Grumpy Old Geeks – Episode 724: "Sam Altman’s Boutique"

Hosts: Jason DeFillippo & Brian Schulmeister (with Dave Bittner)
Date: November 29, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jason and Brian deliver their signature no-holds-barred breakdown of the week's tech news, dissecting government failures, AI boondoggles, and the latest social platform missteps with their trademark sardonic wit. The big topics include the fallout from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the financial mania around OpenAI, the psychological consequences of social media and AI for youth, and the season’s tech layoffs. The tone is irreverent, acerbic, and deeply skeptical of Silicon Valley hype.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Post-Thanksgiving Catch-up & the State of LinkedIn (00:50–02:24)

• The hosts bemoan the “decompress and relax” posts showing up on LinkedIn over Thanksgiving, noting the irony:
  • Jason: "You're posting on LinkedIn on Thanksgiving about decompressing and getting offline. Idiots." [01:54]
• Discuss the onset of the holiday season, home decorating diversity ("eight foot dreidel," Christmas/Kwanzaa decorations), and general family chaos.

2. International & U.S. Social Media Age Restrictions (03:03–04:35)

• Malaysia and Australia are rolling out under-16 bans on social media.
• Australia’s blanket ban (taking effect December 10th) will fine platforms up to $32 million for non-compliance.
• Similar moves noted in Denmark, US states—though legal challenges persist (Florida, Texas).
• Jason: "The tide seems to be turning, Jason." [04:35]

3. AI Mishaps in Daily Life (05:55–06:38)

• Apple Photos AI "hallucinated" a major life event, showing Jason a "First time in California" tag on a photo of his son, who was actually born there.
• Brian: "AI not ready for prime time, Jason. That's all I'm saying." [06:32]

4. The Demise (and Catastrophic Record) of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) (06:38–13:35)

• DOGE, created and run by Elon Musk, is officially dead and absorbed back into the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
• Clusterfuck legacy:
  • Massive cuts to US Aid, resulting in immediate global deaths estimated at 300,000–600,000, with projections up to 14 million by 2030.
  • 290,000 domestic jobs slashed; chaos and lawsuits followed.
  • Alleged taxpayer savings ($214B), but independent analysis says DOGE actually cost taxpayers $135B due to severance, legal costs, lost productivity etc.
  • Memorable moment:
    • Jason: "One fucking asshole did that." [11:08]
• DOGE staff (many coming from the GSA and tech) now fear prosecution—the “billionaire guardian” (Musk) is gone, and “get your own lawyer.”
  • Brian: "Your little party comes to a fucking end... We're coming for you." [12:32]

5. The 2025/26 Tech Layoff Season (13:35–15:22; 18:59–19:26)

• Apple lays off veteran sales staff despite record profits ($140B in projected sales for holiday quarter).
  • Focus on cost-cutting and third-party sales, not loyalty or institutional knowledge.
  • Jason: "They reportedly fired managers and other staff members who've been with the company for 20 to 30 years." [15:01]
• HP joins the club: up to 6,000 layoffs coupled with “company wide AI initiatives.”
  • Jason: "They expect to scale artificial intelligence within the company and lay off about 4,000 to 6,000 employees by the end of 2028.” [18:59]

6. Social Media Trends & Usage in 2025 (20:02–24:22)

• Pew’s new report:
  • YouTube: 84% of adults in the U.S. use it.
  • Facebook: 71%, Instagram: 50%. Threads “has 8%.”
  • TikTok has massive age split: 47% of 18–29-year-olds use it daily (vs. 5% for 65+).
• “Meta paused research when it saw that quitting Facebook improved mental health.”
  • Jason: “…people who stopped using Facebook experienced less depression, anxiety, and loneliness. …and then they stopped funding this project." [23:41]
• British survey: 40% of teens turn to AI for advice/support; many feel high loneliness.
  • Brian: "AI support is instant, but no substitute for the trust, empathy, and understanding of a human conversation..." [24:22]

7. AI Chatter: Altman’s Boutique, OpenAI’s Financial House of Cards (26:26–31:38)

• SoftBank and Oracle have bet huge on OpenAI, but stock prices are tanking; OpenAI’s spending plans ($1.4 trillion in 8 years) are fantasy.
• Brian: "HSBC ran the numbers...If OpenAI wants to keep the lights on...all it needs is a casual $207 billion more of investment by 2030." [28:39]
• Google/Alphabet is poised to wipe the floor with OpenAI due to its cash-rich resources.
• OpenAI legally barred (for now) from using “Cameo” as a feature name due to trademark suit; also faces other IP legal action.

8. Record Labels Caving to AI – The Warner/Suno/Udio Deals (33:17–33:51)

• Warner Music settles litigation, striking deals to license catalog and likenesses for AI music-generation platforms Suno and Udio.
• Artists retain control (opt-in), but the hosts are skeptical of the “fan connection” hype.

