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Sam Altman is a great case of failing upwards. And this is the problem. You don't get to build a moral backbone if you fake your brilliance.

gumballindie 3y ago
Gives me the impression of someone who knows they are a fraud but they still do what they do hoping no one will catch on or that if the lie is big enough people will believe it. Taking such an incredible piece of tech and turning it into a fear mongering sci fi tool for milking money off of gullible people is creepy to say the least.
- ilrwbwrkhv 3y ago
  His mentor Peter Thiel also has this same quality. Talks about flying cars, but builds chartjs for the government and has his whole career thanks to one lucky investment in Facebook.
deleted 3y ago
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cguess 3y ago
His last thing is "WorldCoin" which, before pretty much completely failing did manage to scan the irises of 20% of the world's low income people which they definitely were all properly informed about. He's a charlatan, which makes sense he gets most of his money from Thiel and Musk. Why do so many supposedly smart people worship psychotic idiots?
- ilrwbwrkhv 3y ago
  I think it is the same instinct in humans which made Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fall for seances and mediums and all those hoaxes. The need to believe something is there which is hidden and unknown. It is the drive to curiosity. The way Peter, Musk, Sam and these guys talk, it has this aura of "hidden secrets". Things hidden since the foundation of the world. Of course the reality is they make their money the old fashioned way: connections. The same way your local builder makes their money. But smart people want to believe there is something more. Surely AI and your local condo development cannot have the same underlying thread. It is sad and unfortunately the internet has made things easier than ever.
  - cguess 3y ago
    That's a great metaphor, and an excellent way of looking at it.

gumballindie 3y ago

Gives me the impression of someone who knows they are a fraud but they still do what they do hoping no one will catch on or that if the lie is big enough people will believe it. Taking such an incredible piece of tech and turning it into a fear mongering sci fi tool for milking money off of gullible people is creepy to say the least.

ilrwbwrkhv 3y ago
His mentor Peter Thiel also has this same quality. Talks about flying cars, but builds chartjs for the government and has his whole career thanks to one lucky investment in Facebook.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

cguess 3y ago

His last thing is "WorldCoin" which, before pretty much completely failing did manage to scan the irises of 20% of the world's low income people which they definitely were all properly informed about. He's a charlatan, which makes sense he gets most of his money from Thiel and Musk. Why do so many supposedly smart people worship psychotic idiots?

ilrwbwrkhv 3y ago
I think it is the same instinct in humans which made Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fall for seances and mediums and all those hoaxes. The need to believe something is there which is hidden and unknown. It is the drive to curiosity. The way Peter, Musk, Sam and these guys talk, it has this aura of "hidden secrets". Things hidden since the foundation of the world. Of course the reality is they make their money the old fashioned way: connections. The same way your local builder makes their money. But smart people want to believe there is something more. Surely AI and your local condo development cannot have the same underlying thread. It is sad and unfortunately the internet has made things easier than ever.
- cguess 3y ago
  That's a great metaphor, and an excellent way of looking at it.