There is something rather strange about being 80 years old and watching the biggest technology race in human history unfold right in front of me.
Google is racing.
OpenAI is racing.
Apple is racing.
Meta is racing.
Anthropic is racing.
And every few weeks, it seems that somebody announces a new AI model that is smarter, faster, more capable, or able to do something that seemed impossible only a short time ago.
I sometimes sit back and think:
What on earth is happening?
I am not an AI scientist. I don't work in a technology company. I am simply a retired grandfather who happens to be curious.
And perhaps that is exactly why I find this race so fascinating.
This is no longer just a race to build the smartest AI
When I first started paying attention to ChatGPT, the attraction was simple.
I could ask a question and get an answer.
Then I discovered that AI could help me write.
Then translate.
Then explain things I didn't understand.
Then help me look at my Google Analytics numbers.
Then help me think about my blogs.
Then troubleshoot computer problems.
Then help me organize my 120 YouTube videos and think about how those old videos could become part of my stories.
At some point, I realized something had changed.
AI was no longer just answering questions.
I was beginning to work with it.
That is a much bigger change.
Five giants, five different approaches
When I look at the major players today, I don't see exactly the same race.
I see five different strategies.
OpenAI: Make AI your companion
OpenAI, through ChatGPT, has done something remarkable.
It made AI feel personal.
Instead of thinking about artificial intelligence as something belonging to a laboratory or a large corporation, ordinary people can simply open a conversation and say:
"I don't understand this. Can you explain it to me?"
That simplicity is powerful.
I think OpenAI is pushing toward an AI that doesn't merely tell us what to do.
It wants AI to increasingly help us do it.
That is a much more ambitious goal.
Google: Put AI everywhere
Google is a different kind of giant.
It already has Search, YouTube, Gmail, Maps, Android, Chrome, Google Photos and enormous computing infrastructure.
Google doesn't have to convince people to enter its ecosystem.
Billions of people are already there.
That gives Google a tremendous advantage.
Imagine an AI that understands your search, your email, your photos, your documents, your maps and your videos.
The competition is therefore not simply about who has the smartest chatbot.
It is also about who has the richest ecosystem around the chatbot.
Anthropic: Make AI extremely good at serious work
Anthropic is another interesting competitor.
It doesn't have Google's enormous consumer ecosystem or Apple's billions of devices.
But Claude has become an important AI for writing, coding, reasoning and professional work.
That tells me something.
You don't necessarily need to dominate the consumer market to become important.
If people begin saying:
"When the work gets difficult, I use Claude,"
that is a powerful position.
Anthropic seems to be taking that position seriously.
Meta: Don't let AI belong to only a few companies
Meta has taken another route.
Its push toward open-weight AI is especially interesting to me.
The philosophy is different.
Instead of saying:
"Come into our closed AI system."
the idea is closer to:
"Let developers and researchers build with powerful AI themselves."
I find that fascinating.
Open AI models could eventually create an enormous ecosystem of developers and applications.
And Meta certainly has the social platforms and enormous user base to distribute AI at extraordinary scale.
Apple: Make AI disappear
Then there is Apple.
Apple doesn't necessarily need to win the chatbot competition.
It can take another route.
Imagine AI becoming so deeply integrated into your iPhone, iPad and Mac that you hardly think of it as "AI" anymore.
Your phone understands what you're doing.
Siri understands context.
Your photos become easier to search.
Your messages become easier to manage.
Your computer helps you write.
Your devices work together.
You don't necessarily open an AI application.
The AI simply becomes part of your everyday life.
That could be Apple's greatest advantage.
So who is winning?
Honestly?
I don't think anybody has won.
And I am not sure there will be one winner.
Each company has different strengths.
OpenAI has the AI companion.
Google has information and infrastructure.
Anthropic has serious professional AI.
Meta has open-weight AI and enormous social platforms.
Apple has the devices that billions of people already carry.
The battlefield is changing too.
At first, people asked:
"Which AI gives the best answer?"
Then:
"Which AI is smartest?"
Now the question is becoming:
"Which AI can actually help me get things done?"
I think that is the real race.
And here is where an 80-year-old grandfather comes into the story
I sometimes laugh when I think about my place in all this.
