Sorry Nvidia, innovation in AI will be at the low end, not on giant GPU mainframes.

 Innovation in computing has always been at the low end.

When people were able to get their own personal computers, that's when the revolution sparked.

Nvidia, in a weird reversal of the norms of computing, is pushing AI into "GPU Mainframes" like the Nvidia A100 - super giant, super powerful, super expensive AI/GPU number crunchers.

That's the playfield where Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang wants the AI revolution to play out - in the cloud, in the hands of the high priests of cloud computing at Amazon, Azure and Google, using Nvidia's most ridiculously expensive hardware.

But I have bad news for Jensen - software developers hate that.  Consumers want to do it themselves, they want it to be cheap and they want to be in control.  The industry abandoned the mainframe, and no matter how much Nvidia wants that era back, its finished.

What that means is that the AI revolution is not going to play out in the cloud, where GPUs are expensive and hard to get access to and controlled by the high priests, who decide who is allowed mainframe computing time. 

Nope, the AI revolution will be on retail gaming spec GPUs from AMD and Intel. In fact Nvidia may not be part of this low end AI party, because Nvidia imposes artificial constraints on its drivers so you CAN'T do the AI you want to on their retail gaming GPUs.  

Software developers will develop AI for what they can get their hands on.  They'll smash and squeeze the software till it fits and works on what's available.  They'll find innovative ways to connect multiple gaming GPUs together.

The forces of open source will rally against Nvidia's attempt to make AI into a new mainframe era.

It's happening now.

Andrew Stuart

9 Aug 2023

andrew.stuart@supercoders.com.au

Where are all the exciting digital advertising screen applications?

Whenever I see a digital advertising screen, I want to interact with it.  However I've never seen a single such digital advertising screen.

Put a QR code on the screen, scan it from your phone and take control via your phone.

Imagine passing by that giant screen at the airport, scanning the QR code on it and taking control!

Or that screen built in to the bus stop shelter.

Or those giant screens above the intersections in the city.

Maybe Space Invaders.

Maybe some sort of UI that allows users to interact with the advertisement.

Maybe at an airport, scroll the ad to videos of different international destinations.

Maybe build some sort of multi player game in which multiple random passers by can scan the QR code and join into a game together.

Maybe something else innovative and entertaining.

Give people a reason to look at the screen and want to interact with it.

Instead of just "screen and ad", the least possible imaginative way of utilizing giant screen advertising. 

Where are the cool and exciting interactive digital ad screen applications?

The advertising industry really has no imagination. 

andrew.stuart@supercoders.com.au

7 aug 2023