Triangulation (Audio) Triangulation 387: Amy Webb: The Big Nine - How the Tech Titans & Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity
Mar 1, 2019
Amy Webb, a professor at NYU Stern and founder of the Future Today Institute, dives into the implications of AI and the powerful tech giants influencing its future. She discusses the dominance of nine companies, dubbed the G-Mafia, and their role in innovation. The rivalry between the U.S. and China unfolds as both nations navigate unique governance in tech development. Webb also critiques the intersection of AI, government surveillance, and personal agency, emphasizing the need for informed regulation to shape a responsible technological future.
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Nine Firms Shape AI's Architecture
- Nine companies (Google, Apple, Microsoft, IBM, Facebook, Amazon, Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent) control most AI tools, clouds, and data.
- Those firms set technical norms and largely shape AI's future without broad public input.
Market Pressure Drives Fast AI Decisions
- Publicly traded firms prioritize shareholder returns and speed, which pressures AI teams to ship quickly.
- That market pressure can outpace careful risk assessment and interoperability planning.
AI As The Third Computing Era
- AI represents a third computing era: automated systems that make decisions from data rather than deterministic programs.
- This era produces systems that can outperform humans on specific tasks by learning rather than following fixed recipes.
