Jason Michael Perry — Page 4 of 12 — Thoughts on Tech & Things

Thoughts on Tech & Things

Jason Michael Perry

Latest Thoughts

  1. 🧠 The Environmental Impact of AI

    A growing concern in the tech world is the environmental impact of large AI data centers filled with Nvidia GPUs. Training advanced AI models requires immense amounts of power and water. For instance, ChatGPT-3 consumed an estimated 1.3 gigawatt-hours of energy—the equivalent of what 120 average households would use in a year.

    In response to this rising demand, Microsoft has struck a surprising deal to reopen the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant. This will help power its Azure data centers, the same ones OpenAI uses to train its AI models, with cleaner energy sources.

    The move highlights the need to balance the power-hungry requirements of training next-gen AI models (ChatGPT-4 used roughly 10x the power of its predecessor) while staying true to clean energy commitments.

    Re-opened Three Mile Island will power AI data centers under new deal
    Microsoft would claim all of the nuclear plant’s power generation for at least 20 years.

  2. 🧠 New Law Puts Limits on AI Replicas

    Gov. Newsom has signed a new AI bill into law that places limits on companies creating digital AI replicas. For example, this law now requires permission from the family of deceased individuals before a company can create AI avatars, reproduce their voice, or develop AI-powered digital twins.

    I recently created an AI version of myself and interviewed it. From that experience, I can say the technology to create these digital twins is evolving rapidly. At last year’s SXSW, a digital AI version of Marilyn Monroe was on display. More recently, ElevenLabs signed deals with several celebrities, allowing their voices to be used on the company’s platform. Meanwhile, CGI technology has advanced to the point where it can convincingly recreate or de-age celebrities.

    These safeguards seem like a smart move, but they also raise a new question families need to consider: Should your will include instructions on whether you’d allow your information to be used for creating an AI version of yourself after you die? Would you permit your kids to license your voice or a scan of your body so that you could continue working and earning money in the afterlife?

    Gov. Gavin Newsom Signs Bills Regulating AI Performance Replicas Into Law
    In a symbolic move, the governor visited the Los Angeles headquarters of performers’ union SAG-AFTRA to greenlight the legislation: “We’re making sure that no one turns over their name, image and likeness to unscrupulous people without representation.”

  3. 🧠 Exploding Pagers Target Hezbollah

    In a story that feels ripped straight from a movie plot, more than a thousand pagers—yes, old-school beepers—exploded, killing and injuring people in Lebanon. The attack targeted members of Hezbollah, who had resorted to using low-tech devices to avoid the tracking possible with cell phones.

    It seems Israel intercepted an order for Gold Apollo brand pagers, substituting a different manufacturer to embed explosive materials inside the devices before shipping. The pagers were designed to detonate when they received a coded message.

    Exploding pagers kill nine and injure thousands in an attack on Hezbollah
    Media reports point to explosives, not batteries or malware.

  4. 🧠 Mistral Expands Access with Free Tier for AI Developers

    Llama isn’t the only open-source AI model on the block. Paris-based Mistral, the maker of several powerful AI models, is making it easier for developers to access its offerings with a new free tier and cost reductions on API access.

    Mistral has struck an interesting balance by keeping some of its models open-source and publicly available while reserving its larger, more powerful models for licensing agreements or API access.

    From what I’ve gathered, Mistral’s licensing agreements are also less rigid than Meta’s, as they don’t require developers to explicitly state that the products they build are powered by Llama.

    Mistral launches a free tier for developers to test its AI models | TechCrunch
    Mistral AI launched a new free tier to let developers fine-tune and build test apps with the startup’s AI models, the company announced in a blog post

  5. 📺 Conversations with My AI Doppelgänger

    And the interview:

  6. 🧠 Closing the Digital Divide: The Urgency of Internet Access for All

    Marketplace has a compelling series called “Breaking Ground” that delves into the impact of the Chip Act, which aims to ensure every home in the U.S. has high-speed internet by 2030.

    This series serves as a powerful reminder that the digital divide is still a reality for many, especially in rural areas where internet access is scarce. While many of us have become dependent on the internet for everything—from streaming TV to ordering groceries—there are countless communities across the U.S. that live without reliable access.

    Here in Baltimore, it’s heartbreaking to hear that some students head to the library after hours just to use Wi-Fi for their homework. One librarian interviewed in the midwest mentioned finding people camped outside in the cold with sleeping bags, using the library’s connection because it’s the only high-speed option available in their community.

