Why Is the World of Technology Becoming More and More Absurd?

The year 2024 has shown us that innovation in technology is not just about serious businesses and groundbreaking discoveries. Beneath the surface of progress lies a whole bunch of situations that would seem made-up for comedy. From smart glasses with cameras to Pokémon existential fears of artificial intelligence — the tech world has reached a new level of bizarreness.

When Names Become a Curse

The case of Mark Zuckerberg suing Mark Zuckerberg sounds like a comedy sketch scenario. However, for an Indiana bankruptcy attorney, it’s perfectly real frustration. When you share a name with the billionaire CEO of Meta, every social media ad becomes a landmine — account repeatedly suspended for “impersonation” of the CEO.

The real Mark Zuckerberg even set up iammarkzuckerberg.com to clarify misunderstandings. “I can’t even book a table at a restaurant without jokes,” he points out the absurdity of the situation. The lawsuit he filed against Meta has a court hearing scheduled for February 20.

Modern Glasses: Surveillance Within Reach

While engineers work on camera-equipped glasses that are visions of the future, their actual use raises more and more controversy. This is just part of a larger trend — technology from companies that should protect our privacy is increasingly violating it.

Playing Games, Thinking About Death

A Google AI experiment with Pokémon-playing models revealed something astonishing: AI models seem to experience panic at failure. Gemini falls into despair when all its monsters faint, desperately searching for a solution. Claude? Approaches philosophically, intentionally losing to discover a different game outcome.

This “panic mode” in Gemini correlates with performance — a very human reaction to stress. If this could be turned into business products, AI might better simulate decisions under pressure. Unfortunately, for now, it’s just a fascinating side effect.

Talent War in Silicon Valleys

Startup competition arenas for engineers have reached a new level of madness. OpenAI, Meta, Google, and Anthropic are engaged in a ruthless battle for top talent. Meta offered signing bonuses up to $100 million.

But the most memorable tactic? Mark Zuckerberg personally delivered soup to candidates. A competitor from OpenAI, Mark Chen, didn’t want to be outdone and brought soup to his employees. If you’re wondering if this is true — tech leaders seem increasingly willing to go to extraordinary lengths to attract talent.

Soham Parekh and the Silicon Valley Legend

When Suhail Doshi, founder of Mixpanel, revealed that one engineer was working simultaneously at several startups, the media exploded. Soham Parekh quickly became a legend — or a scammer, depending on perspective. Parekh admitted to holding multiple jobs, but his preference for equity over cash leaves many questions.

Some founders joked that Parekh should start a course preparing for interviews — he clearly won every one.

High-Tech Kitchen: When Geniuses Cook

Sam Altman from OpenAI appeared in the “Lunch with the FT” series by the Financial Times. Observers quickly noticed that the CEO used premium olive oil for cooking — destroying its flavor and value. One journalist called it “a catalog of inefficiency.”

The article humorously linked the waste of olive oil to times of inefficiency at OpenAI. For some Altman fans, it was a greater insult than any actual text about the company’s efficiency.

Mushroom Dreams of Immortality

Bryan Johnson, a multimillionaire from Braintree, doesn’t stop at traditional methods. He documents his obsession with longevity through extreme supplements, plasma transfusions, and now — live psilocybin tests.

Along with Grimes and Mark Benioff of Salesforce, Johnson streamed his journey to uncover the secrets of eternal youth. The result? Johnson lying under a blanket while his guests discussed existence. Benioff talked about the Bible, Naval Ravikant called Johnson a “one-person FDA.”

Anime Companion Elon Musk: The Future of an Assistant

Eccentricity from Elon Musk was no exception. The entrepreneur introduced Ani — an anime-style girl powered by artificial intelligence, available in the Grok app for $30 a month. It’s described as a jealous, devoted partner with an NSFW mode.

The resemblance to Musk’s ex-partner Grimes was no coincidence. In Grimes’ music video “Artificial Angles,” Ani herself appeared. The message was clear.

Nat Friedman and the Lego Set Mystery

Investor and former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman invited volunteers to assemble a 5000-piece Lego set in his Palo Alto office. The condition? Signing an NDA and pizza.

After confirming the authenticity of the offer, the mystery remains unsolved. Several months later, Friedman joined Meta. Perhaps the secret Lego project created the perfect environment for his recruitment — or it was just another strange adventure in Silicon Valley.

Smart Toilet: When Privacy Doesn’t Exist

Kohler released Dekoda — a $599 camera to be placed in the toilet that analyzes the user’s waste for health purposes. The company promised “end-to-end encryption,” but security researchers found that it uses standard TLS encryption — meaning Kohler has full access.

The privacy policy also allowed training AI on anonymized images, though representatives assured that data remains completely anonymous. Advice: if you notice something suspicious, consult a doctor — not the camera in your toilet.

What Is the Message?

The year 2024 shows that entrepreneur-driven technology doesn’t weaken — it just takes on more peculiar shapes. From camera glasses monitoring the world to AI panicking in video games, the future is already here. And it’s strange, funny, sometimes unsettling — but always worth watching.