SOMETIMES CALIFORNIA DOESN’T FEEL LIKE A REAL PLACE.
Something crazy happened to me at a restaurant today. Lately I’ve been trying new restaurants for new experiences. I ordered random items from the menu. While waiting I noticed the water looked like tap water, the utensils looked dirty and the table wasn’t clean, but I didn’t let that stop me from reviewing the place properly. When the food arrived it tasted like shit—the worst thing I’ve tasted in a long time. I couldn’t finish it, but that was just the beginning. Everyone around me seemed to be having a bad experience too. It got to the point where one lady stood up and delivered a speech like she was Bobby Boucher at halftime when the Mud Dogs were down in the Bourbon Bowl to convince everyone not to pay.
A few other people and I paid and walked out before she could finish.
Nikita Bier is expressing fatigue with how quickly the designated “villains” in the AI world keep rotating—every few days a new company, executive, or ideology becomes the target.
He points out that what used to be straightforward software engineering has turned into an ongoing political crusade, full of ideological battles and shifting alliances.
This frustration mirrors the broader reality of AI today, where technical progress is constantly entangled with election-season disinformation, geopolitical rivalries (especially U.S.–China competition), and competing moral narratives.