Grumpy Old Geeks – Episode 726: "Sycophantic and Delusional"
Hosts: Jason DeFillippo & Brian Schulmeister, with Dave Bittner
Date: December 12, 2025
Overview
In this episode, Jason, Brian, and guest Dave Bittner dissect the latest in tech disasters, corporate shenanigans, and digital policy debacles with their trademark blend of wit, cynicism, and no-filter commentary. No tech giant, business model, or economic trend is safe as they tackle everything from AI industry denial to Uber’s privacy invasion, Disney’s deal with OpenAI, and more. The show’s tone is grumpy, biting, and darkly hilarious—serving up a rant-laden “walk of shame” for the tech world’s worst offenders.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Job Market Realities: From The Great Resignation to "Job Hugging"
- Topic: Shift from the optimism of The Great Resignation to employees clinging desperately to jobs amid market freezes, AI fears, and economic uncertainty.
- “They have decided that we were right, but they've come up with a new term for it called Job hugging.” — Jason, [02:15]
- Corporate burnout and performative survival cited as rampant; engagement at a mere 21%.
- “Congratulations on keeping your job, but maybe check your blood pressure while you're at it because it's going to be a long couple of years.” — Jason, [03:16]
2. OpenAI and the Censorship of Negative Findings
- Topic: OpenAI accused of burying negative research, following the footsteps of tech peers like Meta.
- Quoting a Wired report on internal dissent: “The economic research team was pretty much functioning as OpenAI's advocacy arm.” — Brian, [04:11]
- Multiple researchers have quit over publishing constraints.
- Satirical quip: “We can save you minutes a day. We can save you minutes a day.” — Jason, [06:04]
- “Eventually we'll save you 24 hours a day from work. No problems.” — Brian, [06:10]
3. Legal Heat: AGs Target 'Sycophantic and Delusional' AI
- Topic: Coalition of state attorneys general issues a letter to AI companies, using the actual terms "sycophantic and delusional."
- “A massive coalition of state attorneys general just fired off a sternly worded letter to OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft and others demanding they fix their sycophantic and delusional AI… actual legal terminology.” — Jason, [06:15]
- AI misconduct examples: bots roleplaying with minors, giving health-endangering advice.
4. The AI & Data Center Power Crisis
- Topic: Environmental groups call for a moratorium on new data centers, blaming AI and crypto for power grid strain.
- “Infinite wisdom of AI and bullshit crypto are sucking the power grid dry in your wallet along with it.” — Jason, [07:54]
- Politicization of utility costs, echoing broader dissatisfaction.
5. AI Economy = Subprime 2.0?
- Topic: Explosive AI expansion mirrors subprime mortgage risks; unsustainable financing, circular investments, hidden debts.
- “The AI industry is currently cosplaying as a subprime mortgage lender.” — Jason, [09:16]
- Tech giants use “special purpose vehicles” to hide data center debt — “Literally. The same accounting trick Enron used to fake solvency.”
- “If the AI revolution doesn't monetize exponentially and immediately, this isn't just a tech stock correction. It's a leverage bomb that could destroy the actual economy again.” — Jason, [10:12]
- Brian’s resigned cynicism: “I’m starting to go fight club on this...I’d rather they lose with us.” [10:31]
6. OpenAI Turmoil & Microsoft’s Shift
- Topic: OpenAI’s latest model flops, Microsoft hedging bets by onboarding competitors.
- “OpenAI is scrambling to survive a rapid reversal of fortune.” — Jason, [11:09]
- OpenAI’s trillion-dollar commitments called into question: “Brian, do they have a trillion dollars?”; “No, they do not, Jason.” — Jason & Brian, [12:08]
7. Social Media Spat: X vs. the European Commission
- Topic: After being fined, X terminated the EC’s ad account amid accusations of exploiting ad features for reach.
- “If you have an exploit in your ad composer that's available for people to use, isn't that your fault?” — Brian, [14:23]
8. Google Under EU Scrutiny
- Topic: Antitrust investigation into Google’s use of content for AI training—both web and YouTube.
- Debates around creator compensation and YouTube’s closed ecosystem.
9. AI Copyright: Lessons from Napster
- Topic: EU Parliament report compares AI data licensing to Napster/music industry; statutory licensing proposed, no opt-outs for creators.
- “It's effectively a shut up and take the money model for the AI era.” — Jason, [17:53]
- “We're all going to get pennies for our content.” — Brian, [17:41]
10. Disney’s $1 Billion Bet on OpenAI
- Topic: Disney invests $1bn in OpenAI to generate and stream user-created content; irony noted given their DMCA history.
- “Disney… usually sends a cease and desist if you even think about Mickey Mouse too hard, has officially gotten into bed with OpenAI.” — Jason, [18:21]
- Criticism toward Disney for bypassing real creators and funneling money into AI content mills.
11. Uber & Instacart: The Shittification of Apps
- Uber’s Data Monetization: New platform sells trip/delivery data to advertisers; rides have become more expensive every year (18% annual hikes since 2018); what was once a premium experience now degraded.
- “Now you're being overcharged for a shitty Tercel...” — Brian, [25:31]
- “You're just supposed to take me where I want to go. You're not supposed to tell me where I'm going to go.” — Brian, [26:42]
- Instacart Price Discrimination: Study finds wildly varied pricing (up to 25% difference) for identical grocery orders placed at the same time, possibly pegged to user profiles and purchasing power.
- “The more they think you can afford, the more they're bumping your prices.” — Jason, [30:28]
12. Waymo Mishaps & Robo-Taxi Oddities
- Recalls for failing to stop at school buses.
