#Python application services

[weqtechnologies]

Custom Python Applications Development | WEQ Technologies

WEQ Technologies excels in delivering robust, scalable, and high-performance Python applications tailored to meet specific business goals and industry demands. With deep expertise in Python frameworks like Django, Flask, and FastAPI, the team at WEQ Technologies crafts dynamic solutions for web apps, automation tools, data analytics, machine learning, and enterprise systems. Each Python application is developed with a focus on security, efficiency, and seamless integration into existing infrastructures. Whether a startup looking to build an MVP or an enterprise seeking to modernize legacy systems, WEQ Technologies provides end-to-end services—from concept planning and UI/UX design to coding, deployment, and ongoing support. Their agile approach ensures faster time-to-market and client collaboration at every stage. Businesses trust WEQ Technologies for their innovative approach and proven track record in delivering Python applications that drive digital transformation and long-term value.

[theinternetcommoner]

Let's create and deploy a python web application!

Will give you update on the next posts!! See yah! 😁

[full-stackmobiledeveloper]

Custom Software vs. Off-the-Shelf: Which Is Right for Your Business in 2025?

Custom Software Development

Introduction: Navigating the Digital Crossroads of 2025

In the dynamic digital landscape of 2025, software isn't just a tool; it's the very lifeblood of a thriving business. From streamlining daily operations and managing customer relationships to driving innovation and gaining a competitive edge, the right software empowers businesses to grow. Yet, for many business leaders like yourself, a crucial question often surfaces: should we invest in a custom software solution meticulously crafted to our unique needs, or opt for a readily available off-the-shelf package?

This isn't merely a technical decision; it's a strategic one that profoundly impacts your operational efficiency, scalability, and ultimately, your return on investment (ROI). With rapid advancements in cloud computing, AI integration, and the ever-present need for robust data security, selecting the right software solution in 2025 is more complex and critical than ever before. This in-depth guide aims to cut through the jargon, offering you clarity, practical insights, and a structured approach to making the decision that truly propels your business forward.

Understanding Off-the-Shelf Software: The "Ready-to-Wear" Solution

Imagine discovering a suit that fits you perfectly right off the rack—this is similar to off-the-shelf software. Also known as Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software, these pre-built, cloud-based tools, such as Salesforce, QuickBooks, or Asana, are designed to address common business needs. They are typically delivered as Software as a Service (SaaS) through a subscription model.

The Allure: Benefits of Off-the-Shelf Software in 2025

Rapid Deployment & Immediate Impact: This is often the biggest draw. You can subscribe today and potentially start using the software tomorrow. For businesses needing a quick solution to an immediate problem, off-the-shelf offers unparalleled speed to market. You bypass lengthy development cycles and jump straight into leveraging its capabilities.

Lower Initial Investment: Instead of a large upfront capital expenditure for development, you typically pay a recurring subscription fee (monthly or annually). This transforms a CapEx (capital expenditure) into an OpEx (operational expenditure), which can be appealing for budget-conscious organizations or startups.

Proven Reliability & Community Support: These solutions have been tried, tested, and refined by thousands, if not millions, of users. This means most major bugs have been ironed out, and the core functionalities are generally stable. Furthermore, large user communities, extensive documentation, and dedicated vendor support teams are readily available for troubleshooting and guidance.

Automatic Updates & Reduced Maintenance Burden: The vendor handles all the heavy lifting – infrastructure management, security patches, regular feature updates, and bug fixes. Your IT team can focus on other strategic initiatives, freeing them from the operational grind of software upkeep. In 2025, many off-the-shelf solutions are also automatically integrating the latest AI tools and automation capabilities, keeping you current without effort.

Access to Industry Best Practices: COTS software often embeds best practices refined over years across various businesses. This can be invaluable for standardizing processes, especially if your current workflows are less optimized.

The Reality Check: Drawbacks of Off-the-Shelf Software in 2025

Limited Customization & "One-Size-Fits-Most": This is the most common pain point. While some configuration options exist (e.g., custom fields, basic workflow adjustments), off-the-shelf software cannot be molded to perfectly fit your highly specific or unique business processes. You'll often find yourself adapting your way of working to the software's limitations, which can introduce inefficiencies and frustration.

