Emad Mostaque, Founder and CEO of Stability AI, discusses open source generative AI as a solution to reduce global inequality. Topics include exploring Generative AI principles, neural nets and language models, the impact of AI on productivity in the global south, the importance of data quality, and the potential of technology adoption in poorer nations.
Open source generative AI can reduce global inequality by making AI technology culturally relevant and accessible to the poorest countries.
Generative AI models, such as StableDiffusion and StableLM by Stability AI, have the potential to save time, boost creativity, and improve productivity in various sectors.
Deep dives
The Potential of Open-Source AI in the Global South
Emad Mustock, founder and CEO of Stability AI, discusses how open-source AI models can benefit the poorest countries in the world. By making AI technology culturally relevant and accessible, these models can be used to stimulate productivity and prosperity. The challenge lies in obtaining relevant data from the global south and building local models that reflect the unique needs of each country. Stability AI takes an open-source approach, providing base models that can be customized and specialized to fit the requirements of different regions and individuals. This democratization of AI infrastructure has the potential to transform industries and drive economic growth in the global south.
The Rise of Generative AI
Generative AI, a new type of AI that started in 2017, focuses on compressing important parts of data to learn principles rather than facts. Using large supercomputers, these models can compress vast data sets into small files that produce creative and commercially useful outputs. They have the ability to understand contextual relationships and create images or text based on prompts or examples. Generative AI models, such as StableDiffusion and StableLM by Stability AI, have the potential to save time, boost creativity, and improve productivity in various sectors.
The Economics of Generative AI
Reports suggest that fast implementation of generative AI could lead to a 7% increase in global GDP in about 10 years. The technology has the potential to improve productivity, remove barriers to information flow, and increase prosperity by directing resources to areas where they are needed. While building and training these models can be expensive, Stability AI's open-source approach aims to make the technology more affordable and accessible. By providing open models and allowing customization, the company seeks to empower individuals, companies, and countries to benefit from generative AI.
Challenges and Opportunities of Open-Source AI
One of the challenges in widespread adoption of open-source AI is the availability of relevant data, particularly in the global south. Stability AI aims to address this by encouraging the development of localized data sets and models. Their vision is to have every country, culture, and company build and own their own models to represent and extend their abilities. By standardizing open-source AI principles, guidelines, safety measures, and support, it becomes possible to harness the potential of AI for the benefit of all, rather than being confined to a few proprietary entities.
Emad Mostaque, the controversial founder and CEO of Stability AI, makes the case to Azeem Azhar that open source generative AI is the best path to reducing global inequality.