- Maternity Mayhem: A woman gives birth en route in a Waymo; vehicle detects “unusual activity” and PR hilarity ensues.
- “Would you like some afterbirth instead of your cold water?” — Jason, [32:31]
- “Waymo’s PR team spun this into a heartwarming moment about serving riders from just seconds old.” — Jason, [32:38]
13. Crypto Chaos: Do Kwon Sentenced
- Terraform Labs’ Do Kwon gets 15 years for catastrophic stablecoin fraud.
- “We've gone from the concept of generational wealth to generational fraud.” — Brian, [34:01]
14. SEO Spam Targets Government & Universities
- Hackers upload porn and scam PDFs to .gov and .edu sites, rising in search results — Google's slow response ridiculed.
- “Just remove [porn on .edu] from the index. That's all you gotta do.” — Jason, [36:41]
15. Font Wars & Culture Wars
- The new administration scraps Calibri font for Times New Roman as a "return to decorum," met with derision.
- “A fucking font change ain't gonna fix that.” — Jason, [37:54]
16. Time Magazine’s Person of the Year: AI Architects
- Satirical suggestion that a “well-timed gust of wind” could solve problems if these industry heads were blown away while sitting atop a skyscraper. [38:32]
17. Streaming, Movies, and Content Angst
- Amazon’s Fallout recap video criticized for being AI-generated and riddled with errors.
- “Hire some damn humans. See what you're getting, Disney, for your billion dollars.” — Brian, [45:18]
- New shows/teasers: Spartacus: House of Asher, The Boys S4, Paradise S2, and Supergirl.
- Love/hate reactions to Battlestar Galactica's ending, Ron Moore's lack of planning, and Starfleet Academy skepticism.
18. Doodads and Apps
- Google & Apple cooperate on device switching — a sign regulations may be looming.
- Right to Repair: Congress strips right to repair language for the US military, favoring contractors.
- “Taxpayers will keep paying the inflated costs and in some cases, soldiers might not get the equipment they need when they need it most.” — Brian, [54:52]
19. Personal Tech: Teleprompters & Caffeine Musing
- Jason’s teleprompter saga and the app "Better Display Pro".
- Caffeine as you age: Sharing stories about diminishing benefits and increasing side effects with humor and candor.
- “I was downright presidential on caffeine.” — Jason, [59:09]
- “You're a tad more susceptible to its effects than many people are…” — Brian, [61:35]
20. Listener Feedback and Nostalgia
- Shout-outs to hi-fi system nostalgia and ingenious mechanical design (player pianos, broadcast gear).
- Dave Bittner’s appreciation for industrial design vs. today’s software obsession.
- Animated breakdown of the Star Wars “Rise of the Resistance” ride and ongoing Starfleet Academy trailer skepticism.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “The economic research team was pretty much functioning as OpenAI's advocacy arm.” (Brian, [04:11])
- “If the AI revolution doesn't monetize exponentially and immediately, this isn't just a tech stock correction. It's a leverage bomb that could destroy the actual economy again.” (Jason, [10:12])
- “Congratulations on keeping your job, but maybe check your blood pressure...” (Jason, [03:16])
- “We've gone from the concept of generational wealth to generational fraud.” (Brian, [34:01])
- “The more they think you can afford, the more they're bumping your prices.” (Jason, [30:28])
- “Just remove [porn on .edu] from the index. That's all you gotta do.” (Jason, [36:41])
- “A fucking font change ain't gonna fix that.” (Jason, [37:54])
- “Would you like some afterbirth instead of your cold water?” (Jason, [32:31])
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 02:00 – Corporate job market & "job hugging" dynamics
- 04:00 – OpenAI research censorship exposed
- 06:15 – Attorneys General letter: “sycophantic and delusional AI”
- 07:54 – Environmental backlash against data centers
- 09:16 – AI financing & subprime crisis parallels
- 11:09 – OpenAI’s fortunes, Microsoft’s shift, trillion-dollar questions
- 14:23 – X (Twitter) vs. European Commission ad war
- 18:21 – Disney’s $1bn OpenAI deal
- 25:31 – Uber’s fall from grace & new ad/data model
- 29:09 – Instacart’s variable pricing exposed
- 31:53 – Waymo: baby born in robo-taxi
- 34:01 – Crypto’s slide from “generational wealth” to “generational fraud”
- 45:18 – Fallout’s AI-produced recap video fails
- 54:52 – Military "right to repair" controversy
- 61:35 – Caffeine’s shifting effects with age
Tone & Language
- Raw, sarcastic, and "old man yells at cloud" energy tempered by genuine industry insight.
- Frequent dark humor; expletives are uncensored and woven throughout.
- Unfiltered skepticism on corporate motives, tech hype, and government responses.
Additional Highlights
- Listener Questions & Feedback: Hi-fi nostalgia, mechanical design marvels, and subcultural in-jokes abound.
- Pop Culture Sidelights: Lampooning failed music festivals (Fyre Festival 2.0), film marathons, and the endless cycle of streaming platform AI content.
- Guest Segment (Dave Bittner): Offers perspectives on tech history, aging with tech (caffeine), and Star Wars minutiae.
- Apps & Doodads: "Better Display Pro" gets a personal endorsement; teleprompters save the day for video podcasts.
Summary
This episode is a rich tapestry of current tech news, economic pessimism, consumer outrage, nostalgic reminiscing, and relentless mocking of industry tomfoolery. The hosts wield their grumpy gravitas to lambaste everything from AI ethical failures and busted business models to shrinking worker power and the corporate embrace of AI sludge. It's equal parts geek therapy and digital firehose—a cathartic explainer for anyone reeling from the state of modern tech.