    I often say that what feels normal to many of us, especially those deeply ingrained in the tech world, isn’t always reflective of everyone’s reality. But we can and must do better. Closing this gap is becoming as essential as providing water or electricity.

    Breaking Ground Archives – Marketplace
    Are we living through an economic turning point?

  7. 🧠 Yelp Seizes the Moment After Google’s Antitrust Defeat

    In the wake of Google’s recent antitrust loss, it’s clear that Yelp smells blood in the water. Jeremy Stoppelman, Yelp’s CEO, recently penned a blog post announcing that Yelp is suing Google, accusing it of being a monopoly that unfairly suppresses local search results.

    Stoppelman makes a compelling case, arguing that Google has been propping up what Yelp calls an inferior local search product to capture more search traffic within its own ecosystem—something widely known as “zero-click search.”

    As I’ve pointed out in my newsletter, this couldn’t come at a worse time for Google. For the first time, competitors like OpenAI and Perplexity AI see a path to challenge Google’s dominance in search. But AI-driven search is a different beast, something I’ve referred to as “answer engines.” Unlike traditional search, these tools don’t provide a list of links or drive traffic to the sources they pull from; instead, they deliver direct answers, posing a new kind of threat to Google’s search empire.

    yelp-v-google

  8. 🧠 EVs Are the Future, Just Not as Soon as We Thought

    EV sales are up, just not as quickly as expected, but growth remains steady. Look, you know I have my issues with charging networks, but after nearly a year of driving an electric car, I can confidently say it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

    Range anxiety, especially during the last mile when traveling, continues to be a challenge. But for day-to-day commuting, it’s the best type of car you could choose—assuming you have the infrastructure at home to support a charger. When I hop in my car for a meeting, it’s charged to the recommended 80% (I only max out at 100% if I’m planning a long drive), and even on round trips from Baltimore to DC and back, I’ve never felt the need to stop and charge.

    If we’re talking about real car anxiety—I don’t miss the days of coming home late with less than a quarter tank of gas, only to wake up rushing to a meeting and needing to stop at a gas station on the way. An electric car at home is like waking up every morning with a gas station in your house that filled your car overnight.

    The transition may take longer than we thought, and maybe hybrids will help people ease into the shift, but I have no doubt EVs are the future. I just hope these lousy charging networks get their act together and more people adopt EVs, helping solve the last mile problem that adoption will ultimately fix.

    The EV evolution is going to take longer than we thought
    Things are likely to remain volatile and unpredictable. And that’s okay.

  9. 🧠 Can We Even Trust Disses in Songs Anymore?

    First, Drake used AI to add a voice clone of Snoop Dogg to a track, and now Grimes, Elon Musk’s ex and mother of his child, was impersonated to create a diss track—all with AI. It’s wild when you realize that even the disses in songs might not be real anymore!

    AI-Generated Grimes Song Dissing Elon Musk Fools Newsweek
    A former Vine star has used Grimes’ AI to diss her famous ex and highlight the pitfalls of the burgeoning technology.

  10. 📺 What is a Photo?

  11. 🧠 Over Half of Fortune 500s List AI as a Threat

    According to Arize, over 56% of Fortune 500 companies now list AI as a risk factor in their annual reports to the SEC.

    The risk is undeniable—generative AI will be one of the most transformative revolutions we’ve ever witnessed, and companies that are slow to adapt could face substantial losses.

    This reminds me of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s quote: ‘While some worry that AI may take their jobs, someone who’s an expert with AI will.’ As I often say when discussing the role of the CAIO, the same principle applies to business: the companies that succeed will be those who learn to deeply understand and leverage AI.

    More companies are disclosing potential AI risk to investors – Marketplace
    According to an Arize AI report, 92% of media and entertainment companies in the Fortune 500 mentioned AI as a material risk.

  12. 🧠 Don’t Connect Your TV to the Internet

    It’s no secret that companies like Vizio have long subsidized the cost of their TVs by selling data about what you watch.

    As Vizio increasingly subsidized the cost of the TV with other revenue sources its made it harder and harder for other brands to compete, forcing them to follow suit. Now the practice of monetizing user data is becoming the norm with many top manufacturers joining the trend by injecting ads and, in some cases, overlaying them on top of your content.

    While this strategy might reduce the upfront cost of a TV, many manufacturers know that customers dislike these features and often obscure them in settings. Even those convenient buttons for streaming apps on your remote, or the apps pre-installed on your TV, result from licensing deals that are more about revenue than user convenience.

