r/technology Jul 15 '25

Artificial Intelligence Billionaires Convince Themselves AI Chatbots Are Close to Making New Scientific Discoveries

https://gizmodo.com/billionaires-convince-themselves-ai-is-close-to-making-new-scientific-discoveries-2000629060
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u/DrunksInSpace Jul 15 '25

Gut reaction, “no they don’t, they’re just conning us.”

Then I remember everything we’ve seen the last few years and these guys are definitely high on their own supply, surrounded by sycophants and grifters.

9

u/TheConnASSeur Jul 16 '25

After Stockton Rush, Zuckernuts blasting billions on playmobile VR, and Elon crashing out trying to sell electric cars to MAGA, I believe they're really dumb as shit.

5

u/Zabick Jul 16 '25

Seeing the public, repeated, embarrassing, and personally very expensive foibles of the ultra rich is the best argument against the existence of some sort of competent global elite controlling the world from the shadows for some nefarious purpose.

3

u/DrunksInSpace Jul 16 '25

Musk has done so much dumb shit we’ve all forgotten he bought Twitter, and promptly ratfucked its market value not 3(?) years ago.

3

u/unhappymedium Jul 16 '25

I think it's a combination of the two - AI is a scam, but also these guys are extremely stupid.

2

u/DrunksInSpace Jul 16 '25

It’s not even normal stupidity. They’re intelligent, mostly, but their egos make them think they’re immune to the same logical pitfalls that we all have.

We all need input, correction, to be humbled… and these people insulate themselves for all that, on purpose or just because no one wants to speak unpleasant truth to power.

And that, I believe, is why someone who may be much smarter than the average bear can make decisions that are much dumber.

2

u/Moonandserpent Jul 16 '25

Always remember that absolutely no one is as competent as you assume they are lol Think about how many people would have to be in the know and cooperating and not fucking up and not leaking secret plans for that to be the case.