I am certainly not the person these technology companies imagine when they talk about the future of AI.
But I am using it.
And that may actually be more important than it sounds.
I have used AI to help me understand technology that was confusing to me.
I have worked with AI on my blogs.
I have looked at Google Analytics with AI and tried to understand where my visitors are coming from and what they are reading.
I have talked about my old YouTube videos and how 120 videos from different years of my life could become an archive of memories.
I have used AI to help me write stories in English and Chinese.
And sometimes I simply sit down and have a conversation.
That last part is perhaps the most interesting.
Because when you have lived for 80 years, you accumulate a lot of stories.
You remember people.
Places.
Family.
Travel.
Mistakes.
Successes.
Technology.
Changes in society.
Some memories disappear.
Others remain.
AI gives me another way to put some of those memories into words.
The AI race is happening above us
The CEOs and engineers are talking about models, chips, data centers, agents, benchmarks and billions of dollars.
They are fighting a gigantic technological and business battle.
But underneath all of that is something much simpler.
People like me are asking:
"Can this thing help me?"
Can it help me understand?
Can it help me create?
Can it help me communicate?
Can it help me learn something new?
Can it help me preserve my memories?
Can it help me stay curious?
Those are the questions that matter to me.
I don't want to pick an AI team
I have no desire to become an OpenAI fanboy, a Google fanboy, an Apple fanboy, a Meta fanboy or an Anthropic fanboy.
Why should I?
Let them compete.
In fact, I think ordinary users should welcome the competition.
If five enormous technology companies are racing to make AI more useful, faster, cheaper and easier to use, we are the ones who benefit.
I don't need to choose a winner today.
I just want to use whichever tool helps me most.
And if another AI becomes better tomorrow?
I'll try that one too.
Perhaps the real winner is the user
That is my biggest thought after watching this extraordinary race.
The winner may not ultimately be OpenAI.
It may not be Google.
It may not be Apple.
It may not be Meta.
It may not be Anthropic.
Perhaps the real winner will be the ordinary person who learns how to use all this technology wisely.
The AI giants are competing against one another.
But from where I sit, I have a slightly different view.
