[HN Gopher] SF tech CEO's billboards are 'dystopian.' That's how...
       ___________________________________________________________________
        
       SF tech CEO's billboards are 'dystopian.' That's how he wants it
        
       Author : thehoff
       Score  : 27 points
       Date   : 2024-12-10 17:38 UTC (5 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.sfgate.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.sfgate.com)
        
       | calgoo wrote:
       | "its only existing product is an artificial intelligence "sales
       | agent" called Artisan, built to automate the work of finding and
       | messaging potential customers."
       | 
       | So they use "AI" to generate spam, and that is going to replace
       | the workforce? Good luck!
        
       | JohnFen wrote:
       | > "They are somewhat dystopian, but so is AI," said the young CEO
       | over text. "The way the world works is changing."
       | 
       | It really blows my mind that people can see that all of this is
       | taking us to a dystopian future, but are eager to help that along
       | rather than try to avoid it.
       | 
       | It's pure sociopathy.
        
         | jrflowers wrote:
         | It isn't _pure_ sociopathy. In this instance the sociopathy is
         | heavily doped with high-test stupidity. "My spam chat bot is
         | going to change the world" is the sort of thing an autoerotic
         | asphyxiator gasps out before things take a bad turn
        
         | DrillShopper wrote:
         | "People just submitted it. I don't know why. They 'trust me'.
         | Dumb fucks." is up there as well
        
         | a_e_k wrote:
         | Or the classic tweet
         | (https://x.com/AlexBlechman/status/1457842724128833538):
         | 
         | > Sci-Fi Author: In my book I invented the Torment Nexus as a
         | cautionary tale
         | 
         | > Tech Company: At long last, we have created the Torment Nexus
         | from classic sci-fi novel Don't Create The Torment Nexus
        
         | miltonlost wrote:
         | If you rule the dystopia, then it's not a dystopia to you. He
         | can see it but is hoping to gain power instead of be ground
         | into dirt or Luigi'd
        
       | elzbardico wrote:
       | Annoying trust-fund kids never fail to impress us with their
       | arrogant display of ignorance and their half-brained "genial"
       | schemes.
       | 
       | We should tax inheritance more just to make our society less
       | subject to the bad taste of this gross people.
        
       | mcntsh wrote:
       | So once all of the workers get replaced with AI who's going to
       | buy the products these companies sell?
        
       | JumpCrisscross wrote:
       | FFS, it's a marketing campaign. In San Francisco. If it's posted
       | to _HN_ every picosecond, it 's obviously working.
       | 
       | If you don't make AI-nonsense procurement (or investment)
       | decisions, you aren't its target. The only utility you can
       | provide to the ad is in sharing it. Edgy, insulting marketing is
       | common throughout history because it's effective, both in
       | virality and in defining an us-them dynamic, typically on a
       | strong-weak axis. (You see it in non-advertising memes, too.
       | Snowflakes, Karens, _et cetera_ work because they 're infuriating
       | to some people.)
        
       | iamleppert wrote:
       | His company, like 9 out of 10 YC companies, is destined to fail.
       | That is all the poetic justice you'll ever need.
        
       | bad_haircut72 wrote:
       | He wants you talking about him, that's all
        
       | ChrisArchitect wrote:
       | Related:
       | 
       |  _Y Combinator Funded AI Firm 's 'Stop Hiring Humans' Billboard
       | Sparks Outrage_
       | 
       | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42380054
        
       ___________________________________________________________________
       (page generated 2024-12-10 23:02 UTC)