The Verge argues Silicon Valley is building tech many people do not want

In short: A new Verge column argues that many Silicon Valley trends, including NFTs, the metaverse, and parts of today’s AI boom, are built more for investors than for everyday people.

What's going on

Elizabeth Lopatto at The Verge says some tech leaders and investors have drifted away from a basic idea, make products that solve real problems for customers. Instead, she argues, Silicon Valley often tries to “invent the future” and expects everyone else to adapt.

The piece points to past hype cycles like NFTs and the metaverse. NFTs are digital items that claim ownership, like a receipt for a picture on the internet. The metaverse was pitched as a more online social world, often tied to buying headsets. Lopatto argues these ideas struggled because most people did not see clear everyday value.

She says AI is more useful than those earlier trends in some areas, especially for organizing information and helping with certain kinds of work. But she argues that large language models, the kind of AI behind chatbots like ChatGPT, still have a mismatch between their huge costs and what most people actually need. She also raises concerns about AI tools that flood markets with low-quality content, like scammy music uploads or cheaply made books.

What to watch

The column suggests the next test is whether AI companies can make tools that feel as practical as familiar “robot helpers” people already rely on, like dishwashers and washing machines. Another key issue is money, since many popular AI services are cheap or free today, and may need stronger business plans later. Finally, it is worth watching how AI affects the websites and creators it depends on, since chatbots often pull information from work made by other people.

Source: The Verge AI