Thread

1. 123aGaf · 1790168686 · focus · HN ↗

   And they only count the influencers who use the OpenAI's partner hashtags!

   US business model: go into billions of debt, brainwash the population via YouTube, Twitch, TikTok and Hacker News influencers. Intimidate foreign governments to allow the current snake oil. Wait a decade until you have minor profits and the stock price is through the roof because #growth-mindset.

   1. poisonborz · 1790169288 · focus · HN ↗

      Wait what, Hacker News influencers? :D

      1. sodapopcan · 1790169623 · focus · HN ↗

         It would not surprise me in the least if people were paid to boost on HN.

         1. terminalbraid · 1790169813 · focus · HN ↗

            Of course. Say something bad about Elon and see what happens.

            1. NDlurker · 1790169964 · focus · HN ↗

               His grandpa moved from Canada to South Africa because he was pro-apartheid and Elon is following in his footsteps.

               1. irthomasthomas · 1790177905 · focus · HN ↗

                  He was kicked out of Canada because they thought the Technocracy movement which he promoted was too communist.
            2. edgyquant · 1790170320 · focus · HN ↗

               You’ll be upvoted?

               1. someonebaggy · 1790171225 · focus · HN ↗

                  Let's try it:

                  Elon is a stupid fascist and he only got where he is by failing upwards repeatedly.

                  1. avazhi · 1790171973 · focus · HN ↗

                     SpaceX seems pretty successful to me, no? I think you have to say something bad + have it actually contain some element of truth.

                     1. pixl97 · 1790173220 · focus · HN ↗

                        "Elon is a stupid fascist that mostly wouldn't have been noticed if Spacex and Tesla were what he dabbled in, but his incredible ego makes it impossible for him to keep his mouth shut".

                        Now, that one will be a whole lot harder to debunk.

                        1. avazhi · 1790179713 · focus · HN ↗

                           You don't think the owner of a private company that sends more satellites and mass into space than the governments of the world combined would be pretty notorious? You don't think the richest man on the planet would be notorious?

                           Come on bro, your hatred of the guy is making you say some dumb shit. You can just say you dislike him and leave it at that, I think most people can at least understand why others would dislike him, but spouting nonsense just makes you (and not him) look bad.

                           1. pixl97 · 1790186088 · focus · HN ↗

                              There is no nonsense here.

                              Elons rise to idiocy was Twitter for sure. There are plenty of other multi-billionaires that you don't even know exist.

                              > You can just say you dislike him and leave it at that

                              No, I cannot. Maybe you don't live in the US where he's actively taking in a role in fucking the government up, but I do. This is not non-sense to make him look bad, this is the words right out of his own mouth.

                              If you like those words it says way more about you then me.

               2. kdndjfjf · 1790172550 · focus · HN ↗

                  elon musk is a degenerate that is the white nick cannon
         2. captainbland · 1790169910 · focus · HN ↗

            Apple product release threads are wild if they're organic, that's all I'm saying

            1. creaturemachine · 1790172913 · focus · HN ↗

               Apple doesn't even have to pay them, just give them a chance to feel special with a new palette of colours. Who really thought they'd be unique for choosing the orange phone?
            2. alex7o · 1790173513 · focus · HN ↗

               I think apple has enough people brainwashed already not to need paid ones.
            3. slopinthebag · 1790174241 · focus · HN ↗

               wym, there is a massive a̶n̶t̶i̶-̶a̶i̶ anti-apple sentiment on this platform. if apple is paying influencers it sure doesnt feel like it

               1. sodapopcan · 1790176483 · focus · HN ↗

                  I'm pretty sure you're just experiencing the, uh, I don't know the name for it, but the voices you are in disagreement with feel amplified. There is also a HUGE pro-AI sentiment on this platform which feels extremely loud to me.

                  1. slopinthebag · 1790178451 · focus · HN ↗

                     i meant to say anti-Apple, not anti-AI. sleeeepy. i agree there is a massive pro ai sentiment here

                     1. sodapopcan · 1790179049 · focus · HN ↗

                        OHHHHHH lol yes, agreed.
            4. [deleted] · 1790178313 · focus · HN ↗

               [deleted]

         3. Ekaros · 1790171527 · focus · HN ↗

            Or doing it for free to hype whatever they are doing just now...
         4. b38484848 · 1790171565 · focus · HN ↗

            [dead]

         5. xdavidliu · 1790171682 · focus · HN ↗

            of course. way more investors read it versus say reddit or facebook
         6. avazhi · 1790171776 · focus · HN ↗

            Judging from some of the comments I’ve seen in the past 24 hours there is no doubt.
         7. pixl97 · 1790173062 · focus · HN ↗

            You're telling me that you'd be surprised that people would be paid to boost messages on HN, a site filled with shitloads of above income earners in a multi-trillion dollar industry?

            I don't want to be mean, but don't you think you're being a little naive here?