I am sitting on the sidelines watching them compete for my attention.
And I don't mind that at all.
At 80, I have lived through television, colour television, computers, the Internet, smartphones and now artificial intelligence.
Each generation of technology seemed unbelievable when it first appeared.
But AI feels different.
It doesn't just give us another machine.
It gives us something we can talk to.
Something we can ask.
Something we can learn from.
Something that can help us create.
And perhaps, eventually, something that can help us preserve the stories of ordinary people.
That is why I am still watching.
Not because I understand everything about AI.
I certainly don't.
I am watching because I am curious about what happens next.
And after 80 years, I have learned one thing:
Never stop being curious.
The AI giants can race as fast as they want.
I'll be sitting here, watching the race—and occasionally asking ChatGPT:
"So, what do you think is going to happen next?"
— David Au
An 80-year-old grandfather watching the AI age unfold
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#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #OpenAI #GoogleAI #AppleAI #MetaAI #Anthropic #ChatGPT #AIRevolution #FutureOfAI #GrandpaJourney #AI123 #Technology #AgingAndTechnology #DigitalLife
一个80岁爷爷眼中的AI巨头大赛
80岁了，还能坐在电脑前，看着世界上最大的科技公司为了人工智能展开一场前所未有的竞争，我觉得是一件很奇妙的事情。
Google 在赛跑。
OpenAI 在赛跑。
Apple 在赛跑。
Meta 在赛跑。
Anthropic 也在赛跑。
这几家公司似乎每隔一段时间，就会推出新的人工智能模型。它们越来越聪明、越来越快，也越来越能够完成过去我们认为只有人才能完成的事情。
有时候我会坐下来想：
到底发生了什么？
我不是人工智能科学家，也不是科技公司的工程师。
我只是一个80岁的退休爷爷，一个对新事物仍然感到好奇的人。
也许正因为如此，我看这场AI大战的角度，和科技专家不太一样。
这已经不只是争夺“最聪明的AI”
最开始接触ChatGPT的时候，我觉得它最神奇的地方很简单。
我问一个问题，它回答我。
后来我发现，它可以帮助我写文章。
可以翻译。
可以解释我不明白的东西。
可以帮助我看Google Analytics的数据。
可以和我一起讨论博客。
可以帮我解决电脑上的一些问题。
最近，我又和它讨论我的120个YouTube视频，以及怎样把这些过去的影片变成一个属于我的故事档案。
慢慢地，我发现一件事情发生了变化。
AI已经不只是回答我的问题。
我开始和AI一起做事情了。
我觉得，这才是真正重要的变化。
五大巨头，五条不同的道路
如果仔细观察今天的AI竞争，我发现这些公司并不是完全在参加同一场比赛。
它们各自有不同的方向。
OpenAI：让AI成为你的伙伴
OpenAI通过ChatGPT做了一件很了不起的事情。
它让人工智能变得很个人化。
以前说到人工智能，我们想到的是实验室、工程师和大型科技公司。
现在普通人可以打开ChatGPT，很自然地说：
“我不明白这个东西，你可以解释给我吗？”
这种简单的交流方式非常有力量。
我觉得OpenAI正在努力把AI从一个“回答问题的工具”，变成一个真正可以帮助我们完成事情的伙伴。
这个目标，比单纯回答问题大得多。
Google：把AI放进我们已经使用的一切
Google是另外一种类型的巨头。
它已经拥有Search、YouTube、Gmail、Maps、Android、Chrome、Google Photos，以及庞大的计算基础设施。
Google不需要我们重新加入它的世界。
我们早就在里面了。
每天有人搜索东西。
有人看YouTube。
有人使用Gmail。
有人用Android手机。
有人把照片放在Google Photos。
所以Google最大的优势之一，就是它已经拥有一个非常庞大的生态系统。
如果AI能够同时理解我们的搜索、邮件、照片、文件、地图和视频，那将会是一件非常强大的事情。
所以这场比赛已经不只是：
“谁的聊天机器人最聪明？”
而是：
“谁能够建立最强大的AI生态系统？”
Anthropic：让AI做好真正困难的工作
