“Meta spent almost as much as the Manhattan Project on GPUs in today's dollars”

Scale and Cost Comparisons

• Meta’s ~$30B GPU spend is compared to Manhattan Project and Apollo, but several note:
  • US GDP is ~9× higher than in 1945, so similar nominal amounts are relatively “smaller”.
  • Manhattan and Apollo each peaked around 0.4% of GDP; Meta’s outlay is ~0.1% of current US GDP and spread over years.
• Others compare against:
  • Apple’s $110B stock buyback, making Meta’s spend less shocking.
  • IBM System/360 development (said to exceed Manhattan in 1960s dollars).
• Some argue such historical cost comparisons are misleading without context on what money, wages, and tech could buy at the time.

Technological Complexity: GPUs vs Nuclear & Space

• Several argue modern GPUs, EUV lithography, and fabs (TSMC, ASML) are as impressive or more complex than Manhattan-era nuclear work.
• Counterpoint: Manhattan’s real scale was in industrialization (Hanford, Oak Ridge) and novel uranium/plutonium production, plus long‑term cleanup costs.

Economic & Inflation Debates

• Big subthread on whether official inflation understates past price growth:
  • One camp uses median family income, gold, housing, education, healthcare to claim heavy undercounting.
  • Another defends CPI and modern economic methods; stresses productivity gains, better goods, and rising living standards.
• Disagreement on whether today’s higher project prices reflect true inflation vs higher real wages, safety, regulation, and richer societies.

Government vs Corporate Mega‑Projects

• Wartime projects seen as uniquely focused, with little tolerance for waste or delay; today’s peacetime bureaucracy, lobbying, and regulation are blamed for higher costs and slower progress.
• Others note Manhattan and Apollo were also wasteful and pushed many costs (e.g., environmental cleanup) into the future.
• Some worry that large corporations now rival or exceed states in economic power and can pursue “moonshots” driven by ad revenue rather than public goals.

Meta’s AI Strategy and Impact

• GPUs fund recommendation systems (Feed, Reels), not just chatbots; some frame this as “weapon‑grade” optimization of user addiction, especially for kids.
• Mixed views on Meta open‑sourcing LLaMA:
  • Praise: massive private spend yielding public AI models; more efficient than closed efforts.
  • Concern: easier mass sockpuppeting, manipulation, and uncertain societal value.
• Debate over whether Meta is “behind” OpenAI or simply optimizing for different products and revenue streams.

Social, Ethical, and Environmental Concerns

• Skeptics see billions in compute and energy spent on “shitty chatbots” and attention‑hacking rather than housing, health, or climate.
• Others argue risky private bets are exactly how technological progress happens, even if many feel current priorities squander human potential.