On: OpenAI ‘in early talks to give 5% stake to US government’

Well, I reckon if the government’s gonna get into the AI business, they oughta start by teachin’ a mule to fetch its own feed. That’s about the same level of complexity as what they’re proposin’ here.

Sam Altman says givin’ the feds a 5% stake in OpenAI will “share the benefits of AI.” Now, I don’t know much about silicon valleys or neural networks, but I do know when a man starts talkin’ about “sharin’ benefits,” it usually means he’s fixin’ to keep the lion’s share for himself. And here we are, handin’ the keys to the henhouse to the fox in a three-piece suit.

They say other firms will do the same. Well, bless their hearts. That’s like sayin’ if one saloon in town starts sellin’ rotgut, the others will too, just to keep up. Competition used to mean better prices and better service - now it just means everybody’s chasin’ the same bad deal.

I ain’t against progress, but I am against progress that looks suspiciously like a government subsidy for a private company that already has more influence than a senator on election day. And if they think this’ll make AI safer? Well, I’ve seen safer things than a rattlesnake in a rocking chair.

All I know is, if the government wants to own a piece of the future, they better start learnin’ how to oil a machine that don’t exist yet. Me, I’ll stick to my lasso and my horse. At least they don’t file quarterly reports.