Astro Hacker News - Big Tech's AI Push Is Costing More Than the Moon Landing

zug_zug |next [-]

Well… maybe making thinking machines mass produced is actually a more amazing project than the moon landing

Just need to make sure the wealth is spread equally

mbgerring |root |parent |next [-]

The wealth will not be spread equally. The way we’re building all of this infrastructure is designed to prevent that.

estimator7292 |root |parent |next |previous [-]

This may genuinely be one of the most deaf and naïve take I've ever seen on this website. Good job!

bigstrat2003 |root |parent |next |previous [-]

Considering that we are not making thinking machines, the AI push doesn't really compare favorably.

JKCalhoun |root |parent |next |previous [-]

> Well… maybe making thinking machines mass produced…

Now if we could only make thinking machines. ;-)

(Kind of surprised at all the negging of moon landings in this thread. Maybe I'm just of an older generation. At least one other post here points out all the spinoffs in regard to integrated circuits, etc. that came from the previous apace race.)

zug_zug |root |parent [-]

To be clear I’m not negging the moon landing. I just think it may only Be humanity’s second greatest achievement

But thinking machines, even if they only have an IQ of 70 right now, even if they may end humanity, are still a technological marvel on the order of splitting the atom

JKCalhoun |root |parent [-]

I see your point then.

Somehow this doesn't feel like the same kind of achievement though. We had the whole of the country pulling for the moon landing. Instead we have a handful of CEO's schmoozing Wall Street, raping the power grid, making hardware unobtainium for the rest of us for this "moon shot".

We chose to go to the moon because it was hard. We choose to build AI because it will make corporate America rich? (Somehow doesn't have the same ring to it in Peoria.)

And as we have already seen, the downsides of AI are extensive—they may turn out to outweigh the benefits? Other than cost, it's hard to find a downside to the moon landing.

binary132 |root |parent [-]

I think these people are either bots or paid shills. No other sane explanation for thinking gloried chatbots are better than the space race. It’s not in good faith. Mods do nothing and get mad if you spend too much energy pointing it out.

dyauspitr |root |parent |next |previous [-]

Spoiler alert: The wealth will not be spread equally until there is violence to demand it and that’s not going to happen because the “overlords” will make sure people have just enough to get by.

To be fair, I don’t think distributing wealth equally even makes sense but we should definitely aim for distributing wealth in a way that most people can get through life with all their basic needs comfortably met.

ratatatatata |root |parent |previous [-]

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ksec |next |previous [-]

One of the them is a one shot project and one of them is an infrastructure project being used by billions. It makes a nice headline but not a decent comparison.

On another note I wish there is some break down of where all the spendings goes to. GPU, CPU, RAM, Network, Switch, Cables, Power, Datacenter. The AI ecosystem and business is larger than Smartphone revolution kick started by Apple, but unlike Smartphone or consumer products these Hyperscaler and AI spending right now it is very opaque.

trescenzi |root |parent [-]

The moon landing led to a huge amount of infrastructure and inventions which now power the modern world. The moon landing was the marketing moment. The buildout of space tech and creation of industry was the actual goal.

somewhereoutth |root |parent [-]

specifically to keep up with the Soviet Union. Sputnik 'concentrated a lot of minds' as they say.

mbgerring |next |previous [-]

We could have spent this money and labor on decarbonization, and our failure to do so will have vast, multi-generational consequences.

The effort to drive carbon emissions to 0 continues in earnest, but climate chaos is already here, and at this rate it’s going to get much worse before we finally take this problem seriously.

direwolf20 |root |parent |next [-]

We couldn't, because we don't have it. They have it. We gave it to them and let them keep it.

nine_zeros |root |parent [-]

Yep. The money exists but in the hands of the people who don't want to improve the lives of the many.

simianwords |root |parent |previous [-]

Not really. It won’t have much multi generational consequences.

Isn’t it good people didnt think this way when the internet revolution happened? One could’ve rationalised not building out the internet because of supposed scare of climate change. But the gains we got from internet far surpassed any climate related problems.

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fennecbutt |next |previous [-]

Yeah but wasn't the moon landing funded by hard cash?

AI stuff (and tbh all silicon valley tech companies even outside AI) all seem to be funded by the theoretical valuation of various companies and barely any of it is hard cash. All stock deals and dog food.

mock-possum |next |previous [-]

Okay but I can actually use AI, whereas I’ve only seen pictures someone else going to the moon.

Also the US and the Soviet Union raced to get to the moon first, but the whole internet-connected world gets LLMs right now.

xhkkffbf |previous [-]

The moon landing was cool, but all we got were some neat imagery and some rocks. And we've even managed to lose some of the rocks because they were that special. At least with the AIs, we're getting something.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_and_missing_Moon_rocks.