Feature Bloat & Unused Functionality: To appeal to a wide market, these solutions pack numerous features, many of which you may never use. This "feature bloat" can lead to a cluttered interface, increased complexity for your teams, and potentially higher costs for functionalities you don't even need.

Integration Headaches: While many modern SaaS tools offer APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for integration, achieving seamless, real-time data flow with all your existing, particularly legacy, systems can be a significant challenge. You might end up with data silos, manual data entry, or requiring expensive middleware solutions.

Vendor Lock-in & Dependency: You are inherently tied to your vendor's roadmap, pricing model, and support quality. If they increase prices significantly, discontinue a feature you rely on, or even go out of business, migrating your data and operations to a new system can be a costly, time-consuming, and disruptive nightmare.

Generic Security Posture: While reputable SaaS providers invest heavily in security, a widely used platform is a more attractive target for cyber threats. Furthermore, if your business operates in a highly regulated industry (e.g., healthcare, finance), off-the-shelf solutions might not meet all your specific compliance requirements without significant workarounds or additional tools.

No Unique Competitive Advantage: If your competitors are using the exact same software, it's difficult to differentiate your operational efficiency or unique service offerings based on your tech stack alone.

Is Off-the-Shelf Right For You If…

Your operational needs are standard and well-aligned with common industry practices?

Do you need a solution quickly to address an immediate challenge?

Your budget prioritizes lower upfront costs and predictable subscription fees.

Do you prefer delegating maintenance and updates to a third-party vendor?

Understanding Custom Software: The "Tailored" Masterpiece

Imagine ordering a bespoke suit, crafted specifically to your measurements, fabric choices, and style preferences. This concept captures the essence of custom software. Also referred to as bespoke software, tailor-made software, or custom application development, it is designed exclusively for your organization to meet its specific workflows, challenges, and strategic goals. This could range from a unique customer relationship management system tailored for your niche industry to an AI-powered internal analytics tool or a specialized inventory management system.

The Strategic Advantage: Benefits of Custom Software in 2025

Perfect Fit & Optimized Workflows: This is the paramount advantage. Custom software is designed to mirror your unique business processes, eliminating inefficiencies, manual workarounds, and data silos. It supports your way of doing business, rather than forcing you to adapt to its limitations. This hyper-optimization can dramatically boost productivity and reduce operational costs over time.

Scalability & Future-Proofing by Design: Your business is unique, and it will evolve. Custom software is built with your long-term vision in mind, ensuring it can effortlessly scale up to handle increased data volumes, user loads, or new functionalities as your business grows. You own the code and the intellectual property, granting you full control to adapt it to emerging technologies (like advanced AI models, blockchain, or quantum computing implications) and market demands, essentially future-proofing your investment.

Seamless Integration with Existing Ecosystems: From day one, your custom solution can be engineered to integrate perfectly with your existing legacy systems, third-party APIs, and modern cloud services. This creates a cohesive, unified technological ecosystem, ensuring smooth data flow and eliminating frustrating manual transfers.

Unparalleled Competitive Advantage: A bespoke solution allows you to automate proprietary processes, develop unique features, gain exclusive insights from your data, or offer an unparalleled customer experience that your competitors simply cannot replicate with generic tools. This distinct technological edge can be a powerful market differentiator.

Enhanced Security & Compliance Control: For businesses in highly regulated sectors, custom software offers unparalleled control over your security architecture. You can implement specific, granular security protocols, conduct extensive testing, and ensure strict adherence to industry-specific compliance standards (e.g., HIPAA, ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI DSS).

Full Data Ownership & Control: With custom software, you retain complete ownership and control over your data. This is crucial for privacy, analytics, and leveraging your data assets for future strategies.

Long-Term Cost Efficiency & ROI: While the initial investment is higher, custom software can lead to substantial long-term savings. You avoid recurring subscription fees, eliminate the costs associated with unused features, and gain significant efficiency improvements that directly translate into a higher ROI over its lifespan.