            1. bluefirebrand · 1790174373 · focus · HN ↗

               It's still a site that is free to sign up

               And hey, I'm unemployed at the moment. I'm a zero income earner. And yet, I'm still here.

               1. pixl97 · 1790176518 · focus · HN ↗

                  And? There's a reason your here and it's the fact people in the industry earning paychecks while messing with this stuff are posting here.
            2. sodapopcan · 1790176260 · focus · HN ↗

               Not sure what you mean. HN comments certainly have influence on others' perceptions of different kinds of tech. I can't point you to hard data other than "advertising works." I know I'm susceptible to it.
            3. anonymars · 1790177423 · focus · HN ↗

               > You're telling me that you'd be surprised that people would be paid to boost messages on HN...

               Huh?

               > "It would not surprise me in the least if people were paid to boost on HN.

               1. pixl97 · 1790178292 · focus · HN ↗

                  I guess I should say it this way.

                  "It would not surprise me if I held an apple in the air and let go of it, that it would hit the ground".

         8. minimaxir · 1790174364 · focus · HN ↗

            I wish I could find the email, but awhile ago one YC startup pitched me on a six-figure job role solely dedicated to posting/commenting on Hacker News about it. Apparently I did not respond "no, that's stupid."

            1. airstrike · 1790174912 · focus · HN ↗

               if anyone reading this wants to effectively pay me six figures to do what I'm already doing on HN, please send an e-mail to the address in my profile

               1. dansquizsoft · 1790175645 · focus · HN ↗

                  Me too please
         9. mentalgear · 1790174605 · focus · HN ↗

            yeah, I have contemplated that as well and thought it would be an interesting project (since hacker news provides open data) to analyze it for signals of influence/manipulation and around which entities and topics they cluster.
      2. probably_wrong · 1790171391 · focus · HN ↗

         I challenge you to make a post reach the front page without someone commenting "how about this, but with AI?".
      3. pjc50 · 1790174578 · focus · HN ↗

         Part of the point of HN is a regular marketing slot, Show HN.

         1. jacquesm · 1790191898 · focus · HN ↗

            If that's how you see it you're seeing it wrong.
      4. [deleted] · 1790176350 · focus · HN ↗

         [deleted]

   2. vixen99 · 1790171598 · focus · HN ↗

      Sounds like a model devised by politicians as well not to mention any examples.
   3. pj_mukh · 1790172023 · focus · HN ↗

      >>brainwash the population via YouTube,

      I like that you think that only one side is doing it. And without clear partner hashtags or sponsorship declarations neither [1].

      Seems like an obvious response from OpenAI ngl.

      [1]: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.youtube.com&#x2F;watch?v=lPdmYMHrWKg" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.youtube.com&#x2F;watch?v=lPdmYMHrWKg

      1. runarberg · 1790172340 · focus · HN ↗

         Just know you are citing one of the most disgraced science communicator YouTuber here. I for one don‘t trust anything she says. In fact when Sabine Hossenfelder says something, I tend to believe the opposite.
      2. officeplant · 1790172622 · focus · HN ↗

         &gt;ground news sponsorship

         Ahh the paid pretend fence sitters have arrived.

      3. pixl97 · 1790172847 · focus · HN ↗

         What&#x27;s worse is every major company is doing things like this. If you&#x27;re a large enough company to be considered &quot;evil&quot; by someone you have media&#x2F;social media teams duking it out in the advertizing-sphere.

         Now, don&#x27;t take it as me saying what OpenAI is doing is good. It&#x27;s more if you&#x27;re in the industry you know that if you&#x27;re not doing things like this, you&#x27;re the only one. Whole damned thing is corrupt.

         1. mrguyorama · 1790177562 · focus · HN ↗

            This &quot;PR management&quot; is a service cheap enough to offer to mildly well off random people to massage the egos of their children or whatever.

            Everything has inauthentic messaging right now.

      4. 1298hafD · 1790174169 · focus · HN ↗

         Look, Effective Altruism money that goes through multiple funds (Survival and Flourishing Fund (SFF) =&gt; Center for AI Safety (CAIS)) can have any ulterior motive.

         Like using doomerism to get regulatory capture for Big AI.

         &gt; Seems like an obvious response from OpenAI ngl.

         What response? Big AI has been paying influencers forever and they can afford more than Hossenfelder:

         <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.cnbc.com&#x2F;2026&#x2F;02&#x2F;06&#x2F;google-microsoft-pay-creators-500000-and-more-to-promote-ai.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.cnbc.com&#x2F;2026&#x2F;02&#x2F;06&#x2F;google-microsoft-pay-creator...

         Even chess channels have been full of undisclosed vibe coding and robot product placements for at least two years.

         1. pj_mukh · 1790174640 · focus · HN ↗

            I&#x27;m not definitively claiming one side started it. One side is clearly marking it as advertisement, companies advertise and influencer marketing is just another channel now.

            I&#x27;m saying, the game is the game and everyone&#x27;s playing it.

            I don&#x27;t like it either. I think all influencers should be declaring payments.

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.