During the recent Open Source Summit 2023 conference, Linus Torvalds, the father of Linux, and in his words an angry little Viking, had an inspiringly constructive view of the latest AI, even though he had always been a fierce critic to the large technology enterprises, like Nvidia. The event was crowned by a keynote discussion between Torvalds and Dirk Hohndel, a legend of Open-Source movement, on the development of AI as well as AI future.
Evaluating AI with a measured approach
Torvalds observed the incredible research in AI slowly being consumed by him with the mixture of amusement and moderate optimism. O, by Jove! It’s laughable to think, he joked, imagining fake intelligence only to replace his job in the future. On the other hand, he recommended a more cautious attitude to the currently prevailing AI hype period. Thus, he indicated that it would be better to wait and see at least before making up one’s mind. Don’t jump the gun and say, Oh my gosh, this technology will make me a God, because frankly, that is still very far into the future. Use the power that is actually available in the next 10-15 years, instead,” he emphasized, bringing some sense into the extreme viewpoints that either look into the AI as humanity’s savior or call it an extinction device.
Hohndel gave a more critical perspective on existing AI technologies, describing most AI tools as autocorrect on steroids. This difference in views from inside the tech community revealed the different opinions due to the realistic achievement and reliability on existing AI. For example, Linus Torvalds, who was considered a staunch skeptic of Nvidia in the past, recognized the improvements in their communication with the Linux community. On the contrary, never before has the famous Torvalds sounded so harsh in his criticism of Nvidia. More than a decade ago, he deprived them of the name “the single worst company we have ever faced by cursing them and demonstrate the bird whose name is ‘middle finger’ during a meeting in Finland.
Torvalds on AI’s Role in Enhancing Programming Tools
The last developments have made him less critical about it. It is Torvalds opinion that Nvidia got better at talking to Linux developers/ talking to Linux devs and working with Linux memory management – an important point because Nvidia is so dependent on the Linux system to run those large language models.
This changes is significant, referring to Nvidia’s interests and efforts to collaborate better and comply with Linux ecosystem, which indicates that this is a positive move. He also dwelt on the gains derived from AI in programming. For instance, he clearly pointed out how AI makes ways for the detection of bugs and enhancements of system tools. He welcomed AI utilization, which, he believed, was capable of locating bugs or glitches faster. He has the habit of overusing various tools and instruments; however, it would be a mistake to replace them with more intelligent versions, he uttered. The integration of AI could lead to the creation of very simple interfaces to be used in conjunction with these tools for examination of the kernels and patterns required, that will not need any specialized technical requirements and detailed scripting.
While in general Torvalds was excited about what AI could accomplish he remained suspicious about the extent to which AI abilities could be misrepresented in the wider public, keeping the heights of the hype generally reserved for some new technologies. As for AI BS, then he cautioned, that those working in the tech sector must take care so as not to get carried away by the hype over the artificial intelligence capabilities, while also maintaining vigilance on the extent to which it can be used in real life scenarios and realistic limitations.
While AI continues to expand, talks like the ones that took place during the Open Source Summit are essential for perceiving the possibilities and real-life implementations that surround this wonderful creation. While opinions may be fundamentally different, veterans’ viewpoints represented by people like Linus Torvalds deserve a respectful consideration on the issue of how AI may affect technological innovations, industry standards and other social aspects. Along the developing process of AI, sector of technologies is staying alarmed and with a hope to get through the challenges and uncovering opportunities.
This article originally appeared in PC Gamer
From Zero to Web3 Pro: Your 90-Day Career Launch Plan
