To say that we live in a pivotal moment in tech history is such commonplace that you would think it would be unworthy to use such an epithet in this journal. Yet we do think that, but we are very aware that it will be only a decade or so before we can perform a conscious analysis of the various messes of our era (if this magazine is still around, that is). In the meantime, we have hunch feelings and commentators.
Witnessing history unfold is a temptation for speculation and cheap commentary; there is, however, some interesting points to make, some of which constitute the essence of this month’s Vidéothèque entry: “The AI Startup Grift is Getting Worse” in the recently-started YouTube channel futureform.
The core of the video is the analysis of (yet another) AI startup promising a future that could never be delivered (or at least not using 2026 technology). In this case, it is about a set of “augmented reality” glasses (clearly, a fad that has been refusing to die for more than 15 years at this point) called “Pickle”.
The startup behind this umpteenth marvel of technology claims that their AR glasses are smaller, more lightweight, with longer battery life, and with features that “disrupt” (gotta love those words in the startup world, innit) whatever Meta and Apple have been able to put together, their oversized budgets and hordes of PhDs be damned. One cannot but wonder at the level of delusion at play.
Do I need to continue? Not really; you know where this is heading. It is more than vaporware, it is the sign of an overheated bubble of undefendable claims, covered by nothing else than the sound of an echo chamber that keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Sadly, the “AI Grift” culture is here to stay, just like startups. There is a lot of easy venture capital cash to be had just by voicing these ridiculous thoughts out loud, regardless of common sense and the actual existence of high-profile failures in the same technology space, like the Humane AI Pin, the Rabbit R1, and other recent embarrassments in the same market. If all else fails, at least listen to what Marques Brownlee had to say about them.
We congratulate the host of the futureform channel for performing a thorough research and analysis of the current state of the art of bullshit in the AI startup world, and how this is all getting out of hand one press release at a time. Other videos in the channel provide interesting insight about mobile devices, self-driving cars, and more. Clearly worth a click on the “subscribe” button, if you ask me.
Enrique Santos Discépolo wrote in 1934 one of the most famous tangos of all time, titled “Cambalache” (a word that in Rioplatense Spanish means “junkyard”), whose censored lyrics openly critisized the corruption and hubris of the era, with timeless words that kept sounding for almost a century with uncanny relevance.
Hoy resulta que es lo mismo
ser derecho que traidor,
Ignorante, sabio, chorro,
generoso o estafador
Todo es igual, nada es mejor
Lo mismo un burro que un gran profesor
In English:
Today it turns out that it’s the same
to be honest or a traitor,
Ignorant, wise, thief,
generous or swindler
Everything is the same, nothing is better
A donkey is the same as a great teacher.
The tech startup world, led by an ever-increasing horde of clueless “AI bros” is entering a critical phase, sadly in tune with the overall sense of hopelessness one has after learning the (admittedly abysmal) daily news of our world.
Take a deep breath, and watch this month’s Vidéothèque entry “The AI Startup Grift is Getting Worse” on YouTube.
Cover snapshot chosen by the author.
