OpenAI's GPT-2 sparked controversy five years ago for being "too dangerous to release." Now, with FineWeb and llm.c, a tiny GPT-2 model can be trained in 90 minutes for $20 using 8xA100 GPUs, with the full 1.6B model estimated to take 1 week and $2.5k. The project is notable for its heavy use of CUDA (75.8%) aiming to simplify the training stack. Meanwhile, a Twitter debate between Yann LeCun and Elon Musk highlighted the importance of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in real-time image processing for autonomous driving, with LeCun emphasizing scientific research's role in technological progress.

LeCun also criticized AI doomsday scenarios, arguing for cautious optimism about AI safety and regulation.