The Realities: Challenges of Custom Software in 2025

Higher Initial Investment: Developing a custom solution requires a substantial upfront capital outlay for design, development, rigorous testing, and initial deployment. This can be a barrier for startups or businesses with limited immediate capital.

Longer Development Cycles: From conceptualization and detailed requirements gathering to coding, testing, and deployment, the process can take several months, or even over a year, depending on the complexity of the solution. This isn't ideal if your business needs an immediate fix.

Ongoing Maintenance & Support Responsibility: Unlike off-the-shelf, you are responsible for the long-term maintenance, bug fixes, security updates, and future enhancements of your custom software. This requires either a dedicated internal IT team or a reliable, long-term partnership with a specialized software development firm.

Reliance on Development Partner: Your success hinges on selecting the right development team. A poorly chosen partner can lead to budget overruns, missed deadlines, or a final product that doesn't meet expectations. Diligent vetting is crucial.

Project Risk: Complex custom software projects carry inherent risks, including scope creep, unforeseen technical challenges, and the potential for the final product to deviate from the initial vision if requirements are not meticulously defined and managed throughout the development lifecycle.

Consider Custom Software If Your Business…

Has unique, core processes that differentiate you from competitors?

Operates in a niche or highly regulated industry with specific compliance needs?

Requires seamless, deep integration with a complex existing tech stack?

Has a clear long-term vision for scalability and adapting to future technological shifts (like advanced AI or quantum computing)?

Sees software as a strategic asset for competitive advantage, not just a utility?

Navigating the Nuances in 2025: Key Decision Factors

The "right" choice isn't universal. It hinges on a meticulous evaluation of your unique business context and future aspirations. Here are the critical factors to weigh in 2025:

Your Unique Business Needs & Workflows:

The Litmus Test: Are your primary business processes unique, complex, or a source of competitive advantage? If yes, forcing them into a generic off-the-shelf solution will likely lead to inefficiency and frustration. Custom software ensures a perfect fit. If your operations are standard (e.g., basic payroll, generic HR), COTS is often sufficient.

Budget & Total Cost of Ownership (TCO):

Beyond Upfront: Don't just look at the initial price tag. Calculate the TCO over 3-5 years. Factor in off-the-shelf subscription fees (which can escalate with more users/features), integration costs, potential workarounds, and training. For custom, include development, ongoing maintenance, and potential future upgrades. Sometimes, the long-term savings and efficiency gains of custom software outweigh its higher initial investment.

Time to Market & Urgency:

Immediate vs. Strategic: Do you need a solution deployed next week to solve a pressing issue? Off-the-shelf is your answer. If you're building a solution for future growth, competitive differentiation, or long-term efficiency, and can afford a development cycle of several months, custom software allows for precision and robustness.

Scalability & Future Growth:

Growth Trajectory: How much do you anticipate your business will grow in the next 3-5 years? Will your data volume, user base, or service offerings expand significantly? Custom software built with scalability in mind can seamlessly handle growth. Off-the-shelf solutions' scalability often means jumping to much higher, more expensive tiers, or hitting hard limits.

Integration with Existing Systems:

The Data Ecosystem: Do you rely heavily on multiple existing software systems (e.g., ERP, CRM, marketing automation, legacy databases)? If seamless, real-time data flow between all these systems is critical for your operations and decision-making, custom integration capabilities are paramount. While many COTS offer integrations, they might not cover all your niche or legacy systems without complex middleware.

Security & Compliance Requirements:

Regulatory Landscape: Is your industry subject to stringent regulatory compliance (e.g., HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR)? While off-the-shelf providers invest in security, custom software allows you to build specific, robust security measures and compliance protocols from the ground up, giving you ultimate control and peace of mind.

Maintenance & Support Ecosystem:

Who's Responsible? With off-the-shelf, the vendor handles maintenance. With custom, you need to plan for it. Do you have an internal IT team capable of maintaining complex software, or will you need a long-term partnership with a development firm? Factor these ongoing support costs and resource needs into your decision.

Competitive Differentiation:

Your Unique Edge: Is this software intended to give you a unique advantage in the market? To streamline a proprietary process, offer a never-before-seen service, or analyze data in a novel way that competitors can't easily replicate? If so, custom software is a powerful strategic asset.

