Linus Torvalds: 90% of AI marketing is hype so 'I ignore it'

Torvalds says AI is interesting and may change the world, but the hype cycle around it makes him want to ignore it for now. He says the industry is in a bad position because the marketing outweighs the reality, and he expects clearer evidence in five years, when real workloads will show what GenAI is actually used for.

Reading notes

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• He describes the AI sector as 90 percent marketing and 10 percent reality.
• He says ChatGPT makes good demonstrations and is used in areas like graphic design.
• He links his view to a general dislike of the hype cycle, which he says also surrounded crypto.
• The article adds that large sums have gone into AI start-ups and hyperscaler spending, while revenue from AI services remains much lower.
• It also notes that Google and Microsoft are still trying to prove GenAI productivity benefits, and that return on investment is uncertain.