Inference by Turing Post What Really Blocks AI Progress? Ulrik Hansen from Encord thinks it’s…
Sep 25, 2025
Ulrik Hansen, co-founder of Encord, shares insights on the real roadblocks to AI progress. He argues that data, not models, is the true bottleneck, emphasizing the importance of data orchestration. He contrasts Tesla's live feedback system with Waymo's cautious rollout, discussing the challenges in robotics and edge cases in self-driving tech. Ulrik highlights the shift towards a connection economy and the rising value of trust in brands. He also explores the potential pitfalls of synthetic data and why applied AI is more thrilling than abstract AGI discussions.
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Data Is The Real Bottleneck
- Data, not models or compute, is the principal bottleneck for deploying AI in production.
- Orchestrating and enriching data determines whether interchangeable models succeed in real environments.
Prioritize Quality Over Quantity
- Move focus from sheer quantity to high-quality, contextual data as models improve.
- Invest in specialized data and expert annotation to push models past scaling asymptotes.
Tesla’s Live Feedback Advantage
- Ulrik contrasts Waymo and Tesla to show how live feedback accelerates learning.
- Tesla's human interventions feed a compounding data loop that speeds real-world fixes.
