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Comment by nkrisc | Hacker News Reader

If LLMs are that capable, then why are AI companies selling access to them instead of using them to conquer markets?

The same question might be asked about ASML: if ASML EUV machines are so great, why does ASML sell them to TSMC instead of fabbing chips themselves? The reality is that firms specialize in certain areas, and may lose their comparative advantage when they move outside of their specialty.

I would guess fear of losing market share and valuable data, as well as pressure to appear to be winning the AI race for the companies' own stock price.

i.e competition. If there were only one AI company, they would probably not release anything close to their most capable version to the public. ala Google pre-chatgpt.

I’m not sure that really answers the question? Or perhaps my interpretation of the question is different.

If (say) the code generation technology of Anthropic is so good, why be in the business of selling access to AI systems? Why not instead conquer every other software industry overnight?

Have Claude churn out the best office application suite ever. Have Claude make the best operating system ever. Have Claude make the best photo editing software, music production software, 3D rendering software, DNA analysis software, banking software, etc.

Why be merely the best AI software company when you can be the best at all software everywhere for all time?

Im waiting for people to realise that software products are much more than just lines of code.

Getting sick and tired of people talk about their productivity gains when not much is actually happening out there in terms of real value creation.

Just because you don't see it or refuse to believe people doesn't make you right and them liars. Maybe you're just wrong.

Or maybe I’m just right and you’re just slow at seeing what other people can see.

I’m not a SWE either fyi. Therefore I have no vested interest.

Because the LLMs have only got this good 3 months ago, and market dynamics mean they can't hold them in house without their competitors getting ahead.

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