Silicon Valley Stifled The AI Doom Movement In 2024
For several years now, technologists have rung alarm bells about the potential for advanced AI systems to cause catastrophic damage to the human race.
But in 2024, those warning calls were drowned out by a practical and prosperous vision of generative AI promoted by the tech industry – a vision that also benefited their wallets.
Those warning of catastrophic AI risk are often called “AI doomers,” though it’s not a name they’re fond of. They’re worried that AI systems will make decisions to kill people, be used by the powerful to oppress the masses, or contribute to the downfall of society in one way or another.
In 2023, it seemed like we were in the beginning of a renaissance era for technology regulation. AI doom and AI safety — a broader subject that can encompass hallucinations, insufficient content moderation, and other ways AI can harm society — went from a niche topic discussed in San Francisco coffee shops to a conversation appearing on MSNBC, CNN, and the front pages of the New York Times.
To sum up the warnings issued in 2023: Elon Musk and more than 1,000 technologists and scientists called for a pause on AI development, asking the world to prepare for the technology’s profound risks. Shortly after, top scientists at OpenAI, Google, and other labs signed an open letter saying the risk of AI causing human extinction should be given more credence.
More warnings about AI that were silenced in 2024 on TechCrunch
A Broke Web Dev, A 6D Demon, & An AI Clone Of A VC: The Insane Story Of ai16z
AI16z is a decentralized AI-powered venture fund launched by Shaw, a web developer who used publicly available writings of Marc Andreessen to create an AI agent for investment management.
From humble beginnings, Shaw’s project rapidly grew to a $2 billion fund within weeks, making it the #1 trending GitHub repo. AI16z demonstrates how crypto enables AI innovation at unprecedented speeds while decentralizing power.
However, challenges remain, including the ethical and practical limitations of AI agents managing complex tasks. AI16z is a compelling case study of how AI and blockchain are reshaping finance and leveling the playing field for creators.
Zaha Hadid Architects Builds ‘Winner Proposals’ With Artificial Intelligence
Patrik Schumacher, the firm’s chief executive, explains how generative design tools improve productivity and woo clients.
Architects have traditionally needed weeks or months to produce intricate designs using computer-aided design software. Now generative artificial intelligence-powered tools are saving technology-focused architecture companies money and time.
Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), the company led by the world-renowned Iraqi-British architect Dame Zaha Hadid from 1979 until her death in 2016, is among them. Known for her signature futuristic and fluid style, Hadid was the first woman to win the Pritzker prize, the sector’s most prestigious award. Under her leadership, ZHA created distinguished buildings including the London Aquatics Centre and the Maxxi Museum in Rome.
Since 2016, the company has been led by her long-time collaborator Patrik Schumacher. ZHA, which employs 500 people and has 60 projects in development, said it expects revenues of £77 million this year, up from £69 million last year.
Schumacher, 63, is an AI evangelist who began investing in generative design technologies “in earnest” in early 2022. Like many companies, ZHA started by trialling off-the-shelf AI products before building its own.
More on Zaha Hadid’s AI Architects on The Times
Google Veo 2 Vs OpenAI Sora Compared
OpenAI Sora vs Google Veo 2: Which AI Video Generator Reigns Supreme? In this head-to-head comparison, we dive deep into the capabilities of OpenAI Sora and Google Veo 2, two cutting-edge AI video generation models.
From stunning video outputs to revolutionary text-to-video technology, this video showcases a detailed compilation of examples, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses, and performance in real-world scenarios.
Putin Orders Russian Government And Top Bank To Develop AI Cooperation With China
President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia's government and the country's biggest bank, Sberbank to build cooperation with China in artificial intelligence.
Putin's instructions were published on the Kremlin's website on Wednesday, three weeks after he announced that Russia would team up with BRICS partners and other countries to develop AI.
He told the government and Sberbank, which is spearheading Russia's AI efforts, to "ensure further co-operation with the People's Republic of China in technological research and development in the field of artificial intelligence".
Western sanctions intended to restrict Moscow's access to the technologies it needs to sustain its war against Ukraine have resulted in the world's major producers of microchips halting exports to Russia, severely limiting its AI ambitions.
Sberbank CEO German Gref acknowledged in 2023 that graphics processing units (GPUs), the microchips that underpin AI development, were the trickiest hardware for Russia to replace.
More on Putin’s AI cooperation orders on Reuters
From Cloud to Edge: AI Gets Personal
What if generative AI models could run directly on your smartphone, creating images, video, and voice instantly—without relying on the cloud?
In this episode, Jennifer Li, General Partner at a16z, explains why on-device AI is poised to take center stage in 2025.
Thanks to smaller, more efficient models and increasingly powerful devices, AI-powered experiences will become faster, more seamless, and more private.
From real-time voice agents to AR-powered cameras and smarter wearables, Jennifer explores how this shift unlocks new consumer and B2B applications. She also dives into the challenges, economics, and players that stand to benefit from this evolution.
Sam Altman’s OpenAI Failed To Deliver The Opt-Out Tool It Promised By 2025
Back in May, OpenAI said it was developing a tool to let creators specify how they want their works to be included in — or excluded from — its AI training data. But 7 months later, this feature has yet to see the light of day.
Called Media Manager, the tool would “identify copyrighted text, images, audio, and video,” OpenAI said at the time, to reflect creators’ preferences “across multiple sources.” It was intended to stave off some of the company’s fiercest critics, and potentially shield OpenAI from IP-related legal challenges.
But people familiar tell TechCrunch that the tool was rarely viewed as an important launch internally. “I don’t think it was a priority,” one former OpenAI employee said. “To be honest, I don’t remember anyone working on it.”
A non-employee who coordinates work with the company told TechCrunch in December that they had discussed the tool with OpenAI in the past, but that there haven’t been any recent updates. (These people declined to be publicly identified discussing confidential business matters.)
More on OpenAI failing to deliver Media Manager opt-out tool
Lightcone Podcast 2025 Forecast | a16z
Happy New Year! In this mini-episode, the Lightcone podcast hosts ring in 2025 with their predictions for startups, Artificial Intelligence and crypto.
Thats all for today, however new advancements, investments, and partnerships are happening as you read this. AI is moving fast, subscribe today to stay informed.