[bamboozled]

Elon and Sam can be as visionary as all hell, they can also be wonderful manipulators too. Both things can be true. Especially if said behaviour gets them more money to take more risks.

In the case of Altman, I feel the way he communicates in this sort of secretive, somewhat threatening way (I’m about to unleash my super secret AGI published by my fake nonprofit org, regulate the completion at once) is sociopathic. It’s quite unique to him. I recall Steve Jobs being visionary, I heard stories of him being a perfectionist, but I don’t recall him using the same sociopathic playbook I described. Think of the contrast in behavior between Altman and say, Carl Sagan, the contrast is so stark to me. Between Elon musk and Eric Weinstein.

Anyway my original point wasn't focused on the people, just that I think they’ve workouted out how to perfectly game our attention economy to their advantage. I don’t hate them for it per se. I just think it’s dishonest and distracting. I'm not even sure they know they're doing it, but they just do it because it works.