Thanks for this John, I found it really useful!

Have you seen any research or discussion on whether independent researchers are more likely to develop unique moral views (because they aren't part of a centralized entity), and therefore bring diversity to the global research effort?

As others mention, it's available via GitHub Co-pilot at a cost. Alternatively, groups such as Eleuther AI are making open-source alternatives (e.g. GPT-J) which will probably soon get free VS Code plugins.

I am familiar with DALL-E and the like, in fact I regularly use these tools for concept designs on projects, creating custom images for presentations, etc.

I agree with these points: AI has begun eating the arts commercial design work, just like it's bringing automation to other industries. Human made art, however, is not just about the end-product but also the context, the creative process, and the opportunity to communicate through art and empathize with other humans.