9. Pro-AI Super PACs & Political Influence (33:51–34:54)

• Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI’s Greg Brockman, and others fund a $100M “Leading the Future” super PAC for pro-AI regulatory changes.
• Jason: "A Rogues Gallery of assholes. It is supervillains all the way down." [34:19]
• Watch out if they're donating to your congressman—"write them a letter."

10. X (Twitter) Transparency Feature Shocks the Hosts (35:02–37:18)

• New “About this profile” now reveals real location and history of X accounts. Exposes loads of U.S. political influence accounts as fakes run from overseas.
  • Brian: "This was my Thanksgiving. I just picked this up more than my turkey." [35:17]
• The hosts are astonished X of all platforms enabled this, given how it reveals their own botnets/disinfo ops.

11. Media, Books, and Podcast Recommendations (38:31–45:12)

Podcasts:

• Rest Is History: Disney and Disneyland history episodes, recommended as better than CEO puff pieces.
• Dan Carlin’s Common Sense: Who’s the Boss? – “He’s pretty angry and it was pretty good.” [38:55]
• Once We Were Spacemen: Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk talk Firefly and more, described as “the show I need right now.”

TV & Movies:

• Stranger Things (final season): Brian bows out after reading “How Stranger Things Lost the Plot”; Jason enjoys it as “popcorn.”
• Being Eddie: Eddie Murphy Netflix doc—"a puff piece" but "fantastic."
• The Beast In Me: Claire Danes in a psychological thriller – recommended.
• The Roses: Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch star in a dark comedy, "laugh out loud ... worth watching."

Book/Audio:

• Fab Morvan's (Milli Vanilli) memoir You Know It’s True—he’s up for a Grammy for narration.
• Time Traveler's Passport (anthology feat. John Scalzi): “One of the most inventive time travel stories that I've heard in a very, very long time.” [68:12]
• The Courage To Be Disliked: Dismissed as “pop psych bullshit ... a TikTok favorite.” [68:43]
• Shoutout to hundreds of books covered by the show, with specific rec for the Long Earth series.

12. Holiday Gift Guide – Practical Nerd Stuff (59:48–65:04)

• Gifts under $20:
  • Velcro cable ties, iPad hand straps, USB-C hubs, travel mugs, Scotty Peeler label removers, portable hard drive sleeves, car eyelashes.
  • Jason: "...most of us can only shop on a budget ... here's my holiday gift guide and stocking stuffers for under $20 for the nerd that you love." [59:48]

13. Tech & Podcasting Gear on a Budget (54:03–58:50)

• Tips on recycling old camera gear with cheap new HDMI/USB adapters and affordable lenses.
• Praise for Rogue Amoeba’s Loopback for audio routing on Mac.

14. Apps & Doodads (49:34–54:53)

• Spotify introduces Song DNA (song collaborators, samples, covers) and AI recap for audiobooks.
• Amazon to launch AI-powered series recaps—hosts doubt the quality:
  • Brian: "Pay somebody to do a proper previously on video because AI is not going to hit all the nuance." [53:10]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On DOGE and Musk:
  • "One fucking asshole did that." – Jason [11:08]
  • "Sam Altman's boutique. Oh, show title." – Jason [51:25]
• On government and tech leadership:
  • "This was such a clusterfuck. What a fucking waste of time. What a fucking waste of money and setting back human rights and the human condition generations. Unbelievable." – Jason [10:55]
• On AI advice for youth:
  • "AI support is instant, but no substitute for the trust, empathy, and understanding of a human conversation." – Jamie Masriff, quoted by Jason [24:22]
• On AI budgets:
  • "HSBC ran the numbers... all it needs is a casual $207 billion more of investment by 2030." – Brian [28:39]
• On X's profile transparency roll-out:
  • "It boggles the mind that this fucking happened. I love it. It's a fucking win. But I don't understand how it happened." – Jason [37:18]
• On layoffs at tech giants:
  • "If you're around our age and you have a job, be fucking ... Hold onto it for dear fucking life." – Jason [15:12]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• International social media bans: 03:03–04:35
• DOGE’s demise and fallout: 06:38–13:35
• Tech Layoffs, Apple & HP: 13:35–15:22, 18:59–19:26
• Social Media Usage & Youth Loneliness: 20:02–24:22
• OpenAI/AI Financials & Legal Fights: 26:26–31:38
• AI & Music Licensing (Warner, Suno, Udio): 33:17–33:51
• AI Political Lobbies: 33:51–34:54
• X’s 'About This Profile' transparency: 35:02–37:18
• Media & Podcast Recs: 38:31–45:12
• Tech Gear on a Budget/Episodes Gift Guide: 59:48–65:04

Tone & Style

• Heavily sarcastic, irreverent, and deeply skeptical of Silicon Valley—often laced with dark humor.
• The hosts are blunt about failures of government, tech culture, and corporate priorities.
• Moments of nostalgia and fondness for old media and tech.

This summary should equip anyone who missed the episode with an in-depth understanding of the themes, highlights, and spirit of Grumpy Old Geeks #724.