We see a lot of interesting things taking place of late with both Reddit and Twitter. The decisions, on the surface, appear to pit the users with the owners. It is nothing new when it comes to these platforms. However, these seem to be counterintuitive.
It also has the user bases up in arms.
We first had Reddit jacking the API fees and cancelling third party apps. It was something that really upset the users to the point that many were filling the different sub-Reddits with NSFW content. This would instantly kill the ad revenue.
Then we saw Elon Musk and Twitter placing a restriction on the number of threads that could be viewed. We again saw the user base go over the edge, believing that Elon was killing Twitter.
So what is going on? Are they intent on destroying their applications and driving their users away?
The answer is no. Instead, this is all tied to artificial intelligence. We see the hunt for data moving to another level.
Data Centers
Social media platforms are data centers. An application like Twitter has 15 years of content that was posted. This is very valuable when feeding machine learning engines.
It appears that these entities are also targets. With so much interest in training AI systems, especially after the success of ChatGPT, it seems everyone is hunting for data. This means that Google, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites are destination.
What is likely upsetting these entities is when people target the data without paying. After all, these technology companies consider it as their property. We will leave aside the fact it was created by the user base. They view it as on their servers, hence they own it. Ultimately, this will be one of the downfalls of Web 2.0, but that is another issue.
The bottom line is these corporations view the data as their property. Since others are taking off the Internet without compensation, they are going to take counter measures to stop it.
This is what we see happening.
Hive Data
People on Hive have a choice. Each time we add anything to centralize social media, we are enriching the overlords. Zuckerberg and Musk are well aware of the value this holds. Ultimately, people still are feeding the beast.
On Hive, it is a bit different. The database is not in the control of any single person or entity. There are a number of different APIs set up. In fact, anyone, with the skill, is free to put one online. There is no limitations to that.
Web 3.0, at this point, is not about owning one's data. In reality, nobody owns it. This is in the wild. Once it is placed on blockchain, it is immutable and anyone can access it. This is much different, though, from what takes place on the centralized servers.
Since what is on blockchain is available for all, could Hive become an epicenter for training data. While not as large as the other entities, the database was filled over 7 years. There is a built-in trove of articles and information that could be fed into machine learning engines.
Of course, as more is added on a daily basis, the amount of data simply increases, enhancing the value to the training models. This is a point that gets overlooked.
Skynet
Many still fear the Skynet scenario from The Terminator film. While the future of AI and humanity is certainly in question, the idea of one company creating it all is unlikely.
However, if we look at this from the data perspective, the likelihood increases based upon who has access to the training. Here is where the support of Web 2.0 platforms goes counter to opening things up.
Only by developing robust databases like Hive can we ensure that data for all companies exists. Here is where truly decentralized blockchains provide a role. Since nobody is in control of the data, it is available for all to use.
This means that projects utilizing machine learning models have access to data, something the traditional social media companies are going to restrict. Here is one way to, perhaps, prevent a Skynet scenario. As more software is developed, the idea of one dominating totally decreases. Of course, at some point, all the AI could get together and wipe us out, but that is a different matter.
Bit By Bit
Here is the kicker when it comes to Web 3.0:
Many in cryptocurrency do not keep their money in banks. There are a variety of reasons for this. However, one of the central ideas is to stop feeding the beast. By keeping value in cryptocurrency as opposed to in a bank, we reduce the power they have, even if ever so slightly.
In other words, each transaction occurring in cryptocurrency means one less for the present system. This is a game of attrition and our role is to remove as much as we can.
The same holds true for social media. Each piece of data posted on a network like Hive means less for the centralized systems. This can be an article, comment, or image (although the latter doesn't reside on-chain). Projects like IPFS can be a great ally in this. The point is to drain the system with each move we make.
We have to keep in mind the value of a decentralized database for the world to use. As recent events show, the intention is for the biggest technology companies to control the data others have access to.
This is becoming a larger problem as AI training models become more prevalent.
It see the utility of Hive is growing.
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