> But calling it "just software" is trivializing it in my opinion

The bigger mistake would be trivializing the rest of the technology involved just because LLMs are the newest piece. LLMs are only "magic" because they're built on a stack that was already "magic" without them.

LLMs are impossible without:

- operating systems

- programming languages

- compilers

- data centers / power grids / air conditioning

- servers / switches / routers

- CPUs / RAM / GPUs / SSDs

- fiber networks

- etc