What We Talk About When We Talk About AI

"Grift Shift" - A New Term Learned

First of all, good innovation should attract attention and investment. Now, I've learned a new term, "Grift Shift" in this inspiring article, asking provoking questions: How much of the ongoing AI boom is merely evolutionary or speculative? And are we heading towards an AI bubble that eventually bursts? Actually, this pattern is not really surprising or unique. Not every hype, such as those surrounding EV, digital currency, or the metaverse, morphs into a bursting bubble. (However, some bubbles are inevitably going to burst, because I'm not really sure if the concept of collective memory really exists ??)

There is no money for R&D

We can't talk about innovation without R&D. The downside of this pattern, let's call it the cascade of innovation: from innovation to trend; from trend to hype; maybe ends up as a bubble that bursts - has shaped R&D radically. Speaking to my R&D fellow friends, it’s like you are either lucky enough to ride the wave of this boom, or you find yourself in a constant battle to justify your existence and the value of your work in your job. It seems there is scarcely any room or money for genuine, groundbreaking R&D in this environment of speculation and hype. Or there is only D, while nobody is doing the research. Of course, I'm stretching the truth a bit.

Break the Cycle

The unfortunate fate of Innovation, the downside of the cascade of innovation is, in my opinion, currently mainly caused by attention economics, which treats human attention as a scarce commodity. This model of attention economics has been a significant player in polarizing trends and opinions and spreading misinformation. A hype is more likely to evolve into a bubble, especially when people’s attention spans are so short that they don’t want to read beyond a tweet, and make investment decisions based on this. But AI doesn’t necessarily have to follow this known cascade pattern and become another bubble. It has the potential to counteract this downside. I’m curious, will AI just become a new multiplier of attention economics, or will it help in breaking the cycle and lead to more balanced and sustainable innovation? The journey through the intricate paths of innovation, speculation, and sustainability in AI is both intriguing and challenging, and it’s something I’m keenly observing. ??