Making Your Informed Choice: A Strategic Framework for 2025

Navigating this decision requires a structured approach. Here’s a framework to guide your thinking:

Internal Audit & Needs Assessment:

Gather your stakeholders. Define your core business processes, identify pain points, and articulate your specific needs.

What are your critical functionalities? What problems do you need to solve? What is your long-term business vision?

Quantify potential ROI for each problem solved or opportunity unlocked.

Explore Off-the-Shelf Options Thoroughly:

Research available COTS solutions. Conduct demos, read reviews, and talk to current users.

Evaluate how well each solution meets your defined needs. Can it meet at least 80-90% of your essential requirements without cumbersome workarounds? Be realistic about what "essential" means.

Consider the TCO, scalability limits, and integration capabilities of each COTS product.

If COTS Falls Short, Scope Custom Development:

If no off-the-shelf solution truly aligns with your core, unique, or strategic needs, it's time to seriously consider custom development.

Work with experienced business analysts and software architects to define precise requirements, scope the project and estimate development timelines and costs.

Clearly articulate the ROI of a custom solution – how will it save money, increase revenue, or provide a competitive edge that off-the-shelf cannot?

Consider a Hybrid Approach:

Sometimes, the optimal solution lies in combining the best of both worlds. Use off-the-shelf software for standard business functions (e.g., HR, basic CRM) and invest in custom development for your unique core operations or integrations that differentiate you. This can optimize both cost and efficiency.

Conclusion: Empowering Your Digital Future

In 2025's fast-evolving digital landscape, the decision between custom and off-the-shelf software isn’t about which is universally better—it’s about what aligns with your business’s unique goals, challenges, and growth plans. Off-the-shelf solutions offer quick deployment and predictable costs, while custom software demands a higher upfront investment for unmatched fit, scalability, security, and competitive edge.

By carefully assessing your needs and total cost of ownership, you can choose a software strategy that not only supports but accelerates your business growth.

Need help making the right choice? Partner with CQLsys Technologies—a trusted leader with proven Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Whether it’s custom software, optimized off-the-shelf solutions, or a hybrid approach, we’ll help you maximize ROI and future-proof your applications.

[codedict]

[ldsengineers]

Python Development Company in New York

LDS Engineers – The Leading Python Development Company in New York, when it comes to Python development, LDS Engineers is a famous and relied-on name in New York. We focus on Python software program development and provide remarkable solutions to corporations across various industries. With years of experience in the discipline, we've correctly added custom net packages, dynamic websites, and computing device programs to customers throughout the USA, UK, India, and Australia.

Why Choose Python for Development?

Python is one of the maximum popular and flexible programming languages in the global these days. Businesses choose Python due to the fact it's miles:

Fast and efficient: Python offers brief development, which saves money and time.

Flexible: It may be used for net development, software program programs, artificial intelligence (AI), system learning, and more.

Reliable: Python packages run smoothly and offer amazing performance.

Secure: It comes with built-in protection capabilities, making it a first-rate desire for developing business packages.

At LDS Engineers, we make the maximum of Python’s capabilities to construct sturdy, scalable, and value-powerful applications for our clients.

Our Python Development Services

We provide a wide variety of Python development offerings, such as:

Python Web Development

We increase dynamic and feature-wealthy websites using Python frameworks like Django and Flask. Our websites are consumer-pleasant, responsive, and SEO-optimized.

Custom Python Software Development

Whether you want a custom business utility, CRM, or ERP software, our crew can create a powerful Python-primarily based solution tailor-made to your wishes.

Python Mobile App Development

We build cross-platform cell programs with the usage of Python, ensuring an unbroken experience for both Android and iOS users.

AI and Machine Learning Solutions

Python is widely used for synthetic intelligence and machine-mastering applications. Our group focuses on developing AI-powered solutions for companies.

Data Science and Analytics

We help businesses analyze and visualize statistics the usage of Python-based totally equipment, making it simpler to make knowledgeable business decisions.

