Discussion
The hype cycle and inflated claims about AI this autumn are getting so bizarre that I feel it's only a matter of time before they out-gonzo the opening of the 1992 SF novel "Steel Beach" by John Varley:
"In five years, the penis will be obsolete," said the salesman.
@cstross because of this I went on a wiki-adventure through the works of John Varley and ended up watching this...
As a data point, the purchase price for both a 32 GM RAM module and a 960 GB hard drive for HP servers were around 11,000 Euros this week.
For ordinary desktop PCs the prices are somewhat more reasonable. But anything that's capable of being used in server farms is approaching its weight in gold.
truly one of my favorite first lines, a classic!!!
@cstross That book's one of my all time faves. I love the ending of Hildy's mocking writeup:
'So those of you who still own and operate a trouser-snake, better start thinking of a place to put it.
No, not *there*, you fool! That's obsolete too!'
@cstross Personally glad that prediction didn't come true (also now I need to read this novel).
@cstross ah, cybersex! I remember that used to be a thing.
@cstross I haven't read this book in three decades and I think about that opening line regularly. Certainly through the last two cycles of GPU-based scams, but also when I see people posting about the latest Apple announcement.
@cstross I think so long as the hype keeps working they'll keep going, hoping to stash a few tens of billions in, um what... any ideas? ... before it all goes tits up.
@happyborg @cstross the NVIDIA business model has not been computer graphics for a long time. It is simply inciting a new hype cycle to sell silicon every few years. Crypto, NFTs, "AI". I think "Quantum" will either be the Next Thing or the one after that.
@cstross
And that very year, the penis was detachable.
@cstross oooh I vaguely remember that book. Pretty sure I have a copy in the basement shelves - time for a reread
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@cstross Freud: C'mon, that's just penis-line-envy!