Anthropic也是一个很有意思的竞争者。
它不像Google那样拥有庞大的消费市场，也不像Apple那样拥有数以亿计的设备。
但是Claude已经成为很多人进行写作、编程、推理和专业工作的AI工具。
这告诉我一件事情：
你不一定要拥有最大的消费者生态系统，才能成为AI世界的重要角色。
如果越来越多人认为：
“遇到真正困难的工作，我会使用Claude。”
这本身就是一种非常强大的地位。
Meta：不要让AI只掌握在少数公司手里
Meta走的是另一条道路。
它推动开放权重AI的方向，让我特别感兴趣。
这种理念和封闭式AI有所不同。
简单来说，它更接近：
“让开发者和研究人员能够使用强大的AI，自己去创造更多东西。”
我觉得这个想法很有意思。
如果开放的AI模型越来越强大，它可能形成一个非常庞大的开发者和应用生态。
而Meta本身又拥有Facebook、Instagram、WhatsApp等巨大的社交平台。
所以它拥有把AI推广到世界各地的巨大能力。
Apple：让AI消失在我们的日常生活里
然后就是Apple。
我觉得Apple不一定需要赢得“谁的聊天机器人最好”这场比赛。
Apple可以选择另外一条道路。
想象一下：
有一天，AI已经深深地融入你的iPhone、iPad和Mac电脑，而你甚至不再特别注意它。
你的手机知道你正在做什么。
Siri知道上下文。
你的照片更容易搜索。
你的信息更容易整理。
你的电脑帮助你写东西。
你的各种Apple设备彼此配合。
你甚至不需要专门打开一个AI应用。
AI就这样成为你日常生活的一部分。
这可能正是Apple最大的优势。
那么，谁正在赢？
坦白说？
我认为现在还没有赢家。
而且我甚至不确定最后会不会只有一个赢家。
因为每家公司都有自己的优势。
OpenAI有AI伙伴。
Google拥有搜索、信息和基础设施。
Anthropic擅长严肃的专业工作。
Meta推动开放式AI，并拥有巨大的社交平台。
Apple则拥有我们每天随身携带的设备。
而且，这场比赛本身也在不断改变。
最初，人们问：
“哪个AI回答得最好？”
后来变成：
“哪个AI最聪明？”
现在问题正在变成：
“哪个AI真的可以帮我把事情做好？”
我认为，这才是真正的比赛。
那么，一个80岁的爷爷为什么会出现在这里？
有时候我自己也觉得很好笑。
我当然不是这些科技公司在讨论AI未来时，最典型的用户。
但是，我正在使用AI。
而且我觉得，这一点其实很重要。
我用AI帮助自己了解一些不明白的科技问题。
我用AI帮助我的博客写文章。
我和AI一起研究Google Analytics的数据。
我把自己的120个YouTube视频拿出来，思考怎样把这些过去的影像变成一个属于自己的记忆档案。
我用AI把英文内容翻译成中文，也把中文思想整理成英文。
有时候，我甚至只是坐下来聊天。
而最后这一点，也许是最有意思的。
因为一个人活了80年，会积累很多故事。
有认识的人。
有去过的地方。
有家庭的回忆。
有旅行。
有犯过的错误。
有成功。
有不同年代的生活经历。
有些记忆会慢慢消失。
有些记忆却一直留在心里。
AI给了我另外一种方法，把这些记忆写下来。
AI巨头们在我们的头顶上赛跑
科技公司的CEO和工程师们正在讨论模型、芯片、数据中心、AI代理、性能测试，以及数以十亿甚至数千亿美元的投资。
他们正在进行一场巨大的科技和商业战争。
但是在这一切的下面，其实还有一个非常简单的问题。
普通人会问：
“这个东西对我有什么用？”
它能不能帮助我理解？
能不能帮助我创作？
能不能帮助我沟通？
能不能帮助我学习？
能不能帮助我保存记忆？
能不能让我继续保持好奇心？
对我来说，这些才是最重要的问题。
我不想加入任何一个AI阵营
我没有兴趣成为OpenAI的粉丝、Google的粉丝、Apple的粉丝、Meta的粉丝，或者Anthropic的粉丝。
为什么要这样做？
让它们竞争吧。
事实上，我认为普通用户应该欢迎这种竞争。
如果几家世界上最大的科技公司都在努力让AI变得更加聪明、更加便宜、更加容易使用，那么最后受益的就是我们这些普通用户。
我今天不需要决定谁是赢家。
我只需要使用对我最有帮助的工具。
如果明天另外一个AI变得更好？
那我就试试另一个。
也许真正的赢家是使用AI的人
这是我看了这么久以后最大的一个感受。
最后的赢家可能不是OpenAI。
也可能不是Google。
也可能不是Apple。
也可能不是Meta。
也可能不是Anthropic。
真正的赢家，也许是那些学会聪明使用这些工具的普通人。
AI巨头们正在互相竞争。
而我坐在旁边，用一个稍微不同的角度看这场比赛。
它们正在竞争谁能够赢得我的注意力。
我并不介意。
其实，我还挺喜欢看这场比赛的。😊
80岁的爷爷，为什么还在学习AI？
我有时候会想，到了80岁，为什么还要花时间学习这些新东西？
答案其实很简单。
因为我还好奇。
我经历过电视机出现的时代。
经历过黑白电视变成彩色电视。
经历过电脑进入家庭。
经历过互联网。
经历过智能手机。
现在，我又亲眼看到了人工智能时代的到来。
每一次新科技出现的时候，我们都会觉得不可思议。
但是AI给我的感觉有一点不同。
它不只是另一台机器。
它是一个可以和你交谈的东西。
你可以问它。
你可以向它学习。
你可以让它帮助你创作。
你甚至可以和它一起整理自己的人生故事。
所以，我还在看。
不是因为我完全了解AI。
我当然还不了解。
我还在看，是因为我想知道：
下一步会发生什么？
活了80年以后，我学到的一件事情就是：
永远不要停止好奇。
AI巨头们尽管继续赛跑吧。
我这个80岁的爷爷，就坐在这里，看着这场比赛。
偶尔，我还会问ChatGPT一句：
“那么，你觉得接下来会发生什么？”
—— David Au
一个80岁的爷爷，正在亲眼看着AI时代展开
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