Python API Development and Integration

We increase and integrate APIs to beautify the functionality of your Python packages.

Support and Maintenance

Our job doesn’t quit with development. We provide ongoing support, updates, and renovation to make certain that your Python software runs easily.

Why Choose LDS Engineers?

With years of experience in Python development, LDS Engineers sticks out as a dependent Python development organization in New York. Here’s why businesses decide to work with us:

 Expert Team: Our group consists of professional Python developers with experience in diverse industries.

Custom Solutions: We tailor our Python development services to fulfill your enterprise's specific needs.

Cost-Effective Services: We deliver extraordinary Python programs at aggressive charges.

On-Time Delivery: We value a while and make sure that each initiative is finished within time limits.

Global Presence: We provide Python development offerings not just in the US but also within the UK, India, and Australia.

Let’s Build Your Next Python Project!

If you’re looking for a reliable Python development services in New York, appearance is not in addition to LDS Engineers. Whether you want a website, cell app, AI answer, or business utility, we are here to help.

Contact us nowadays to discuss your task and get a custom Python answer that suits your business wishes!

python development, python software development, python software development services, python web application development, python website development, python development, python development in us, python development company.

[hotelasian]

Flask Development Company in Australia

LDS Engineers is a leading Flask development company in Australia offering top-notch web development services across Australia, the UK, the USA, and India. With years of experience and a team of skilled professionals, we specialize in creating reliable, scalable, and cost-effective Flask applications tailored to meet your unique business needs. Whether it’s a small web-based solution or a complex…

[corporatewebsitedev]

Corporate Website Development

LA Marketing offers corporate website development tailored to businesses of all sizes. They create professional, high-performance websites that enhance brand image, engage clients, and support business goals. Their service includes custom design, integration with business tools like CRM systems, SEO optimization, and ongoing technical support to ensure scalability and security. Whether for small businesses or large corporations, LA Marketing ensures a customized solution that reflects the company's vision.

For more details, visit:

Website: https://la-marketing.us/services/web-development/corporate-website

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564412960524 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dg-marketingcom/

X:  https://x.com/foreck_info

[sigmasolveinc]

This blog explains the convergence and divergence between Java application development and app development with Python. We also explain how an enterprise software solutions provider can leverage both for enterprise application development, depending on their project requirements. Java’s ecosystem is mature for enterprise-level application development, while Python is the right choice for developing apps for scientific computing and data science.

[salasarcyber]

Navigating the Digital Landscape: The Role of Application Development in Modern Business

In today's digital age, mobile applications have become an integral part of our daily lives, revolutionizing the way we interact with technology. From enhancing business operations to simplifying user experiences, application development has paved the way for a future where possibilities are endless. Let's delve into the transformative benefits of application development and how it's shaping the future of app design.

1. Enhanced User Experience : Applications are designed with user-centric interfaces, ensuring intuitive navigation and seamless interactions. User experience (UX) is at the core of application development, focusing on creating apps that are not just functional but also delightful to use. From smooth onboarding processes to visually appealing layouts, applications aim to captivate users and keep them engaged.

2. Increased Accessibility : Applications provide accessibility to services and information at users' fingertips. Whether it's e-commerce, healthcare, or education, applications bridge the gap between businesses and consumers, making services readily available anytime, anywhere. This increased accessibility fosters convenience and improves customer satisfaction.

3. Business Process Optimization : For businesses, applications streamline various processes, optimizing operations and increasing efficiency. From inventory management to customer relationship management (CRM), customized applications cater to specific business needs. Automation of tasks reduces manual efforts, minimizes errors, and accelerates productivity, ultimately driving growth.

4. Seamless Integration : Applications can seamlessly integrate with other technologies and devices, enhancing their functionality. With the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), applications can connect with smart devices, creating interconnected ecosystems. This integration not only improves user experiences but also opens doors to innovative solutions, such as smart homes and wearable devices.

5. Data Utilization and Analytics : Applications generate vast amounts of data regarding user behavior and preferences. Utilizing advanced analytics, businesses can gain valuable insights into customer interactions. This data-driven approach enables personalized marketing, product recommendations, and strategic decision-making. Harnessing this information empowers businesses to stay ahead of trends and customer demands.

