Why AI Competition Is Slowing Breakthroughs | Llion Jones Explains

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 19:46:44 +1300

In this thought-provoking talk, AI researcher Llion Jones — co-author of the landmark paper “Attention Is All You Need” — argues that the modern AI arms race may actually be slowing true innovation rather than accelerating it.

The transformer architecture he helped create became the foundation for today’s generative AI systems, powering large language models and many advanced AI tools. However, Jones warns that the massive investment and competition between tech companies has caused the industry to focus heavily on scaling the same technology instead of exploring radically new ideas.

According to Jones, the intense pressure to deliver results, secure funding, and stay ahead of rivals encourages organizations to optimize existing AI models rather than take risks on experimental approaches. This leads to what he describes as a narrowing of research, where most efforts concentrate on improving transformers rather than discovering the next major breakthrough in artificial intelligence.

The talk explores how corporate competition, short-term incentives, and massive infrastructure investments may unintentionally create a technological “lock-in.” Jones suggests that breakthroughs often emerge from open-ended exploration and unconventional research, not from tightly focused commercial races.

Ultimately, the discussion challenges the assumption that more competition always drives innovation. In AI, Jones argues, the field may need more collaboration, diverse research paths, and long-term thinking to unlock the next revolutionary technology.

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