Mark Zuckerberg acknowledges possible AI bubble, defends Meta's aggressive investments
Zuckerberg's comments echo a sentiment previously shared by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who believes investors are "overexcited about AI." Altman, however, maintains that AI is "the most important thing to happen in a very long time."
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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has weighed in on the growing debate over a potential AI bubble, acknowledging it's "quite possible." However, he stressed that the risk of not investing heavily in the technology far outweighs the risk of overspending, as it could mean missing the "advent of superintelligence."
During a recent appearance on the Access podcast, Zuckerberg drew parallels between the current AI landscape and historical bubbles like the 19th-century Railroad Mania and the dot-com bubble. In those instances, he explained, companies over-invested in infrastructure, leading to a period of correction. Yet, the underlying networks built during these periods eventually became invaluable.
"I think it's impossible to predict what will happen here," Zuckerberg said. "But there is definitely a possibility, based on past large infrastructure buildouts...that something like that could happen here."
Despite this possibility, the Meta CEO remains committed to large-scale investment. "If we end up misspending a couple hundred billion dollars, that’s going to be very unfortunate obviously," he stated. "But I would say the risk is higher on the other side."
Zuckerberg's comments echo a sentiment previously shared by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who believes investors are "overexcited about AI." Altman, however, maintains that AI is "the most important thing to happen in a very long time."
Not everyone agrees, with former Google CEO Eric Schmidt arguing that the current developments are not a bubble but rather a sign of a "whole new industrial structure."