6. Cost-Effectiveness and Scalability : Application development offers cost-effective solutions compared to traditional methods. Businesses can choose from various platforms and technologies that align with their budget and requirements. Additionally, applications are scalable, allowing businesses to adapt as their user base grows. Scalability ensures that the application continues to perform optimally, even with an increasing number of users.

7. Competitive Advantage : In today's competitive market, having a well-designed, functional application provides a significant edge. It not only enhances customer loyalty but also attracts new users. Businesses that invest in intuitive and feature-rich applications stand out, creating a positive brand image and gaining a competitive advantage in their industry.

In conclusion, the benefits of application development extend far beyond convenience; they redefine how businesses operate and how users engage with technology. As technology continues to advance, the future of app design holds exciting possibilities. From augmented reality (AR) to artificial intelligence (AI), applications are poised to become even more immersive, intelligent, and indispensable. Embracing the power of application development is not just a business strategy; it's a gateway to unlocking the future of digital experiences.

[mobiloitteptyltd]

Mobiloitte's Web App Development in South Africa Elevate your online shopping experience in South Africa with Mobiloitte's web application development services. Our experts leverage the latest technologies like React, Angular, and Node.js to build scalable, secure, and user-friendly shopping platforms. Benefit from faster load times, seamless checkout processes, and personalized shopping recommendations. Choose Mobiloitte for innovative web apps that boost your e-commerce success in South Africa.

[webmethodology]

Django is a high-level web framework of Python that comes with several development features. Explore 13 proven strategies to streamline development and create exceptional web applications using Python and Django.

[ldsengineers]

LDS Engineers is a leading Flask Development Company in Australia, the UK, and the USA. We specialize in delivering high-quality Flask development services across multiple countries, including India, the UK, the US, and Australia. With years of experience in the field, we have built a reputation for providing reliable and cost-effective web development solutions using Flask.

Our team of skilled professionals is capable of handling projects of any size and complexity, from small web-based applications to large, complex systems. We pride ourselves on being flexible and adaptive, ensuring that our services meet the specific needs of our clients, no matter the scale of the project. Whether you need a simple website or a full-scale web application, we have the expertise to deliver results that exceed expectations.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

What kind of bubble is AI?

My latest column for Locus Magazine is "What Kind of Bubble is AI?" All economic bubbles are hugely destructive, but some of them leave behind wreckage that can be salvaged for useful purposes, while others leave nothing behind but ashes:

https://locusmag.com/2023/12/commentary-cory-doctorow-what-kind-of-bubble-is-ai/

Think about some 21st century bubbles. The dotcom bubble was a terrible tragedy, one that drained the coffers of pension funds and other institutional investors and wiped out retail investors who were gulled by Superbowl Ads. But there was a lot left behind after the dotcoms were wiped out: cheap servers, office furniture and space, but far more importantly, a generation of young people who'd been trained as web makers, leaving nontechnical degree programs to learn HTML, perl and python. This created a whole cohort of technologists from non-technical backgrounds, a first in technological history. Many of these people became the vanguard of a more inclusive and humane tech development movement, and they were able to make interesting and useful services and products in an environment where raw materials – compute, bandwidth, space and talent – were available at firesale prices.

Contrast this with the crypto bubble. It, too, destroyed the fortunes of institutional and individual investors through fraud and Superbowl Ads. It, too, lured in nontechnical people to learn esoteric disciplines at investor expense. But apart from a smattering of Rust programmers, the main residue of crypto is bad digital art and worse Austrian economics.

Or think of Worldcom vs Enron. Both bubbles were built on pure fraud, but Enron's fraud left nothing behind but a string of suspicious deaths. By contrast, Worldcom's fraud was a Big Store con that required laying a ton of fiber that is still in the ground to this day, and is being bought and used at pennies on the dollar.

AI is definitely a bubble. As I write in the column, if you fly into SFO and rent a car and drive north to San Francisco or south to Silicon Valley, every single billboard is advertising an "AI" startup, many of which are not even using anything that can be remotely characterized as AI. That's amazing, considering what a meaningless buzzword AI already is.

