30 Things I've Learned About AI
In 8 years of studying and writing about it
To know if an AI tool works, don’t read news headlines—try it yourself
Even if an AI bubble explodes, the survivors will build a new technological landscape; and as a second-order effect, a new sociocultural landscape as well
AI won’t take your job, a person using AI will; most likely you using AI will replace yourself not using it
Companies care about shareholders, politicians care about votes, journalists care about paychecks, bloggers care about views, and researchers care about citations. Find the right mix of sources for what you care about
Generative AI is in its final stage, what comes next isn’t valuable for what it generates but for what it doesn’t
AI isn’t the technology “of the future” but of the past and the present; we just don’t call it AI once we use it in everyday life
AI requires regulation, but not at the expense of innovation
Some people saw coming a decade ago what’s happening today; follow them and you’ll see (part of) the future
In AI, everything (even the name), is and isn’t marketing at the same time
Those who over-hype in the extreme and those who anti-hype in the extreme are often cut from the same cloth
In times of turmoil and controversy, listen to the quiet ones; the rest are picking sides to build their identity
Studying the underlying math of neural networks gives you insights you can’t acquire elsewhere
Unless you’re good at making predictions, actual results from the field will catch you off guard one year from now (even months from now)—reflect on your surprise
AI won’t always be this cheap—this period was a welcome anomaly
Seriously trying out AI tools has a negligible cost to you but an incredible potential upside; the only people who purposefully don’t do it are those too invested in discrediting—and even tearing down—the AI edifice
GPT-5 will be surprisingly good; you can’t anticipate technology that’s being invented as we speak
You’re not the audience of hype; AI is valuable but also expensive to build, that's why companies hype it, to entice investors so they keep the market alive
Generative AI is a small part of AI, most of it is predictive (e.g. spam filters, identification systems, social media filters, and forecasting)
In ten years, most (if not all) writers will have incorporated AI tools in their workflows
AI has become like politics; people have chosen their sides, and no amount of new information will change their stance, as they’ve locked themselves into a tribal identity instead of staying open to updates
Knowing a lot of AI ≠ being rich overnight
I believe AI x-riskers (the “AI may kill us” crowd) are, for the most part, honest people despite their unusual views and the intensity with which they defend them
I believe e/accs (the “accelerate or die” crowd) are in the game mostly for their own interests, despite I kind of agree with techno-optimists more than x-riskers
Sam Altman doesn’t care about money but about legacy—not sure what’s better
You can massage AI data, statistics, and their interpretations to make them favor any argument, from black to white—beware the man of one study
China will win the AI race if the US doesn’t do a 180-degree mindset shift; individual freedom often comes at the cost of social cohesion, which hinders adequate action
A few people love AI; a few more hate it; the vast majority are either indifferent or unaware
Humans love the human component in everything; pure AI-generated content can only work through deception and scams or otherwise people wouldn’t consume it
To get good at AI you need to (1) be curious, (2) use the tools, and (3) have high openness to revisit your model of the world when AI does something weird
Your idea of AI will change over time—that’s okay
A great reminder that AI isn’t just about hype or fear; it’s about understanding, adapting, and staying curious. The point about AI tools being cheap to try but having huge potential upside really hit home. Also, the idea that AI is already here, woven into our daily lives, is something we often overlook.
very refreshing and true. Where are the quiet ones ? I like François Chollet, who does not seem to be in the hype wagon. I'm disappointed that Sam Altman is not talking to me however :-)