Episode 2113: Does Silicon Valley have an AI Bubble Problem? Duh....
Does Silicon Valley have an AI bubble problem? That Was the Week’s Keith Teare, usually the most bullish of tech bulls, acknowledges that Silicon Valley has an overvaluation issue with AI startups. But I wonder if the problem with AI goes deeper than the frothiness of its startup valuations. What, if anything, is AI search good for? asks a Vox piece that Keith links to this week. That could be rephrased. What, if anything, is AI good for? might be a better question amidst the ridiculous valuations and childish promises of Silicon Valley’s AI priesthood. And the current answer, I suspect, is: not very much.
Keith Teare is the founder and CEO of SignalRank Corporation. Previously, he was executive chairman at Accelerated Digital Ventures Ltd., a U.K.-based global investment company focused on startups at all stages. Teare studied at the University of Kent and is the author of “The Easy Net Book” and “Under Siege.” He writes regularly for TechCrunch and publishes the “That Was The Week” newsletter.
Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.
Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe
The Case for "Regime Change" in Iran: Majid Sadeghpour on why the Current Iranian Theocracy can't be Reformed
How to Kick Addictive Ideologies: Dr Emily Bashah on ending violence in Israel/Palestine
The Return of the Dissident Academic Model: Balazs Trencsenyi on the Invisible University for Ukraine
Eleanor Shearer on RIVER SING ME HOME: A post-slavery West Indian novel celebrating motherhood and female resilience.
When Everyone Leads: Julia Fabris McBride on what she claims as a "revolutionary approach" to fixing our toughest challenges
The Revolution WILL Be Podcasted: Zencastr founder Josh Nielsen on the democratization of professional podcasting
Will Donald Trump EVER Go to Jail? Elie Honig on Trump's Houdini-like Ability To Get Away With It
Why the Second World War Still Hasn't Ended in the Netherlands: Nina Siegal on Dutch Moral Complicity in the Nazi Persecution of Holland's Jews
Dean Koontz on how to Sell 500 Million Books and Why AI Engines like ChatGPT Will Never Replicate the Human "Soul"
What Will Things Be like in 60,000 Years time? Annalee Newitz imagines the future of species, real-estate, love and dogs who shun humans
The Death of Unicorns, the birth of AI and the irrelevance of social media: That Was the Week in Tech for 1.27.23
Journeys of a Humanitarian: How Jane Olson Emulated her Heroine Eleanor Roosevelt to Become a World Citizen
In the Nation's Service: Philip Taubman on George P. Shultz's UnTrumpian Role in Ending the Cold War