Big AI: Cloud infrastructure dependence and the industrialisation of artificial intelligence

Fernando van der Vlist · Anne Helmond · Fabian Ferrari

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Digital Platforms and Economics Ethics and Social Impacts of AI Artificial Intelligence Applications

Abstract

Critical scholars contend that ‘There is no AI without Big Tech’. This study delves into the substantial role played by major technology conglomerates, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Google (Alphabet), in the ‘industrialisation of artificial intelligence’. This concept encapsulates the shift of AI technologies from the research and development stage to practical, real-world applications across diverse industry sectors, resulting in new dependencies and associated investments. We employ the term ‘Big AI’ to encapsulate the structural convergence of AI and Big Tech, characterised by the profound interdependence of AI with the infrastructure, resources, and investments of these major technology companies. Using a ‘technographic’ approach, our study scrutinises the infrastructural support and investments of Big Tech in the AI sector, focussing on corporate partnerships, acquisitions, and financial investments. Additionally, we conduct a detailed examination of the complete spectrum of cloud platform products and services offered by Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. We demonstrate that AI is not merely an abstract idea but an actual technology stack encompassing infrastructure, models, applications, and an ecosystem of applications and companies relying on this stack. Significantly, these tech giants have seamlessly integrated all three components of the stack into their cloud offerings. Furthermore, they have developed industry-focussed solutions and marketplaces aimed at attracting third-party developers and businesses, fostering the growth of a broader AI ecosystem. This analysis underscores the intricate interdependence between AI and cloud infrastructure, emphasising the industry-specific aspects of cloud AI.

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References

2018The Platform Society 2010The politics of ‘platforms’2017The Digital Platform: A Research Agenda 2021The Atlas of AI 2015Signal Traffic: Critical Studies of Media Infrastructures 2021The great Transformer: Examining the role of large language models in the political economy of AI 2021The steep cost of capture 2023ChatGPT and the AI Act

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