The browser wars all over again.

[Workingman]

Google might now be forced to sell Chrome, similar to MS having to ditch IE from Windows OS way back...

Why?

There are hundreds of browsers out there using different technologies - chromium, gecko, Firefox, Opera. We users have a choice. We are not forced to use Chrome.

There are also hundreds of search engines we can use, we are not tied, in any way, to Google's offerings. It's up to us, but we are lazy.

I use Opera as my browser and Startpage as my search engine. It took a few minutes to set up.

[Suff]

Actually it is AI everyone needs to be looking at.

Whilst ChatGPT was a curiosity with data only to 2 years before, it is now responding on current affairs. Google's bard, Grok which is moving so fast it is creating a slipstream dragging everything with it.

These AI are already reading the news, pulling up articles and sorting all the information, determining answers and giving you waht you need.

Trivia or current affairs is one thing. But when it starts calculating your sizes for carpet, working out the best way for you to do difficult things, writing code for you, presenting collated and organised information, then browsers and browsing for information on which you then need to do something is dying out faster than you can say "this will be dead soon".

Pretty soon you will have shopping AI that knows your prefernce in a range of goods. It will go out there and ransack the web to find you matching producs for your tastes. Eventually it will be able to be given a budget, a list of priorities and it will work out what to buy you, when to buy it and will always be looking for the best deals and sales. It will know when to shuffle priorities to make a significant saving on goods you already want to buy and will do it for you.

The world she is a changing and it will be very like web 1.0 to web 2.0. Who saw Amazon, the quirky book store, becoming the powerhouse it did?

One of my sons has just bought a semi commercial 3d printer. Spools are now cheap enough. Products can be made easily. You can literally set up a business and have an AI take the order, accept the stl file, set up the printer and start printing it. Only requiring the human to switch out the completed parts.

I never thought to see two dramatic changes in my life but they are right on the cusp and I am sure I will see it. I have even tested a Llama LLM on one of my own machines. It is slow to be sure but it is feasible. It will only get faster.

AI is here and will start to learn at machine speeds eventually.

[Workingman]

AI, that doesn't exist, yet, will rarely do any of those things for me.

I do not shop online, tend to use cash, have a pre-pay card - no sort code or account number. I do not have a credit card or club cards, and my debit card stays at home. I have no apps on my phone and it also stays at home.

It's not hard to avoid being tracked if you are sensible.

[Suff]

AI that does exist and is already creating huge benefits and massive issues.

Google gemini
OpenAI ChatGPT
xAI Grok

Yes you need an account to access any one of them.

However here is an example from chatgpt. Took a few seconds.



Or.

Can you give me a summary of the second punic war highlighting key political and economic drivers for the war.

ChatGPT said:
Summary of the Second Punic War (218–201 BCE)
The Second Punic War was one of the most significant conflicts of the ancient world, fought between Rome and Carthage. It was driven by a mix of political ambition, economic rivalry, and revenge following the First Punic War (264–241 BCE). The war is best known for the Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca's daring invasion of Italy, including his legendary crossing of the Alps.

Key Political and Economic Drivers of the War

1. Political Rivalry & Revenge (Carthage vs. Rome)
After the First Punic War, Rome had taken Sicily, forcing Carthage to pay a heavy indemnity.
The Carthaginian Barcid family, led by Hamilcar Barca, sought revenge and aimed to restore Carthage’s power.
Rome's increasing interference in Carthaginian territories (especially in Spain) provoked tensions.
2. Economic Competition (Trade & Resources)
Spain became a key economic hub for Carthage, rich in silver mines, which funded their military.
Rome’s expansion into Corsica, Sardinia, and later Spain threatened Carthage’s trade networks.
Control of Mediterranean trade routes was a major economic factor fueling the war.
3. Rome’s Expansionist Policy
Rome aggressively sought dominance in the western Mediterranean.
The Treaty of Ebro (226 BCE) was supposed to limit Carthaginian expansion north of the Ebro River, but Rome later allied with Saguntum, a city south of the Ebro, provoking war.
4. Hannibal’s Personal Mission
Hannibal, son of Hamilcar Barca, vowed to destroy Rome and took an offensive strategy by invading Italy.
His strategy aimed to weaken Rome by inciting revolts among its allies.

Key Events of the War

218 BCE – Hannibal crosses the Alps and invades Italy.
216 BCE – Battle of Cannae – Hannibal’s greatest victory, devastating the Roman army.
214–211 BCE – Rome besieges Syracuse (Sicily), weakening Carthage’s hold in the region.
209 BCE – Rome captures Carthago Nova (New Carthage) in Spain.
204 BCE – Scipio Africanus invades North Africa, forcing Hannibal to return home.
202 BCE – Battle of Zama – Scipio defeats Hannibal, ending the war.

Outcome & Impact

Carthage lost Spain, its navy, and had to pay heavy reparations.
Rome emerged as the dominant power in the western Mediterranean.
The war set the stage for Rome’s later expansion into North Africa and Greece.
Would you like a more detailed breakdown of a specific aspect, such as Hannibal’s tactics or Rome’s economic strategy?