OpenAI is launching a $200 per month model to capitalize on the hype and perceived need for a competitive edge, despite indications that AI capabilities are plateauing. This move is part of their strategy to monetize their technology and test price elasticity in the market.
Sam Altman suggested that AGI will matter much less than people expect to manage expectations and potentially ease the transition from current AI models to AGI. This also aligns with his interest in declaring AGI to free OpenAI from its Microsoft deal.
There is growing concern about the reliability of AI models like ChatGPT because they frequently produce incorrect or hallucinated information. A recent study showed that ChatGPT got 153 out of 200 questions wrong and only acknowledged its inability to accurately respond seven times.
A misinformation researcher used ChatGPT to help organize citations for a court affidavit, likely due to the tool's confidence and ease of use, despite knowing about its propensity for hallucinations. This resulted in the researcher unintentionally submitting a document with fabricated citations.
Pat Gelsinger retired abruptly, possibly due to disagreements with the board over the company's strategic direction, particularly regarding the foundry business. Intel's board may have wanted to split the company into separate design and manufacturing entities, which Gelsinger opposed.
Walmart's acquisition of Vizio is significant because Vizio's Platform Plus, which accounts for all of the company's gross profit, is an advertising business. This move allows Walmart to control the ad network on smart TVs, enhancing its data tracking capabilities and potentially influencing consumer purchasing behavior.
Streaming services like Disney+ and Max are reintroducing cable-like features to replicate the convenience of traditional cable TV, where content is readily available upon turning on the TV. This move aims to address user frustration with navigating multiple grids of icons and to compete with the simplicity of platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
There is a shift towards ad-supported streaming models because the traditional ad-supported model has been disrupted by platforms like Google and Facebook, which took most of the ad revenue. Streaming services are trying to regain control of their distribution and monetize content more effectively through ads.
The Browser Company is discontinuing Arc and focusing on a new AI-powered browser, Dia, to innovate and explore new ways of interacting with the web. Dia aims to integrate AI more deeply into the browsing experience, offering features like contextual AI menus in text boxes, which could potentially enhance user productivity and convenience.
Threads is making efforts to integrate with the Fediverse to enhance interoperability and provide users with more options for content discovery and interaction. This move also positions Threads to compete more effectively with other social platforms by offering a more open and federated experience.
Nilay and David talk a bit about this week’s launch of the Verge subscription, plus what’s coming next. (There’s still time to send questions for next week! 866-VERGE11 or email [email protected].) Then they talk about the streaming news of the week, and the ways streaming services are continuing to act like cable companies. Then Kylie Robison joins to talk about the lowering stakes for AGI, shipmas at OpenAI, and more. Finally, in the lighting round, it’s crypto and browsers and Intel. And more crypto.
Further reading:
Max is finally about to start cracking down on password sharing.)
OpenAI’s 12 days of ‘shipmas’ include Sora and new reasoning model)
Sam Altman says AGI will “matter much less” than people expect)
Sam Altman on Elon Musk and OpenAI’s relationship with Microsoft.)
ChatGPT’s search results for news are ‘unpredictable’ and frequently inaccurate)
Misinformation expert admits ChatGPT added fake details to his anti-deepfake court filing)
Dia is the The Browser Company’s AI-powered follow-up to Arc)
Threads takes an important baby step toward true fediverse integration)
Threads’ next update is a search feature that finds the post you’re looking for)
Trump picks two nominees who could decide the fate of Big Tech and crypto )
Spotify Wrapped 2024 adds an AI podcast to recap your listening habits)
Email us at [email protected]) or call us at 866-VERGE11, we love hearing from you.
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