    The evolution of the smart TV is not just about advancing technology but also about finding ways to monetize a product with traditionally low margins long after the initial sale.

    Here’s my rule: avoid buying a smart TV if possible, which is increasingly difficult. If you do end up with one, resist connecting it to the Internet. Opt instead for an external device like a Google TV or Apple TV, which generally offer a cleaner experiences. Oh, and avoid Roku (https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/30/24145177/roku-home-screen-video-ads)!

    Your TV set has become a digital billboard. And it’s only getting worse.
    TV software is getting loaded with ads, changing what it means to own a TV set.

  13. 🧠 Epic Game Store Launches in the EU

    The EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) is finally paving the way for competing app stores. Available exclusively in EU countries, residents can now download the Epic Game Store. You might recall, particularly in the US, that Epic introduced changes to Fortnite to circumvent app store rules, leading to its ban from both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

    Epic took legal action against Apple and Google, claiming their app stores operated as monopolies. While Apple mostly prevailed in its legal battle, Google lost, yet little has shifted in the US market, leaving Fortnite still largely inaccessible on iOS and iPadOS devices.

    With this new launch, Fortnite makes a comeback in the EU. For a glimpse into what it takes to install a new marketplace and what the Epic Store offers, check out the video below.

  14. 🧠 Exploring Yelp’s Response to Google’s Monopoly Status

    Yelp’s CEO, Jeremy Stoppelman, recently weighed in on Google’s long-standing monopoly, highlighting the distinction between general and vertical search engines. Yelp, for instance, specializes as a vertical search engine, focusing narrowly on areas like restaurant reviews and local businesses, unlike Google’s broad scope.

    Back in 2011, Google acquired Zagat, a strategic move that showcased its intention to dominate not just general search but also specific verticals such as restaurant reviews. This acquisition was part of Google’s broader strategy to keep users within its ecosystem by providing extensive information directly on its properties. For example, Google’s “zero-search” approach enables users to see restaurant menus, reviews, and other details directly on Google, reducing the need to visit vertical search engines like Yelp or the actual restaurant websites.

    With the rise of AI-driven search tools like OpenAI’s SearchGPT and PerplexityAI, which aim to directly answer users’ queries, traditional search engines like Google could face real competition. This shifts the landscape for specialized platforms like Yelp. Should Yelp build higher walls around its content and profit from licensing its data, much like it does with Apple Maps?

    A watershed decision for fair competition, innovation, and consumer choice
    This week marks a historic turning point in the fight for fair competition. U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta’s landmark decision in U.S. v. Google has unequivocally found that Google willfully used illegal means to maintain its monopoly in the general search market.

  15. 🧠 🚀 Stranded in Space

    Are any of you following the unfolding space drama? I’m wondering whether the astronauts on the space station will return on a Boeing craft or if SpaceX will be called in for a mic drop pickup. What started as a mission as brief as Gilligan’s Island’s “three-hour tour” has spiraled into potential year-long stranding. Boeing sunk $1.6 billion into this spacecraft, and it’s shocking to think their tech might be as underwhelming as a ship controlled by a Logitech joystick (Infamous $30 Logitech F710 called out in $50M lawsuit over Titan sub implosion).

    What are your thoughts? Should they take Boeing’s Starliner, or will SpaceX need to step in and save the day?

    Starliner issues throw a wrench in NASA’s crew rotation plans
    NASA‘s mood toward’s the safety of returning Boeing‘s Crewed Flight Test crew back on Starliner has switched from steadfast support…

  16. 🧠 Will Battery Tech Ease Range Anxiety?

    One silver lining for future EV owners is the rapid advancement in battery technology. I own a Tesla Model 3 with a lower range, and for my daily commuting and city errands, it provides more than enough charge.

    Where range anxiety kicks in is on longer trips. Sadly, as noted in my earlier post, America’s charging infrastructure is still not quite there. But imagine this: future EVs with these new batteries could boost ranges to 600-900 miles. You could drive from Charlotte, NC, to New Orleans (about 700 miles) without needing to recharge.

    Of course, these long-range capabilities will be available in premium models, but as technology progresses, each new generation of EVs will benefit from these advancements. This battery trickle-down effect ensures continual improvements across the market – and over the next decade battery tech could kill range anxiety.

    Samsung to Mass-Produce Solid-State Batteries for ‘Super Premium’ EVs by 2027
    Multiple automakers have been testing product samples, bringing them closer to hitting the market. But like most new technologies, they won’t be cheap.