OpenAI now worth $500 billion, possibly making it the world’s most valuable startup. OpenAI’s valuation jumped to $500 billion after a $6.6 billion secondary share sale that let employees cash out, positioning it ahead of SpaceX and ByteDance. This milestone reflects soaring investor confidence even as the company remains unprofitable, raising questions about long-term sustainability and regulatory oversight.
“Despite not yet being profitable, OpenAI’s rapid rise reflects investor confidence in the future of AI.” (apnews.com)
Deep Hype in Artificial General Intelligence: Uncertainty, Sociotechnical Fictions and the Governance of AI Futures. This 60-page preprint examines how AGI is underpinned by “deep hype,” a sustained, over-promissory dynamic fueled by sociotechnical fictions that render future intelligence both desirable and urgent. It argues that venture capital and political rhetoric sideline democratic oversight, reframing regulation as obsolete. By dissecting the promises investors make, it offers a critical framework for understanding how hype shapes AGI governance.
“AGI is promoted by technology leaders and investors as a system capable of performing all human intellectual tasks, and potentially surpassing them.” (arxiv.org)
Generative agents will change our society in weird, wonderful and worrying ways. Can philosophy help us get a grip on them?. Seth Lazar’s 4,800-word essay explores how large language models evolve into tool-using agents that autonomously act in the world, reshaping relationships, the attention economy, and personal computing. He dives into the ethics of tool-calling LLMs, the governance challenges of inscrutable reward models, and the middle ground between familiar AI harms and apocalyptic risk.
“These generative agents will power companions that introduce new categories of social relationship, and change old ones.” (aeon.co)
Why Leica M series film cameras are having a comeback. Fast Company chronicles the resurgence of Leica’s analog rangefinders, noting that in 2023 the company expected to sell 5,000 film M-series bodies—ten times its volume a decade earlier. Enthusiasts cite craftsmanship, simplicity, and the tactile joy of winding film as antidotes to rapid upgrade cycles, while Leica’s commitment to quality continues to blur the line between functional tool and art object.
“In 2023, Leica expects to sell 5,000 analog M series cameras—10 times more than it sold nearly a decade earlier.” (fastcompany.com)
Leica’s engraved fonts. Arun’s deep dive decodes the subtle typography Leica engraves on its cameras: a bespoke, hand-drawn typeface milled into brass that echoes the precision of its optics. The essay unpacks how these bespoke letterforms, rooted in mechanical tolerances and material limits, contribute to a cohesive brand language that bridges function, form, and emotional resonance.
“Leica’s subtle, bespoke typeface is engraved directly into the camera’s brass top plate, setting it apart from any other manufacturer.” (sidebar.io)