Following on from our recent articles about AI comes the news that the position of Google CEO Sundar Pichai is on shaky ground following their recent missteps vis a vis AI.
Like an embattled and beleaguered coach, there’s a lot of conjecture and speculation about his future which seems to fuel further problems.
It’s crazy to think all this is all about AI and the pursuit of it.
Unpacking the article the main claims are that
That Google is suddenly behind in the AI race
In turn, is the current Google management the right team to lead it
In terms of the first point, who determined that Google is behind? What is it based on?
Furthermore, why is there a need for there to be an AI race anyway? Google Search works fine.
The problem with a race is twofold – first this sense of urgency will lead to mistakes being made but secondly and more importantly, is this race even something worthwhile competing in, let alone winning?
As we’ve written before, AI is a tool which if put in the hands of bad actors can be extremely dangerous and damaging. This isn’t like Ford v Ferrari. This race is to put AI out there for the whole world to have at their disposal.
And as we’ve seen with anything Google puts out, most of the population isn’t fussed while those who realize its potential to be abused and manipulated get straight on it.
As for the second claim in the article, do we really want Google to replace Pichai with someone who’s going to dive head first into AI which will significantly accelerate the arms race feel to all of this?
There is a huge need for cool heads prevailing. Of not bowing into the white noise, hype and hysteria and staying the course.
Sports fans will know that when there is a call to sack a coach and it happens, it doesn’t mean that the team stops playing poorly. And if it continues to play poorly,, there are no calls to sack the new coach because he just got appointed. So what difference does it make? What does it achieve?
Absolutely nothing.
Instead of hurtling to something that afterwards we will label as a huge mistake, maybe ths urgency should be tempered.
Of course how ironic and extremely meta would it be if many of these articles about Google’s AI problems were written by AI.