The Open Source AI Revolution
Democratizing Technology for a Better Future
Hey there, fellow tech enthusiasts! Today, I want to dive into a topic that's been on my mind lately: the incredible potential of open source AI and how it's reshaping the landscape of technology. Buckle up, because we're in for a wild ride!
You know, I've always been a firm believer that open source AI and the democratization of this technology are going to be absolutely crucial in ensuring good outcomes for humanity. And let me tell you, I'm over the moon to see that we now have frontier-level language and image models that are open source. It's like Christmas came early!
Now, I want to be clear about something: AI isn't just another tech trend we can afford to ignore. In fact, I'd argue that learning to use AI effectively could be one of the most important skills you could develop right now. Yes, even more crucial than sticking to your exercise routine or perfecting your diet (though those are still important, don't get me wrong!). We're at a pivotal moment in technological history, and those who embrace AI and stay ahead of the curve are likely to see better outcomes than those who hesitate.
Now, don't get me wrong. Proprietary models have been leading the charge for a while now, and they've been doing it with a pretty significant margin. But here's the thing: this consolidation of power in the hands of a few big players? It's limiting how we can use this game-changing technology.
Enter open source models, stage left. These bad boys are giving power back to the people, and I'm all for it. There's a reason OpenAI started with that "open" vision. But, you know how it goes - money talks, and they quickly changed their tune.
Here's where it gets a bit sticky. These closed models are basically these companies saying, "Hey, we know better than you, and we can't trust the general public." And you know what? They're not entirely wrong. I mean, have you seen the amount of obviously fake news people fall for? Or the uptick in clearly AI-generated fake articles, images, and even videos? It's enough to make your head spin.
Think about it - Nigerian prince scams are still a thing because they work. They're purposely badly written to filter out the people who wouldn't fall for them anyway. But now? Scams can be much more sophisticated. It's like we're playing whack-a-mole with tech-savvy con artists.
This is a problem we need to solve, and it's not going to be easy. AI tech is ultimately trained on human data and designed to mimic human behavior, so it's going to be a tough nut to crack. Right now, no AI detectors are really reliable beyond a coin toss.
Text? If it's generated well enough, it's next to impossible to detect. Images are getting trickier by the day. Videos are currently easier to spot, but let's face it - AI isn't going to get worse. It's only going up from here, folks.
But here's the silver lining: when frontier-level tech is open, it's free to be analyzed and defended against. The recent Gemma releases in AI explainability? Those are huge steps forward, and it's a field that desperately needs more attention.
Now, I've read opinions about how language models aren't the route to AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), and I tend to agree. These models don't have a true understanding of the concepts they're spitting out. Sure, it can tell you that if you loosen your grip on your glass, it'll fall and shatter. But does it actually understand what gravity is? Not a chance. It's like trying to describe colors to someone who's been blind since birth.
Let's take a quick trip down memory lane and look at how fast AI is moving:
- Nov 2022: ChatGPT burst onto the scene
- Mar 2023: GPT-4 showed up, smarter and with vision capabilities
- Nov 2023: GPT-4 Turbo arrived, faster, cheaper, and with a longer context
- May 2024: GPT-4o upped the ante, being even smarter, faster, and cheaper
- June 2024: Claude 3.5 Sonnet joined the party, following the same trend
- Jul 2024: GPT-4o-mini came in, faster and way cheaper
- July 2024: Llama 3.1 dropped, smarter and open source
Can you see the speed-up here? We're in the middle of an all-out arms race, folks. Just in the last 4 months, we've had faster, cheaper, open source models hitting the market. I recently tried Gemma 2-2b on my laptop, and let me tell you, I was floored. The speed was impressive, and the answers were shockingly close to GPT-3.5. And this was just on my MacBook Pro with no dedicated GPU!
To put this in perspective, GPT-3.5 at launch was so incredible it brought tears to my eyes. And now? We can match it in many ways on a laptop, running locally. It's crazy. Truly.
Let's talk numbers for a second. The pricing for ChatGPT (GPT-3.5) is roughly 3x higher than 4o-mini. For a dumber model with only 1/16th the context length and no vision. GPT-4-32K, which at launch boasted the longest context window, cost $60/$120. Claude 3.5 Sonnet? A mere $3/$15. That's 1/8th the cost and 6.25x the context length. Oh, and it's smarter, faster, and more capable to boot.
I recently saw some LLM pricing that made my jaw hit the floor. $0.06 per million output tokens for ChatGPT level performance (llama 3.1 8b). ChatGPT cost $2 per million at launch. That's 33x more expensive! At this new price, you could generate 100 books worth of text and not even spend a dollar. And we're talking 8k context vs 128k context window too. The ChatGPT API that launched just 17 months ago? It seems like a toy in comparison now.
To really drive this home, let's put it all into perspective. ChatGPT was launched in Nov 2022, just 612 days ago. The ChatGPT API? March 2023, 519 days ago. We're not even two years into this AI renaissance, and look how far we've come.
Let's take a moment to address the elephant in the room: AI is, without a doubt, a game-changer. It has the potential to be either the best or the most challenging development many of us will face in our lifetimes. It's not an exaggeration to call it an existential shift in how we work, create, and interact with technology. This isn't about fear-mongering; it's about recognizing the immense impact AI is already having and will continue to have on our lives and careers. By engaging with AI now and learning to harness its power, we're not just preparing for the future – we're actively shaping it.
Make no mistake, folks. AI is going to change the world, drastically and forever. And the best part? It's just getting started. Buckle up, because the ride is only going to get wilder from here!
As we wrap up, I want to emphasize that the AI revolution isn't something we can afford to be passive about. It's crucial that we engage with this technology, learn its capabilities, and understand its implications. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a business owner, or simply someone interested in staying relevant in an ever-changing world, now is the time to dive into AI.
So, what are your thoughts on the open source AI revolution? Are you as excited as I am about the potential it holds? What steps are you taking to embrace AI in your life or work? Drop a comment below and let's chat – your thoughts and experiences are invaluable as we navigate this new frontier together!