When ChatGPT launched, in November of 2022, it started a race that almost immediately consumed the tech industry. OpenAI didn't invent the concept of AI, but most of the state-of-the-art technology was confined to research labs at companies and institutions around the world. Then, suddenly, it was everywhere. And better than anyone expected. So many companies decided they needed to catch up as quickly as possible, by any means necessary, or risk losing the battle for maybe the most important technology ever. Verge subscribers, don't forget you get exclusive access to ad-free Vergecast wherever you get your podcasts. Head here. Not a subs … Read the full story at The Verge. ...read more read less