Generative artificial intelligence is simply a waste of our time and money

Re:Generative artificial intelligence is simply a waste of o... by thousandautumns on Sunday April 07, 2024 @05:09PM (#39963948)

Last November, DeepMind released the results of a generative AI model that created theoretical molecular structures for over 2 million undiscovered synthetic materials. Within days, materials science researchers were able to confirm 700 of them. The sheer number of these new potential materials discovered is greater than has been created in the rest of human history combined. These are materials that can be used in manufacturing, energy production, and other objectives that are critical not just for advancing human society, but avoiding the impending crisis we are already facing.

Similar AI endeavors have been underway for medicine and human health.

The author is making extremely shallow, flawed arguments that hinge on an ignorant (or possibly, deliberately narrow-minded) understanding of what generative AI is, how it is already being used, and the magnitude of what is already being achieved with it.

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Re:Generative artificial intelligence is simply a waste of o... by _heimdall on Sunday April 07, 2024 @08:34PM (#39965179)

It will be interesting to see how many of those, if any, pan out to have a meaningful use at scale. If I remember right, those 700 or so were synthesized in a lab but I don't think we know much beyond that.

We'll see if any of them end up being viable as far as manufacturing and material availability go, and whether they're better replacements for existing tech like batteries. The hope is that we'll have Jarvis inventing a new material for Iron Man's suit, but we could always end up with an endless pile of technically feasible but functionally useless materials.

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