In today’s digital age, technology giants like Alphabet, Meta, and Amazon are at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) development. These companies have created large language models (LLMs) and other advanced AI systems that operate within closed, black-box environments. By leveraging the vast amounts of data that users have unknowingly provided, they have built complex codebases that are inaccessible to outsiders.
Across the AI stack, these companies hold significant power. Amazon Web Services provides storage, Nvidia produces the necessary chips for computation, Microsoft is heavily invested in AI models through Open AI, Alphabet and Meta control vast amounts of data, and Apple supplies the devices that interact with AI services. While these companies may compete with each other, they collectively form a vertically integrated oligopoly.
Given the immense influence that these tech giants have over society, some argue that they resemble more of an oligarchy than a competitive market. The secrecy surrounding their operations and the lack of transparency in how they wield their technological power are reminiscent of oligarchical dictatorships.
