alt Hacker NewsBigAI has also been artificially boosting demand for and perception of acceptance by paying for lots of shills in socmedia. astroturfing. I can even think of 3 multi-$MM rewards made in the space to pro-AI boosters (OpenClaw guy, Bun guy, Omarchy/DHH). arguably a 4th if count Linus too, via the Linux Foundation sponsorship
Well how else could OpenAI who is basically synonymous with AI to laymen have spent nearly $6B in 2025 on marketing? 7 out of 10 YT videos I watch are also sponsored by some random AI company, which to me is just insane: how does every AI startup have unlimited funds?