Sam Altman Is Full Of Shit
We recorded 13 claims from this post. 13 can’t be checked. Read the post at its source.
Claims from this post (13)
In the order they appear in the post. Each quotation is the speaker’s words in this post. A label such as “Supported” or “Can’t be checked” is the claim’s current assessment; its page has the evidence and the reasons.
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Observation
“The second possible explanation — and the most plausible in my opinion — is that OpenAI simply pirated her likeness and then tried to bring her onboard in a failed attempt to eliminate any potential legal risk.”
Our reading: In Zitron's opinion, the most plausible of two explanations is that OpenAI simply pirated Scarlett Johansson's likeness and then tried to bring her on board, in a failed attempt to eliminate any potential legal risk.
No horizon
Qualifier: the most plausible in my opinion
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Recommendation or value judgment
“It's time to actively push back on Altman when he says that GPT-5 will be "similar to a virtual brain," or a "super smart person who knows absolutely everything about your life," or a "super-competent colleague," or that it'll "replace 95% of marketing tasks,"”
Our reading: People should push back on Altman's claims that GPT-5 will be like a virtual brain, a super-competent colleague, or will replace 95% of marketing tasks.
No horizon
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Recommendation or value judgment
“I'll cut to the chase: it's time to stop listening to anything that Sam Altman has to say.”
Our reading: People should stop listening to anything Sam Altman says.
No horizon
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Rhetoric
“Sam Altman is full of shit, and his reign at OpenAI has been defined far more by its empty promises than any realized dreams.”
Our reading: Sam Altman is full of shit, and his reign at OpenAI has been defined far more by empty promises than by any realized dreams.
No horizon
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Causal claim
“He needs us to humor — even if he rejects the notion — the idea that AI could be considered a "creature" because doing so allows him to add further mystique and hype to distract from the fact that he doesn't seem to know anything and OpenAI doesn't seem to be innovating.”
Our reading: Altman needs people to entertain the idea that AI could be considered a 'creature', even if he rejects the notion, because doing so lets him add mystique and hype that distracts from the fact that he doesn't seem to know anything and OpenAI doesn't seem to be innovating.
No horizon
Qualifier: even if he rejects the notion
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Recommendation or value judgment
“This is not a person that should be making decisions about the future of the tech industry, nor should he be allowed to spout fan fiction and automatically have it covered as gospel.”
Our reading: Sam Altman should not be making decisions about the tech industry's future, and his claims should not be covered uncritically.
No horizon
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Recommendation or value judgment
“it's time for artificial intelligence companies to start showing us something, and it's time for OpenAI to stop being given any credit or quarter to tell us what it "will" do until it shows us.”
Our reading: OpenAI should get no credit for claims about what it will do until it demonstrates results.
No horizon
Qualifier: until it shows us
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Observation
“The AI reality distortion field feels like a giant con, used to keep media attention (and traffic) flowing to ChatGPT so that Altman can continue claiming that "generative AI is the future" when it's yet to prove itself necessary, essential, or capable of overcoming its massive energy, compute and training data needs. Or, for that matter, a financially-viable service.”
Our reading: Generative AI has yet to prove itself necessary, essential, able to overcome its energy, compute and data needs, or financially viable.
No horizon
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Observation
“where products are built upon a foundation of stolen content interpreted by a model that doesn’t actually know anything — because AI can’t, by definition, know anything.”
Our reading: AI products are built on stolen content and AI models cannot, by definition, know anything.
No horizon
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Recommendation or value judgment
“Questions must be asked of these founders, and follow-up questions asked based on what they say, and their reckless, stupid ideas must be faced with suspicion and a complete lack of the benefit of the doubt.”
Our reading: These founders (Altman and the other tech leaders discussed in the post) must be asked questions and follow-up questions, and their reckless, stupid ideas must be met with suspicion and a complete lack of the benefit of the doubt.
No horizon
Scope: these founders: Altman, Pichai, Nadella, Zuckerberg and their peers discussed in the post
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Conditional forecast
“Failing to interrogate these people will cause immeasurable harm to the creatives they're stealing from, and anyone in the media that believes that Altman and his ilk won't come for their work is living in a fantasy land.”
Our reading: Failing to interrogate these people will cause immeasurable harm to the creatives they are stealing from; separately and unconditionally, anyone in the media who believes Altman and his ilk won't come for their work is living in a fantasy land.
No horizon
Only if: failing to interrogate these people
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Conditional forecast
“Yet they will fail to perpetuate further misery if they are interrogated with the suspicion they deserve.”
Our reading: If AI companies are scrutinized with suspicion, they will fail to cause further harm.
No horizon
Only if: if interrogated with suspicion
Assessment: Can’t be checkedSaid
Recommendation or value judgment
“Push back against the vague promises of artificial intelligence.”
Our reading: People should push back against vague promises about AI.
No horizon