Ex-Googler Who Sparked AI Boom Fears Progress Is Plateauing

In March 2024 a group of scientists joined a panel to discuss a seven-year-old research paper named after a Beatles song. The event took place at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, where the line to get in snaked around the second floor. About 2,200 people made it into the auditorium or watched from an overflow room, while an additional 10,000 streamed the event online. Those inside the main room snapped photos on their phones; a few even sneaked up to the stage to get better shots. It was about as close as a tech conference can come to Beatlemania. ...