All-In E180: Scarlett Johansson vs OpenAI, Nvidia's trillion-dollar problem, a vibecession, plastic in our balls
Episode 180 • 5/24/2024
OpenAI Drama Updates
- Scarlett Johansson vs OpenAI
- OpenAI created a chatbot named "Sky" with a voice similar to ScarJo's after she declined to participate
- Johansson is threatening legal action, claiming friends thought it was her voice
- Discussion of voice comparison
- Sam Altman apologized, claiming voice was from another actress but won't reveal who
- Employee NDAs and Equity Clawbacks
- Former employees must sign agreements forbidding criticism of company
- Can lose vested equity if they violate agreement
- Altman claimed this was unintentional and promised to "fix it"
- AI Safety Team Departures
- Two heads of OpenAI's super alignment team left after GPT-4 launch
- Ilya (chief scientist) and Jan Laika resigned
- Laika cited safety taking "backseat to shiny products"
Nvidia's Growth
- Reported record Q1 revenue of $26B, up 260% YoY
- Now third largest company by market cap behind Microsoft and Apple
- Discussion of potential competition and commoditization risks
- Comparison to Cisco's historical trajectory
Economic Sentiment vs Reality
- 56% of Americans wrongly believe US is in recession
- Disconnect between economic indicators and public sentiment
- Discussion of inflation impact on purchasing power
- Analysis of McDonald's price increases
Science Corner: Plastics in Food and Human Tissue
- Consumer Reports found high levels of phthalates in common foods
- Study found microplastics in human and dog testicle tissue
- Discussion of endocrine disruption and health implications
- Detailed breakdown of phthalate exposure
- Group discusses need for food supply chain reform and alternatives to plastics
The episode concludes with a discussion of possible solutions and the challenges of avoiding plastic exposure in modern life.