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Microsoft employees are doubtful of AI's capabilities and company's AI bet

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74 points thereeldeel | 16 comments | 20 Nov 24 23:36 UTC | HN request time: 0.212s | source | bottom
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bfrog ◴[21 Nov 24 05:24 UTC] No.42201397[source]▶
Aren’t we all skeptical? What’s the real value exactly.
replies(2): >>42201845 #>>42203508 #
1. Cumpiler69 ◴[21 Nov 24 12:07 UTC] No.42203508[source]▶
>Aren’t we all skeptical? What’s the real value exactly.

What's the value in the 7 billion Meta paid for WhatsApp?

replies(4): >>42203583 #>>42204272 #>>42204767 #>>42216306 #
2. high_na_euv ◴[21 Nov 24 12:18 UTC] No.42203583[source]▶
Data
replies(1): >>42203636 #
3. Cumpiler69 ◴[21 Nov 24 12:25 UTC] No.42203636[source]▶
So then why doesn't this argument apply to AI? Why do people think AI is gonna be worthless?
replies(2): >>42203660 #>>42206652 #
4. high_na_euv ◴[21 Nov 24 12:29 UTC] No.42203660{3}[source]▶
WhatsApp is data generator

AI feels more like data utilizer

Sure, you can save the queries, but it aint much

replies(1): >>42203984 #
5. Cumpiler69 ◴[21 Nov 24 13:11 UTC] No.42203984{4}[source]▶
Consumers are drawn into your service by convenience. They'd much rather get their answer via a quick AI chat than swifitng through pages of your data. Yeah, data is valuable, but if consumers have no easy way to get what they want from it, it becomes useless.
replies(2): >>42204667 #>>42205087 #
6. salted_coffee ◴[21 Nov 24 13:50 UTC] No.42204272[source]▶
A lot of people use WhattsApp, especially outside the us. it is easily the greatest competitor to instagram in international markets.
7. high_na_euv ◴[21 Nov 24 14:34 UTC] No.42204667{5}[source]▶
You answered your own question

WhatsApp and AI Chats are different products.

replies(1): >>42204763 #
8. Cumpiler69 ◴[21 Nov 24 14:45 UTC] No.42204763{6}[source]▶
No d'uh they're different products. I asked why people would think one is valuable and the other not?
replies(2): >>42204873 #>>42206281 #
9. cainxinth ◴[21 Nov 24 14:46 UTC] No.42204767[source]▶
Nitpick, but Facebook (Meta wasn’t a thing yet) paid $19b for WhatsApp.
replies(1): >>42216274 #
10. high_na_euv ◴[21 Nov 24 14:56 UTC] No.42204873{7}[source]▶
There can be many reasons

e.g WhatsApp is way, way more reliable than LLMs

11. mgh2 ◴[21 Nov 24 15:16 UTC] No.42205087{5}[source]▶
WhatsApp when bought already had traction, Copilot seems forced
replies(1): >>42209483 #
12. scudsworth ◴[21 Nov 24 17:00 UTC] No.42206281{7}[source]▶
whatsapp is an invaluable communication tool for large parts of the globe. the other is not essential for daily life for any person anywhere on the globe. i hope this helps, cum guy
13. JohnFen ◴[21 Nov 24 17:38 UTC] No.42206652{3}[source]▶
There are different kinds of "worth".

Many things are valuable from a monetary point of view, but largely worthless (or of negative worth) otherwise. And many other things are worthless from a monetary view, but of great value otherwise.

14. bfrog ◴[21 Nov 24 22:47 UTC] No.42209483{6}[source]▶
Copilot feels like I’m getting a personal health examination I didn’t ask for, need, or want.
15. ◴[22 Nov 24 18:39 UTC] No.42216274[source]▶
16. snakeyjake ◴[22 Nov 24 18:42 UTC] No.42216306[source]▶
$19 billion for the single most popular service on the entire internet seems like a bargain and they just passed $1 billion in annual revenue last year.

As an American, WhatsApp seemed like an odd fit with Facebook but I also travel internationally a great deal. Almost every single interaction I have while traveling anywhere that isn't Europe and North America, from coordinating airport pickups with drivers to requesting fresh towels from hotel staff, occurs via WhatsApp nowadays.

It's actually really nice. I booked a dive in Belize earlier this year and all I did was scan a QR code of an ad I saw in the hotel, send them a screenshot of my NAUI app, sign a waiver from a link they sent me, then they sent a payment link, google maps directions, and instantly responded to my question when I couldn't find the right dock. All of this occurred on WhatsApp in the span of like 90 minutes.

In the US the process IS NOT that smooth.