Is AI actually worthwhile?

A number of large IT companies are investing billions in AI. This includes developing/training the programmes, building data centres and building power generation and cooling systems for the data centres.

Where is the payback for this?

Will there be sufficient paying business for more than one general AI system?

There are specific areas of machine learning that are beneficial such as medical diagnosis and quality control but these are not general purpose applications.

As I understand the only ‘profit’ that general AI can bring is a reduction in human jobs and salaries. The AI solution must be significantly cheaper than the current human solution including  background costs such as system support and upgrades.

Who takes the responsibility for problems and mistakes? If one of my staff makes a mistake that ends up as my problem. If the AI system makes a mistake that remains my problem but there is nothing I can do about it. How do you ‘un/retrain’ a LLM?

Is AI (other than certain very specific versions) a solution looking for a problem?

Is this the next .com bubble?

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  • Thank you for your responses.

    There is obviously a need for various ‘machine learning’ systems which can do useful work.

    My next question is:

    Is it better (cheaper, more efficient, more reliable) to develop systems for individual tasks or groups of tasks such as image recognition or software coding than to develop a ‘universal’ Large Language Model and then try to customise it for a particular task and have to keep checking it’s results like you would with a trainee?

  • There are several different sorts of AI that are not interchangeable. An LLM that answers questions or writes a press release won't draw you a picture or tell you what's in a photo.

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  • There are several different sorts of AI that are not interchangeable. An LLM that answers questions or writes a press release won't draw you a picture or tell you what's in a photo.

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