The world is already facing a RAM crisis because of AI, and now OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has made a remark that has turned the entire internet community against him. In an interview, Altman described the RAM used in people's personal computers as a waste of resources, and users have reacted so strongly that some are even threatening to stop using OpenAI's AI products.
Altman was giving an interview when he made the remark about RAM in personal computers. To justify his point, he cited global resource management and said there is a shortage of memory chips around the world.
He argued that having more RAM in people's computers, with only 5 percent of it actually being used, is clearly a waste of resources. He went on to say that to deal with the supply problem, this memory should be in the cloud and data centres rather than in people's computers.
Users link remark to local open-source AI
According to reports, internet users are connecting Altman's statement to open-source AI models that run on people's own computers. The business of companies like OpenAI rests on cloud-based AI models that run in cloud data centres.
Users argue that if people put more RAM in their personal computers and run AI locally, nobody would need these companies' subscriptions. That, users say, is why Altman is speaking against RAM in personal computers, because he sees his business under threat.
The argument goes further: these companies want as much RAM as possible to go to their data centres, not to ordinary people's computers or laptops. Users say the push for cloud memory serves the companies' subscription model.
Altman faces accusations of creating the crisis
Since the remark, Altman has become the target of internet users. People are so angry that they are now accusing Altman himself of creating the memory crisis.
Users are writing on the internet that these tech giants want people to own nothing and rent everything from them. The backlash shows how sensitive the memory shortage debate has become, with users reading Altman's remark as an attempt to keep computing power in corporate data centres rather than in people's hands.
