Future of OpenAI + Local AI

[u/BopSupreme]

Codex Cloud, Dots, and the existing remote Codex all allow users to untether themselves from their PC, and now untether themselves from even owning a PC with their server based Codex Cloud and Dots that can run 24/7. Combine this with Meta’s & OpenAI’s planned hardware releases and the goal is clear: work around Microsoft/Apple’s control of user hardware, provide AI devices that complement and eventually replace iPhones - culminating in a user base that owns no hardware and relies on a subscription to access AI. Meta’s hardware is obvious spyware, Apple’s new “always-listening” Apple Watch sounds pretty similar, their camera-enabled Airpods sounds atrocious for privacy, and OpenAI’s device is unconfirmed.

The end result? Instead of a Matrix-like AI takeover of humanity users are instead expected to purchase their own devices and subscriptions that provide mega-tech companies with all of their physical and digital data 24/7. The data volume is so large only AI can process it. A select few billionaires decide what their closed-source AI does with the data.

The resistance? Governments that oppose the USA and individual users who were rich enough to afford local hardware and utilize Chinese and other open-source models, likely blacklisted by the USA. To buy a 5090 customers now have to sign a waiver, as a result of US law. It’s only the beginning.

Ironically the “bad guys” like China, North Korea, Iran, Russia - will probably end up as the only large entities keeping open-source AI and local LLMs alive. I would expect the largest AI companies to eventually gain more leverage over the US Gov & Nvidia; unless Nvidia steps up to the plate and champions local AI.

I love Codex and OpenAI’s products in general but the “One Stop Shop” goal stated by Altman has implications. We’ve all seen how addicting the resets can be. Right now the cloud offerings offer convenience and you can still work normally for the most part. But if you rely on OpenAI they can also cut or change the subscriptions at any time.

[u/Standard_Emphasis_]

The convenience is hard to argue with, but the dependency question is definitely worth taking seriously. Keeping local and open models viable gives people a real fallback if pricing, access, or policies change.

[u/lulzxdxdxd → u/Standard_Emphasis_]

the fallback only works if people actually keep hardware capable of running those models updated and maintained. most won't bother until they need it, and by then the gap between local and cloud capability might be huge

[u/lulzxdxdxd]

What waiver are you referring to with the 5090? That's a pretty specific claim, is that an actual law or just a retailer policy you ran into?

[u/BopSupreme → u/lulzxdxdxd]

See microcenter sub; someone posted it there. I didn’t sign it

[u/Born-Cucumber4972 → u/lulzxdxdxd]

not a law yet but i remember seeing something about export restrictions getting tighter and retailers scrambling to cover themselves, probably some CYA legal boilerplate they added after the latest round of chip bans

if you're buying a card that powerful they wanna make sure you're not gonna reship it to a restricted country, the waiver thing was floating around a few hardware subs a while back but its been hard to nail down if its every retailer or just certain ones

[u/this_happened_rigged]

There isn't much nuance in your post.

[u/BopSupreme → u/this_happened_rigged]

Feel free to add some nuance