Part 13/20:
Meta’s AI research is robust, but so far mostly open-sourced and not directly marketed as commercial products. Their focus remains on the metaverse rather than large language models for consumer services. IBM, historically a leader with Watson, has shifted toward quantum computing, possibly leaving the large language model space less active for now. Shapiro suggests their influence may be minimal unless they pivot back into core AI development.
Other Players: Open Source and Startups
Open source initiatives like EleutherAI and startups pose a less direct but increasingly significant threat. The democratization of powerful models means innovation can come from many sources beyond Big Tech. These efforts could lead to specialized domain models or lighter, more accessible AI tools.