OpenAI is building a social network?
theverge.com314 points by noleary 4 days ago
314 points by noleary 4 days ago
> “The Grok integration with X has made everyone jealous,” says someone working at another big AI lab. “Especially how people create viral tweets by getting it to say something stupid.”
It's awesome to see the amazing value for society being created by big tech these days.
To think that even a year ago the idea of Instagram-style social media where all posts are openly AI-generated sounded very dystopian, now I can clearly so it is something people would pay for and HN people would gladly build. I wasn’t always a Luddite, but damn they made me one.
> I wasn’t always a Luddite, but damn they made me one.
If this industry didn't pay so well, I would've been gone years ago. I'm lucky to work in a job that I think is ethical and improving the world, but it's so goddamn embarrassing to even be in the same room as the AI and blockchain types and the ad hucksters.
> If this industry didn't pay so well, I would've been gone years ago.
That's the root of the problem. Intelligent and want to live nicely? Then have your mind exploited for profit! Have morals? Compromise on them and get paid.
I know someone who works for a large gaming company who told me upon hearing a friend of mine was entertaining a position at a Musk company told me "your friend lacks a moral compass to work for that man." I reminded them they work for a company who was fined half a billion dollars for willfully exploiting children. They did not take that well.
I've worked at both a casino company and a large mobile game studio, and the latter was way shadier in almost all aspects.
There's a list of 20-ish large companies we univerally agree are evil and openly bash all the time, but the reality is 95% of the industry is at best doing absolutely meaningless work, and at worst work that's deeply negative for the world.
Not disagreeing with you, but there are 8 billion people (at least) on this planet, we all need something to do, no? There is probably only a fraction of work that is actually meaningful (growing food, healing others...) and a big chunk is probably junk work or mostly junk ("social media manager" - how many of these do we need and do we need 40 hours a week for this?) but these jobs also keep people employed, so maybe in that sense, they are meaningful?
> but these jobs also keep people employed, so maybe in that sense, they are meaningful?
I know your comment is in good faith, but that argument can be used to excuse away pretty much any exploitative job.
There’s a reality distortion effect that builds up around companies and affects their employees.
The company always builds up a narrative where they are a force for good.
This narrative can be very different from what the public thinks. But a lot of the employees will always genuinely believe it.
They did not take that well
If only people paused for a second before judging others...
Yes, I include myself, before you ask
Roblox?
That would be my God. In parts of the gaming industry working there can make you a pariah though. Not a huge portion but I've seen people get rejected based on working there and a couple other choice companies.
It's not gonna pay well for long, unless you find yourself a very tight and lucrative niche. My goal on the other hand is to buy a house in the woods by end of the year and become a woodworker before I have to be assimilated by the AI wave, maybe doing some coding by hand just for the fun of it on the side. Can't wait for "vibe coding" and "2 years of Copilot experience" to figure among the average list of job requirements.
To quote the young'uns, we are so cooked.
I bought my wife's grandma's house in rural central Louisiana so that her grandpa could retire and not have to worry about medical bills or anything like that. It already has a "woodshop"[1] on it, and when the contractor finishes (or at least starts) on repairing the years of neglect, I will also be a woodworker in the woods.
I'm currently a "woodworker" in suburban Houston, but usually only average $500-ish per month (heavily loaded toward a couple of times of year - Mid Spring, Back to School, Christmas).
1: https://www.icloud.com/photos/#/icloudlinks/08c7DUB5txbSRiCs...
I'm not sure posting a photo with EXIF location data under a full name is a good idea.
My home address is public record as well. My business locations are also. If someone wants me, I'm available for them to kill.
The evolution of the internet has been fun to watch:
1994-1998 – Don't give out any personal information online.
1998-2004 – Well, maybe just don't give out your real name.
2004-2010 – Never mind. Your full name is fine. Just stay away from sharing racy or compromising photos.
2010-2016 – Actually, the photos are okay as long as your "bathing suit area" remains modest.
2016-2020 – On second thought, bare all if you wish. But, please, don't spread misinformation.
2020-2025 – Ugh, fine. Whatever you do, do not share your exact GPS coordinates!
> and become a woodworker
Hey we can't ALL have the same plan, man! The tech oligarchs that own all of society's wealth will only need so much bespoke furniture!
More seriously, my plan had been to build a decent savings and go work for the USPS or the local public transit company, supplemented with savings interest and maybe some woodworking income. But then the 2024 election happened so who fucking knows anymore.
Nah, I plan on owning a chunk of acres and start my own homestead. Raise a few animals like some sheep, goats, rabbits, and of course chickens. Build a nice green house and large garden. Just need to find the right plot of land before making it a serious go. Oh, and can't forget the first step. Gotta win the lottery to pay for it. Not all of have those cushy FAANG salaries.
There are rural land loan companies. Or buy with friends or family. I know people who've done the above and don't tell anybody but it's working out fine.
>There are rural land loan companies.
The point is to not owe people money so that you are self sufficient and not need to make money.
> Or buy with friends or family.
yeah, but i don't like people. /s
> The point is to not owe people money so that you are self sufficient and not need to make money.
Trouble is, if you become self-sufficient the government will soon swoop in and try to take a piece of the pie, and now you're back to owing people money again.
The ideal is to owe so much money that you become "too big to fail". Then you get all the benefits of being self-sufficient, but with nothing on paper to share.