The AI Tech Boom: A Global Game Environment
The AI market has experienced a significant boom, with its current value estimated at $241.8 billion, according to Statista. This places AI ahead of the global movie industry and on par with the video game industry in terms of market size. The rapid growth of AI can be attributed to the release of products like ChatGPT by OpenAI in November 2022, which brought AI into the hands of consumers as both tools and toys. However, critics rightly point out the imperfections and errors of current AI technology. Despite these criticisms, the fun and entertaining aspect of AI’s errors has created a global game environment where everyone with an interest in tech is participating.
Gamification: The Secret to AI’s Viral Success
Gamification has always played a crucial role in the development of AI. Back in 2013, computer scientist Tom Murphy VII used classic Nintendo games as a benchmark for AI agents, demonstrating the capabilities and limitations of these systems. This approach, known as AI gamification, unintentionally turned the process of training AI into a game. As Murphy explained, winning had to be defined numerically for automation, which often deviated from traditional notions of playing and having fun. Yet, the game-like nature of training AI systems proved to be endlessly fascinating and entertaining.
Gamification in the Generative AI Era
Reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) is a fundamental technique that makes AI technology more usable. It involves teaching AI agents optimal behaviors through repetitive training. However, playing an actual game is not necessary to participate in the global AI game. The process of trying to make an intelligent machine achieve human goals, particularly creative ones, becomes a game in itself. Observing the system’s unexpected failures and its pursuit of “general intelligence” creates an ever-changing funhouse mirror view of “fun.” This game-like experience has become a driving force in the AI explosion.
The Game Within AI’s Success
While AI’s success may be impressive, there is often a motivation to present AI as more competent and understanding than it actually is. Focusing on the weird and entertaining aspects of AI, such as its failures, allows us to maintain a critical perspective. OpenAI’s release of GPT-2 in 2019 generated both anticipation and concern about the dangers of AI. However, by engaging with the system, users discovered its creepy and sometimes unsettling responses. The global AI game truly began with the release of ChatGPT, where the public explored its brilliance and shocking stupidity, pushing it to its limits.
The Public’s Role in Shaping AI
The global AI game has drawn attention to OpenAI and other tech giants like Google. Users have found creative ways to expose the limitations of AI systems, leading to public engagement and discourse. This highlights the potential for the public to have a say in how AI software develops and shapes our future. While there are valid concerns about the impact of AI on the workforce and society, the fun and entertaining aspect of the global AI game gives hope that public engagement can influence the direction of AI technology.
In conclusion, the AI tech boom has created a global game environment where everyone is participating. Gamification has been a key factor in AI’s viral success, providing entertainment and engagement. The global AI game allows us to explore the capabilities and limitations of AI systems while also giving us a glimpse into the future of this technology. As long as AI remains fun and engaging, its development will continue, and the public will have a say in shaping its future.