So which kind of bubble is AI? When it pops, will something useful be left behind, or will it go away altogether? To be sure, there's a legion of technologists who are learning Tensorflow and Pytorch. These nominally open source tools are bound, respectively, to Google and Facebook's AI environments:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/18/openwashing/#you-keep-using-that-word-i-do-not-think-it-means-what-you-think-it-means

But if those environments go away, those programming skills become a lot less useful. Live, large-scale Big Tech AI projects are shockingly expensive to run. Some of their costs are fixed – collecting, labeling and processing training data – but the running costs for each query are prodigious. There's a massive primary energy bill for the servers, a nearly as large energy bill for the chillers, and a titanic wage bill for the specialized technical staff involved.

Once investor subsidies dry up, will the real-world, non-hyperbolic applications for AI be enough to cover these running costs? AI applications can be plotted on a 2X2 grid whose axes are "value" (how much customers will pay for them) and "risk tolerance" (how perfect the product needs to be).

Charging teenaged D&D players $10 month for an image generator that creates epic illustrations of their characters fighting monsters is low value and very risk tolerant (teenagers aren't overly worried about six-fingered swordspeople with three pupils in each eye). Charging scammy spamfarms $500/month for a text generator that spits out dull, search-algorithm-pleasing narratives to appear over recipes is likewise low-value and highly risk tolerant (your customer doesn't care if the text is nonsense). Charging visually impaired people $100 month for an app that plays a text-to-speech description of anything they point their cameras at is low-value and moderately risk tolerant ("that's your blue shirt" when it's green is not a big deal, while "the street is safe to cross" when it's not is a much bigger one).

Morganstanley doesn't talk about the trillions the AI industry will be worth some day because of these applications. These are just spinoffs from the main event, a collection of extremely high-value applications. Think of self-driving cars or radiology bots that analyze chest x-rays and characterize masses as cancerous or noncancerous.

These are high value – but only if they are also risk-tolerant. The pitch for self-driving cars is "fire most drivers and replace them with 'humans in the loop' who intervene at critical junctures." That's the risk-tolerant version of self-driving cars, and it's a failure. More than $100b has been incinerated chasing self-driving cars, and cars are nowhere near driving themselves:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/09/herbies-revenge/#100-billion-here-100-billion-there-pretty-soon-youre-talking-real-money

Quite the reverse, in fact. Cruise was just forced to quit the field after one of their cars maimed a woman – a pedestrian who had not opted into being part of a high-risk AI experiment – and dragged her body 20 feet through the streets of San Francisco. Afterwards, it emerged that Cruise had replaced the single low-waged driver who would normally be paid to operate a taxi with 1.5 high-waged skilled technicians who remotely oversaw each of its vehicles:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/03/technology/cruise-general-motors-self-driving-cars.html

The self-driving pitch isn't that your car will correct your own human errors (like an alarm that sounds when you activate your turn signal while someone is in your blind-spot). Self-driving isn't about using automation to augment human skill – it's about replacing humans. There's no business case for spending hundreds of billions on better safety systems for cars (there's a human case for it, though!). The only way the price-tag justifies itself is if paid drivers can be fired and replaced with software that costs less than their wages.

What about radiologists? Radiologists certainly make mistakes from time to time, and if there's a computer vision system that makes different mistakes than the sort that humans make, they could be a cheap way of generating second opinions that trigger re-examination by a human radiologist. But no AI investor thinks their return will come from selling hospitals that reduce the number of X-rays each radiologist processes every day, as a second-opinion-generating system would. Rather, the value of AI radiologists comes from firing most of your human radiologists and replacing them with software whose judgments are cursorily double-checked by a human whose "automation blindness" will turn them into an OK-button-mashing automaton:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/23/automation-blindness/#humans-in-the-loop

The profit-generating pitch for high-value AI applications lies in creating "reverse centaurs": humans who serve as appendages for automation that operates at a speed and scale that is unrelated to the capacity or needs of the worker:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/04/17/revenge-of-the-chickenized-reverse-centaurs/

But unless these high-value applications are intrinsically risk-tolerant, they are poor candidates for automation. Cruise was able to nonconsensually enlist the population of San Francisco in an experimental murderbot development program thanks to the vast sums of money sloshing around the industry. Some of this money funds the inevitabilist narrative that self-driving cars are coming, it's only a matter of when, not if, and so SF had better get in the autonomous vehicle or get run over by the forces of history.

