First of all, no I do not work in AI/ML. I've always been interested, though, and would like to dabble next year. Something simple, like recognize cat faces, so I can see for myself how this is done.
Don't you think "data privacy on device and preventing Nvidia from getting into mobile?" are really good reasons?
I'd say there's also a large segment who have no idea of bang for the buck and simply use what their employer hands them. We're a bunch of nerds on here. Most people don't care as long as it isn't slow and doesn't crash.
Yes this thread is in an awesome phase right now. I started out doing system administration / managed IT services. I always have a fairly current Mac Pro & MacBook Pro. I also enjoy the occasional game at max settings but not willing to bootcamp. There's an HP Z820 for VR.
Increasingly I've been doing stuff with Mac forensic software which requires GPU power. Since Apple crippled the 6,1s eGPU capabilities for so long, I hired someone to Hackintosh several HP Z820s. All they do is sit in a server room, crunching numbers at high CPU / GPU utilization. 3 GPUs each, mostly GTX 1080s. They've been flawless and cheap. Any 5,1 owner who doesn't like the $6k price should seriously consider getting an HP Z series professionally Hackintoshed or set up with some kind of Hypervisor.
Also, I use a 6,1 as a dedicated Plex server. It handles 15TB and growing smoothly.
