😺 "AI is overhyped"

PLUS: a new "brain"y startup

Welcome, humans.

This is The Neuron—we guide you through AI at the speed of a cat chasing its own tail. We’ll never stop!

Here’s what you need to know about AI today:

It’s official: AI is overhyped, according to the COO of OpenAI.
Our advice for any business leaders looking to hype the correct amount.
Brains and chips are starting to look more alike.
AI takes over word of the year.

OpenAI exec wants you to chill about AI.

In an industry full of “fake it ‘til you make it”, some level-headedness is more than welcome.

In a wide-ranging interview with CNBC, OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap says business leaders are overhyping AI.

The notable tidbits:

Lots of executives are expecting AI to fix all their problems. His response? “There’s almost never a silver bullet answer there.”
Those same executives are overlooking how much individuals at their companies are benefiting from tools like ChatGPT.
The technology is early, and so are the applications. It’ll take time for AI to improve and for people to figure out the best ways to infuse AI into software.

We love the take. It’s the best explanation for why all of these things are true:

executives are really excited about AI, but
most companies are still early in adoption, and
the majority of Americans aren’t using it day-to-day

If you’re feeling like AI is the future, but you’re not sure where to start, here’s our advice for 2024 based on our convos with business leaders:

Start with problems - Map out where your business is spending time and money, then ask if AI can help. Don’t do AI to say you’re doing AI.
Model the behavior - Teams do better in making use of new tools when their leadership buys in. Show them your support.
Do what you can, wait for the rest - With AI evolving so fast, “do nothing for now” is totally valid. Start with what you can do today (accelerating individual employee output) and keep up-to-date on the rest.

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A secretive startup takes a brain-y approach to AI chips.

There’s always money in the ̶b̶a̶n̶a̶n̶a̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶n̶d̶ chip makers. If you bought Nvidia stock 1 year ago, you’d be up +174%. 5 years ago? +1,133%.

We call this a “saintly cigarette”: holy smokes!

California-based Rain Neuromorphics wants to cash in on the chip shortage by building chips that mimic the brain.

We’re pretty sure nobody knows what that actually means. But Rain claims that these chips could be 100x more powerful and 10,000x more energy efficient than today’s chips.

Time will tell: they’re projected to deliver the first chips in fall 2024.

The backdrop: Silicon Valley is scrambling for chip alternatives to increase supply and lower cost. Amazon and Microsoft are building their own chips, and Google already has their own. A handful of other startups are trying to make their mark.

PS: Elon Musk’s Neuralink wants to put chips on brains, Rain wants brains on chips. What sci-fi movie are we in?

PPS: The US has a clear message to whoever wants to make chips: do not send them to China.

Around the Horn.

Nvidia is finding strong footing in Asia, especially Japan and Singapore.
What does it actually mean to “use AI at work”?
AI is leveling the playing field, mostly by helping the underperformers.
Dictionaries are loving AI-related words this year: hallucinate, prompt and (going the other way) authentic.
Pika teases “modify region” video editing capability.

This Should (Probably) Exist.

Everyone's got that one track they replay after a breakup. Ours is "Someone Like You" by Adele—don’t judge.

Picture this: What if, instead of the generic "you" in a breakup anthem, you could input your ex's name into Spotify? Then an AI tweaks the song to make it seem like it’s all about your ex.