of the next big leap in technological evolution. So, fasten your seatbelts, for we’re on the road to witnessing the awakening of a new ‘I, Robot’ era, and frankly, it’s an exhilarating trip!

Don’t blink or you’ll miss it. And if you do, you’ll be left trying to catch up in this rapidly changing AI landscape. Trust me, it’s going to be a wild ride. Buckle up!

Read the original article here: https://www.wired.com/story/microsoft-google-earnings-generative-ai/