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Big Tech's AI Push Is Costing More Than the Moon Landing

54 points by 1vuio0pswjnm7

by zug_zug

6 subcomments

Well… maybe making thinking machines mass produced is actually a more amazing project than the moon landing
Just need to make sure the wealth is spread equally

by ksec

1 subcomments

One of the them is a one shot project and one of them is an infrastructure project being used by billions. It makes a nice headline but not a decent comparison.
On another note I wish there is some break down of where all the spendings goes to. GPU, CPU, RAM, Network, Switch, Cables, Power, Datacenter. The AI ecosystem and business is larger than Smartphone revolution kick started by Apple, but unlike Smartphone or consumer products these Hyperscaler and AI spending right now it is very opaque.

by xhkkffbf

0 subcomment

The moon landing was cool, but all we got were some neat imagery and some rocks. And we've even managed to lose some of the rocks because they were that special. At least with the AIs, we're getting something.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_and_missing_Moon_rocks.

by mbgerring

2 subcomments

We could have spent this money and labor on decarbonization, and our failure to do so will have vast, multi-generational consequences.
The effort to drive carbon emissions to 0 continues in earnest, but climate chaos is already here, and at this rate it’s going to get much worse before we finally take this problem seriously.

by mock-possum

0 subcomment

Okay but I can actually use AI, whereas I’ve only seen pictures someone else going to the moon.
Also the US and the Soviet Union raced to get to the moon first, but the whole internet-connected world gets LLMs right now.

0 subcomment

by fennecbutt

0 subcomment

Yeah but wasn't the moon landing funded by hard cash?
AI stuff (and tbh all silicon valley tech companies even outside AI) all seem to be funded by the theoretical valuation of various companies and barely any of it is hard cash. All stock deals and dog food.