So, it’s Tuesday morning, and I’m sitting here, nursing a coffee that’s more whiskey than coffee, and staring at this news about OpenAI. Sam Altman, the big cheese over there, is finally admitting what the rest of us drunks have known for a while: the ChatGPT party is winding down.
Seems like these Chinese outfits, DeepSeek or whatever, have cooked up something called the R1 reasoning model. Now, I’m no AI whiz, but from what I gather, this thing can think for itself, or at least pretend to, better than ChatGPT. And the kicker? It’s free. Free as the air we breathe, or the regret I feel every morning. They’ve gone open-source, which, let’s be honest, is like handing out free samples at the liquor store—you know things are about to get wild.
Altman’s singing a different tune now, saying they were “on the wrong side of history” with their whole closed-source, proprietary model. Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. You try to keep the good stuff all to yourself, and somebody else is bound to come along and offer it up for free, like a shot of tequila at a dive bar on a Wednesday night. And I love how he’s suddenly all about changing his tune on open-source, but “it’s not our highest priority.” Translation: “We’re still trying to figure out how to make a buck off this before we give it away.”
But here’s the real punchline. OpenAI, the company that was supposed to usher in the AI revolution, is now playing catch-up. They’re talking about making their older models open-source, which is like a bar offering up its stale beer for free after everyone’s already moved on to the craft brewery down the street. “We’ll definitely think about doing more of this,” says Kevin Weil, their chief product officer. Sure, Kevin, sure. You “think” about it while DeepSeek is out there giving away the farm.
And this whole thing about the R1 model being able to show its “thought process”? That’s just creepy. I don’t need my computer explaining how it came to the conclusion that I need another drink. I already know that. It’s like having a bartender who lectures you on the history of whiskey before pouring you a shot. Just give me the damn drink, pal.
Now, they’re hinting at a new model, the o3, coming soon. Maybe in a few weeks, maybe months. Who knows? In the tech world, that’s an eternity. It’s like promising a thirsty man a drink, but making him wait while you go dig a well. By the time you’re done, he’s either passed out or found another bar.
And let’s not forget the price. They want to make ChatGPT “cheaper” over time. Currently, the “Pro” version costs $200 a month, which is like a month’s supply of my favorite bourbon. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather have the bourbon. I mean who the hell would even pay $200 a month for an AI chatbot? What are they doing with it, planning world domination or something? Or maybe they just need something to keep them company at 3 AM when they’re staring at the ceiling, wondering where it all went wrong.
And here’s a fun little tidbit. They’re working with the U.S. government on some data center project called Stargate. Now, doesn’t that sound ominous? Like something out of a bad sci-fi movie where the machines take over. But don’t worry, Weil assures us they won’t use their AI to build nukes. “He trusted researchers involved in the project to not ‘YOLO some model output into a nuclear calculation.’” Yeah, because that’s what we need, our nuclear arsenal controlled by some hungover coder who thinks YOLO is still a thing.
And the final nail in the coffin? Even Trump, that orange-faced oracle, is calling this a “wakeup call” for America’s AI. And if that’s not a sign of the apocalypse, I don’t know what is. Even Microsoft, one of OpenAI’s biggest investors, is hedging their bets and supporting DeepSeek. That’s like your bookie starting to bet on the other guy. You know it’s over when the money starts flowing the other way.
This whole thing is a beautiful disaster, a train wreck in slow motion. It’s like watching a bunch of tech bros try to build a sandcastle while the tide is coming in. They’re so busy patting themselves on the back for their “innovation” that they don’t see the wave coming to wash it all away.
So, what’s the takeaway from all this? I’ll tell you what it is. The AI gold rush is over, folks. The easy money has been made, and now the real work begins. It’s like the morning after a wild party, when you’re left with a pounding headache, an empty wallet, and a bunch of broken promises.
And you know what? I’m kind of glad. Maybe now we can get back to being human, with all our flaws and imperfections. Maybe we can stop trying to build machines that think for us and start using our own damn brains.
Anyway, I need another drink. This one’s on me, or maybe on OpenAI, if they’re feeling generous.
Cheers, or whatever’s left of it.
Source: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman admits the heyday of ChatGPT is over