Child's Play: Tech's new generation and the end of thinking
harpers.org
February 20, 2026
47 min read
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66/100
Summary
San Francisco's advertising reflects a disconnect from typical consumer interests, focusing instead on niche markets. The city is characterized by a temperate climate and vibrant colors.
Key Takeaways
- Cluely, co-founded by Chungin “Roy” Lee, is a controversial startup that offers a glitchy interface for AI models aimed at assisting office workers with tasks like Zoom meetings and sales calls.
- The company faced significant backlash and was effectively driven out of San Francisco by the Planning Commission due to its unpopular product and marketing approach.
- Many tech workers in San Francisco are already using AI tools like ChatGPT to perform their jobs, often resorting to copying and pasting from these interfaces.
- The advertising landscape in San Francisco reflects a disconnect between the tech-centric messaging and the actual needs and experiences of the city's inhabitants.
Community Sentiment
Concerns
- The belief that individual intelligence will become irrelevant in the face of superhuman AI is dangerously misguided, potentially leading to societal harm beyond the AI's impact itself.
- The increasing trend of prioritizing visibility and quick returns over deep, fundamental technological understanding could jeopardize the future of critical technological development.
