It happened again. This time it’s Nvidia: according to what’s circulating online, part of the DLSS 5 code leaked and the community, mostly using AI tools, built a working, backwards-compatible version before Nvidia even set a release date. Here’s my take on why that’s such a big deal.
A pattern of AI-powered community builds
This isn’t the first time. Recently we’ve seen reports of Adobe tools being reverse engineered, regular people patching Microsoft problems faster than Microsoft, and a PS5 jailbreak with replacement software that’s said to give higher frame rates than the original. I covered a similar story in AI Just Beat Adobe and Sony at Their Own Game.
What happened with DLSS 5
DLSS is Nvidia’s AI upscaling tech that makes games look sharper and run smoother. After a small piece of DLSS 5 code reportedly leaked, people used it to build their own version and made it backwards compatible with basically any game, old or new. It might crash sometimes, but it works, and Nvidia’s official version isn’t even out.
The irony: AI did the job better
Nvidia is one of the companies that has leaned on the idea that AI can do people’s jobs better. Now AI-assisted hobbyists did Nvidia’s job faster and released it for free. And the fact that companies are already lobbying Congress to ban this kind of thing tells you they see the writing on the wall. For another angle on how AI is reshaping work, see The Real AI Data Center Problem: No Workers.
Key takeaways
- A community-built DLSS 5 reportedly appeared before Nvidia announced any release date.
- The community version is described as backwards compatible with nearly any game, unlike Nvidia’s planned release.
- It follows similar AI-assisted community builds involving Adobe, Microsoft, and the PS5.
- Software that companies plan to release may increasingly be rebuilt by communities with AI before it ships.
- Companies pushing for bans suggests they are worried about this trend.
What do you think: is this the future of software? Subscribe to @mowuniverse on YouTube for more.