Once the bubble pops (all bubbles pop), AI applications will have to rise or fall on their actual merits, not their promise. The odds are stacked against the long-term survival of high-value, risk-intolerant AI applications.

The problem for AI is that while there are a lot of risk-tolerant applications, they're almost all low-value; while nearly all the high-value applications are risk-intolerant. Once AI has to be profitable – once investors withdraw their subsidies from money-losing ventures – the risk-tolerant applications need to be sufficient to run those tremendously expensive servers in those brutally expensive data-centers tended by exceptionally expensive technical workers.

If they aren't, then the business case for running those servers goes away, and so do the servers – and so do all those risk-tolerant, low-value applications. It doesn't matter if helping blind people make sense of their surroundings is socially beneficial. It doesn't matter if teenaged gamers love their epic character art. It doesn't even matter how horny scammers are for generating AI nonsense SEO websites:

https://twitter.com/jakezward/status/1728032634037567509

These applications are all riding on the coattails of the big AI models that are being built and operated at a loss in order to be profitable. If they remain unprofitable long enough, the private sector will no longer pay to operate them.

Now, there are smaller models, models that stand alone and run on commodity hardware. These would persist even after the AI bubble bursts, because most of their costs are setup costs that have already been borne by the well-funded companies who created them. These models are limited, of course, though the communities that have formed around them have pushed those limits in surprising ways, far beyond their original manufacturers' beliefs about their capacity. These communities will continue to push those limits for as long as they find the models useful.

These standalone, "toy" models are derived from the big models, though. When the AI bubble bursts and the private sector no longer subsidizes mass-scale model creation, it will cease to spin out more sophisticated models that run on commodity hardware (it's possible that Federated learning and other techniques for spreading out the work of making large-scale models will fill the gap).

So what kind of bubble is the AI bubble? What will we salvage from its wreckage? Perhaps the communities who've invested in becoming experts in Pytorch and Tensorflow will wrestle them away from their corporate masters and make them generally useful. Certainly, a lot of people will have gained skills in applying statistical techniques.

But there will also be a lot of unsalvageable wreckage. As big AI models get integrated into the processes of the productive economy, AI becomes a source of systemic risk. The only thing worse than having an automated process that is rendered dangerous or erratic based on AI integration is to have that process fail entirely because the AI suddenly disappeared, a collapse that is too precipitous for former AI customers to engineer a soft landing for their systems.

This is a blind spot in our policymakers debates about AI. The smart policymakers are asking questions about fairness, algorithmic bias, and fraud. The foolish policymakers are ensnared in fantasies about "AI safety," AKA "Will the chatbot become a superintelligence that turns the whole human race into paperclips?"

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/27/10-types-of-people/#taking-up-a-lot-of-space

But no one is asking, "What will we do if" – when – "the AI bubble pops and most of this stuff disappears overnight?"

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/12/19/bubblenomics/#pop

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

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[cyberstudious]

saturday, august 31st, 2024

this morning I finished reading High Performance Python. I think it was a good book and I learned more about how Python works in general, even if a lot of the optimizations explained in the book aren't super applicable to anything that I'm working on at the moment. if you do any sort of scientific computing, I think this book will be pretty helpful.

I also read Alex Russel's Reckoning series today and wrote a few notes in my commonplace book. I'd say this series of blog posts is pretty much required reading if you do any sort of front-end web dev work. (tl;dr heavy JavaScript-based SPA frameworks are used far more often than they should be, and they're destroying the usability of the web for folks at the margins. bad design & engineering decisions have real-world impacts, like preventing people from accessing public services and benefits websites.) I highly recommend giving this series a read.

I plan to spend this long weekend reading, relaxing, and going on walks now that the weather is a bit cooler. what are y'all looking forward to this weekend? <3