Ask HN: What is the long term purpose of Google releasing free offline models?
2 pointsby filup3 hours ago3 comments
  • MrCoffee72 hours ago
    Giving away or offering lower cost AI models help keep users in the Google ecosystem, which is very financially lucrative for Google with its ad sales related to its search engine.
    • filup2 hours ago
      You don't need the google ecosystem at all to utilize them though how does this keep me there whatsoever?
      • freakynit2 hours ago
        It keeps "branding" intact. This is similar to red-bull spending $3 BILLION annually on marketing... it's to keep the brand alive in the minds of folks and "associate" them as kinda the de-facto in given industry.
  • variety86752 hours ago
    I'm assuming the bet is that giving away the local models encourages developers to use their cloud ones for more complex tasks
    • filup2 hours ago
      All it's done is make me scratch my head and wonder how many millions of dollars was spent to develop something and then just give it away with no strings.

      I'm sure there are strings somewhere but I'm not sure what they lead to.

      I haven't felt any inclination to utilize their cloud models because of it.

  • coretx2 hours ago
    Speculation: It helps engineer consumer agency.