A growing movement is urging users to cancel their ChatGPT subscriptions, fueled by frustrations with the chatbot's performance and concerns over its use by government agencies and political contributions. Simultaneously, a new analysis suggests electric vehicles could become economically competitive in Africa by 2040, potentially reshaping the continent's transportation landscape. These developments come as the tech industry navigates a period of significant change, with Google DeepMind CEO Sir Demis Hassabis predicting a "renaissance" in discovery after a decade-long shakeout.
The "QuitGPT" campaign, gaining traction on platforms like Reddit, encourages users to cancel their ChatGPT subscriptions. According to MIT Technology Review, the campaign was sparked by users' dissatisfaction with the chatbot's coding abilities and its tendency for "gushing, meandering replies." Alfred Stephen, a freelance software developer in Singapore, shared his frustration after subscribing to ChatGPT Plus, which costs $20 a month. The campaign also highlights concerns about OpenAI president Greg Brockman's contributions to President Donald Trump's super PAC MAGA Inc., and the use of a ChatGPT-4 powered resume screening tool by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The potential for electric vehicles (EVs) to become more affordable in Africa is also gaining attention. A new analysis indicates that EVs could be cheaper to own than gas vehicles by 2040, particularly with the use of solar off-grid charging. This is a significant shift from previous analyses, which predicted fossil-fuel vehicles would dominate the continent through at least 2050. The economic case for EVs is building as battery and vehicle costs decline, potentially making electric two-wheelers, cars, and minibuses competitive in most African countries, according to MIT Technology Review.
These shifts are occurring within a broader context of technological evolution. Sir Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, believes that the tech industry is on the cusp of a "new golden era of discovery." Speaking on the Fortune 500: Titans and Disruptors of Industry podcast, Hassabis described this as a necessary period of disruption. This vision of the future is defined by artificial intelligence solving the planet's most complex problems.
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