The Centralization of Power in AI // Kyle Harrison // # 181

Oct 13, 2023

Kyle Harrison, General Partner at Contrary, discusses the limitations in language for grasping reality and the dangers of centralizing power in AI, emphasizing the need for improved language model performance. The podcast explores comparisons between TensorFlow and PyTorch, open-source initiatives in AI, and Meta's involvement. They also touch on AI capabilities, the challenges of AI agents, and the impact of blockchain technology.

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Introduction

00:00 • 4min

The Hype and Power of AI Companies

03:48 • 11min

Centralization of Power in AI

14:44 • 27min

AI Capabilities and the 'iPhone Moment'

41:47 • 6min

Exploring the Use of Agents and Their Impact on User Experience

47:43 • 2min

Limitations and Challenges of AI Agents

49:46 • 10min

The Potential of Blockchain and the Importance of Openness in AI

59:53 • 2min

MLOps podcast #181 with Kyle Harrison, General Partner at Contrary, The Centralization of Power in AI. // Abstract Kyle Harrison delves into the limitations imposed by language, underscoring how it can impede our grasp and manipulation of reality while stressing the critical need for improved language model performance for real-time applications. He further explores the perils of centralizing power in AI, with a specific focus on the "Openness of AI", where concerns about privacy are brought to the forefront, prompting his call for businesses to reconsider their reliance on it. The discussion also traverses the evolving landscape of AI, drawing comparisons between prominent machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch. Notably, the episode underscores the vital role of open-source initiatives within the AI community and highlights the unexpected involvement of Meta in driving open-source development. // Bio Kyle Harrison is a General Partner at Contrary, where he leads Series A and growth-stage investing. He joined Contrary from Index where he was a Partner, and before that he was a growth investor at Coatue. His portfolio includes iconic startups and public companies including Ramp, Replit, Cohere, Snowflake, and Databricks. He also regularly shares his analysis on the venture capital landscape via his Substack Investing 101. // MLOps Jobs board https://mlops.pallet.xyz/jobs // MLOps Swag/Merch https://mlops-community.myshopify.com/ // Related Links Website: https://investing1012dot0.substack.com/ The Openness of AI report: https://research.contrary.com/reports/the-openness-of-ai ⁠ --------------- ✌️Connect With Us ✌️ ------------- Join our slack community: https://go.mlops.community/slack Follow us on Twitter: @mlopscommunity Sign up for the next meetup: https://go.mlops.community/register Catch all episodes, blogs, newsletters, and more: https://mlops.community/ Connect with Demetrios on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpbrinkm/ Connect with Kyle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-harrison-9274b278/ Timestamps: [00:00] Kyle's preferred beverage [00:20] Takeaways [03:52] Hype in technology space [09:20] Application Layer Revenue [14:44] Stability AI Lawsuit [18:08] Concern over concentration of power in AI [20:20] Transparency concerns [23:35] Open Source AI [25:57] To use or not to use Open AI [30:51] Lack of technical expertise and business-building capabilities [35:09] AI Transparency and Accountability [37:50] Traditional ML [41:47] Finding a unique approach [45:41] AGI limitations [47:43] Using Agents [49:46] Agents getting past demos [54:39] Tech Challenges & Hoverboard Dreams [58:04] Both AI hype and skepticism are foolish [01:27] Wrap up