[david_shaw]

I'd prefer to see board (or executive) level signatories over lay employees -- the people who can enforce enterprise policy rather than just voice their opinions -- but this is encouraging to see nonetheless.

I can't help but notice that Grok/X is not part of this initiative, though. I realize that frontier models are really coming from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google, but it feels like someone is going to give in to these demands.

It's incredible how quickly we've devolved into full-blown sci-fi dystopia.

[thimabi]

> I'd prefer to see board (or executive) level signatories over lay employees -- the people who can enforce enterprise policy rather than just voice their opinions

Although it would be nice to have some high-level signees there, I think we shouldn’t minimize the role of lay employees in this matter. Without having someone knowledgeable enough to build and operate them, AI models are worthless to the C-suite.

[autoexec]

> Without having someone knowledgeable enough to build and operate them, AI models are worthless to the C-suite.

The obvious solution is to use AI to build and operate them. If AI is as intelligent as the hype claims it shouldn't be an issue. It's not as if the goal wasn't to get rid of workers anyway. Why not start now?

[ajam1507]

If AI could do that, they would have fired all of the employees already and their company would be worth $30 trillion.

[alfiedotwtf]

I just hope that the non-executive co-signers aren’t all fired once Hedseth becomes Acting CEO of Google or OpenAI eventually when this administration commandeers both company in the name of National Security

[8note]

i think you mean ellison becomes ceo of google and openai

[imiric]

> It's incredible how quickly we've devolved into full-blown sci-fi dystopia.

How so? The steps towards where we are now have been gradual over the last 2 decades, at least. This recent step has opened the door for those in power to grab onto even more power and wealth, and they're naturally seizing it. All of this was comically predictable. Oh, and BTW, the people on this very website have brought us here. :)

You know what will happen next? Absolutely nothing. A vocal minority will make a ruckus that will be ignored, partly because nobody will hear it due to our corrupted media channels, and partly because the vast majority doesn't care and are too amused by their shiny toys and way of life.

This dystopia is only different from fictional ones in that those in power have managed to convince the majority of people that they're not living in a dystopia. It's kind of a genius move.

[skeledrew]

> Grok/X

Head(s) will of course agree with the administration. And employees will likely be making themselves a target if they sign this letter. All anonymous from said company is not a good look at all.

Speculation of course; let's see what really happens.

[daxfohl]

Or just reincorporate in Finland or something. If the US is going to be this hostile to business, time to gtfo.

[snickerbockers]

Or they can just not sign contracts with the DoD. They landed themselves in this situation by making a deal with the devil. At any rate, unless Finland is about to announce a massive surge in funding for their military this doesn't solve Anthropic's desire to suckle sweet taxpayer money off the military industrial complex's teat while simultaneously pretending to have principles.

[mieses]

"hostile to business".. Employees of a business playing moral philosophers, priests or policy influencers miss the entire point of business.

The employees themselves can definitely gtfo to Finland for the reason that they have an unrealistic perception of business and the world. The business itself has no obligation to pay attention to magical thinking.

[dsign]

> It's incredible how quickly we've devolved into full-blown sci-fi dystopia.

It's pretty bad, but at least the AI industry is still run by humans. Wait a decade or two, when the AI lobby is run by AIs, and the repressive apparatus of the day uses autonomous weapons to do what ICE and friends do today but perhaps focused on "alignment" of the ... humans. You know, if they sufficiently worship AIs in the way they express themselves. Forget about Anthropic and OpenAI; we will look back and rue the day mathematics was invented.

[jdadj]

I don’t have any particular insights, but I’m curious to learn the antitrust implications of how the execs can/cannot coordinate.

[jalapenos]

I don't think people get to those positions by having firm principles

[avaer]

Honestly though, would it help if those in charge voiced their honest opinions?

The current political climate is this is the kind of thing that will get you "investigated" and charged with crimes.

And the government has already threatened that it will commandeer these companies whether they like it or not.

If someone in charge wants to make a difference, there might be more effective things to do than to speak out in this instance.

[dougb5]

Yes, it would help so much. Especially if a lot of people with money and power voiced their honest opinions at the same time.

[dfp33]

Is it really incredible?

Only if you're naive. I guess most here are.

Governments are paranoid, particularly about losing control and influence over its subjects. This is expected behaviour.

[wslack]

By that logic we should expect all governments to regress to totalitarianism, which hasn’t happened, and isn’t what’s happening here.

The question isn’t if some would attempt these behaviors, but rather if we and our democratic structures empower those people or fail to constrain them.

[myko]

This is a very different vibe in the US than it has been in living memory.

[puchatek]

Democratic governments care about this to a degree but only autocratic ones get paranoid.

[busko]

I wouldn't call senior AI researchers / scientists laypersons. In fact in this sense politicians are laypersons.

There are already several comments here showing xAIs involvement. Please save clutter and read before posting.

[edoceo]

Re: Reading, I don't see any xAI names on the list (currently 643) and only Google and OpenAI are selectable company options. And this page on HN is only calling out xAI.

[busko]

See here.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47188473#47188709

They are very much not a part of the initiative. Their involvement is and will be non-existent. Unless of course, you want their lay staff to make some noise?