Whenever I see announcements like this, it's very unclear to me what is meant by "AI." Are they talking about basically getting the most out of the current ML/deep learning type systems? If so then I guess building data sets makes sense but it seems more like an uninteresting business strategy than what I think of as pushing AI forward.
If, on the other hand, they are talking about making progress on the more traditional dream of AI, the focus on building these data sets seems to be a sad way to lock us into a local maximum for a long time.
Massive curated data sets are crutches that lead us into narrow-minded hyper-specialized systems. Are any of these funds investing in people working on systems that try to make sense of raw sensory data streams? I don't think we're ever going to move away from data sets by creating more and better data sets.
If, on the other hand, they are talking about making progress on the more traditional dream of AI, the focus on building these data sets seems to be a sad way to lock us into a local maximum for a long time.
Massive curated data sets are crutches that lead us into narrow-minded hyper-specialized systems. Are any of these funds investing in people working on systems that try to make sense of raw sensory data streams? I don't think we're ever going to move away from data sets by creating more and better data sets.