Linus Torvalds Says AI Tech is Mostly Hype

Linus Torvalds, a well-known Finnish software engineer, shared his opinions on AI technology during an open-source event in Vienna. The creator of the Linux kernel isn’t impressed with the current state of AI. He believes that 90% of what we hear about AI is just marketing, and only 10% is real. Modern AI, according to Torvalds, is more hype than substance. He thinks generative AI services, while interesting, are overhyped. This hype is creating an unrealistic valuation for companies like Nvidia. He admits AI will change the world but thinks it’s going to take another five years to see its real impact.

Torvalds isn’t the only skeptic. Baidu’s CEO also warned that most AI companies won’t last. While services like ChatGPT are impressive, Torvalds isn’t a fan of the hype cycle. He prefers to focus on other aspects of technology, like the shift in open-source development being driven by large companies rather than individual developers. Even with his skepticism, Torvalds acknowledges that AI will become more useful and interesting in the future. But for now, he’s not buying into the hype. He also has a preference for the C programming language over Rust, despite Rust’s focus on improving software security.

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