HelloThere

Wait, do they actually think getting it to summarise the wiki page on the trolley problem is actually going to stop their people mowers mowing down people?

Surely not!

I asked ChatGPT what it thought of this:

The phrase “rats leaving a sinking ship” often conjures images of individuals abandoning a failing situation in search of safety, reflecting a natural instinct for self-preservation. In the world of tech, leadership changes can evoke similar sentiments, particularly when a high-profile figure like Mira Murati steps down as CTO. Her departure may signal deeper issues within the company, leading to speculation about its stability and future direction. Just as rats flee a deteriorating vessel, employees and stakeholders might interpret her exit as a warning sign, prompting concerns about the organization’s health and long-term viability.

Murati’s tenure as CTO brought innovation and leadership, positioning the company as a front-runner in its industry. Her decision to leave could suggest an unraveling of the strategic vision that once propelled the organization forward. This parallel highlights the instinctive reaction of those within the company; employees may feel uncertain about their future, mirroring the chaos and trepidation felt aboard a ship in distress. The fear of instability can lead to a wave of resignations, as others seek to secure their own positions before the situation worsens.

However, not every departure must be viewed through a negative lens. Just as rats leaving a sinking ship might find new, more promising environments, Murati’s exit could open doors for fresh leadership and innovative ideas. This shift might provide an opportunity for rejuvenation and growth within the company, allowing it to adapt and evolve. While the immediate reaction may be one of alarm, such transitions can also lead to renewed focus and a stronger foundation, illustrating that change—though often unsettling—can ultimately foster resilience and progress.

Emphasis mine - no shit!

Also, good luck to those enterprising rats finding a more promising environment in the, er, sea…

A 20 year deal, with no power produced until 2028?

Either MS really do know something we don’t, or this bubble has grained a layer of strontium.

Pop pop!

The lack of PsyX cards is upsetting.

We had a tremendous office culture in the 1950s.

If you were a middle class white man, sure.

The weird guy with the really ill fitting suit?

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/redirect-mobile-wikipedia/

Well this is dumb as fuck.

It’s an old, bad, joke on the two definitions of revolting.

And they smell bad too!

I don’t want to be all old man yells at cloud, but back in my day popular games were played a lot because they were primarily enjoyable for the story, the achievement of completing a particular level or boss, playing against friends, etc. And sure, you’d have the odd bad parent trying to claim their kid was addicted to Counterstrike 1.6, but it was broadly speaking nonsense. The vast majority of games were offline, or had very limited online modes built around direct competition with other players (FPS, sports games, etc), and publishers would get all their money from the initial sale, with only a few games having expansion packs, most notable The Sims.

But in the early 2010s a few things changed:

• broadband internet became ubiquitous in markets with high levels of existing gamers
• distribution of games swapped from physical media to downloads
• ‘everyone’ had a pretty powerful computer in their pocket making it much more accessible
• a bunch of people in the industry started reading about positive psychology - the idea that you can create habits through rewards - and apply them to video games to increase playtime
• those mechanics turned out to be very powerful in driving particular user behaviours, and started to be targeted at monetisation models - and so we got loot boxes, etc

So we went from a situation where video games were fun for the same reasons traditional games, or sports, are fun, to one where many video games include a lot of gambling mechanics in their core gameplay loops - loot boxes being the obvious one, but any lottery-based mechanic where you spend real money counts - in an industry with no relevant regulation, nor age limitation.

It is definitely possible for people to get addicted to these mechanics, the same way people can get addicted to casino games, or betting on horse racing, especially when for some games that is literally what the developer wants.