In a year of continued A.I. progress, “founder mode” drama and a Trump election win, a few tech projects stood out for their clear benefits to humanity.In the rapidly evolving tech industry, 2024 was a year of significant change and shifting dynamics. Artificial intelligence continued to make remarkable advancements, with major updates to A.I. products like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude. Billions of dollars were invested in the development of even more powerful A.I. models. Additionally, the researchers behind Google’s AlphaFold, a project focused on proteins, were awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
However, A.I. was not the only major development in Silicon Valley this year. Tech companies also faced intense battles with regulators and governments, and a movement known as “founder mode” led some tech CEOs to embrace micromanagement. As the nation was consumed by the election, a rising “tech right” movement rallied behind Donald J. Trump. After his victory, many tech leaders sought to curry favor with the president-elect in hopes of a smoother second term.
Each year, I use this column to highlight a few tech projects that I believe have had a positive impact on humanity. While my criteria for what constitutes “good tech” may be subjective, this exercise is important to me. It helps me counter any subconscious negativity bias I may have and has even inspired previous recipients to continue their work. I believe that technologists have a responsibility to use their skills for the greater good, and I hope this year’s list of Good Tech Award recipients will be similarly motivated.
Without further ado, here are this year’s Good Tech Awards:
To Epoch AI, for providing reliable data on the A.I. boom
Few groups were as widely praised among A.I. insiders this year as Epoch AI, a small nonprofit research organization. Led by 28-year-old Spanish A.I. researcher Jaime Sevilla, Epoch AI aims to provide lawmakers, academics, and the general public with a better understanding of the current state and future trajectory of A.I.
Founded in 2022, Epoch AI maintains public databases of A.I. models and hardware and publishes research on A.I. trends. Their influential report on the potential growth of A.I. models until 2030 has been particularly impactful. The organization also develops its own tests to assess the capabilities of leading A.I. models, such as the FrontierMath benchmark, which evaluates advanced mathematical skills.
In order to make informed decisions about A.I., we need accurate information about its progress. Epoch AI’s work brings much-needed rigor and empiricism to an industry that often relies on hype and speculation.
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