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Y Combinator Supports AI Startup Dehumanizing Factory Workers
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Re: Y Combinator Supports AI Startup Dehumanizing Factory Workers
#12This is particularly egregious, but I also suspect it's exactly how a large portion of the world currently operates. These founders explicitly stated that they grew up observing their parents factories. I doubt they learned such callous disregard for workers at Duke.
Re: Y Combinator Supports AI Startup Dehumanizing Factory Workers
#13If too many people comment on this, it will get removed from the front page again. I realize this is a bit hypocritical by commenting this.
Going to favorite it just so I can find it before it gets flagged. We have to redo the flagging system for HN, it's a complete joke. Why do they persist in the idea that it is better than simple upvotes and downvotes?
I flagged because I can’t stand this overly moralising cancel culture attitude.
This exact tech is already commonplace in industry, but no one is trying to find an industry wide solution, just taking cheap pot shots that the nth startup doing the same thing.
If you don’t like what this startup is doing, build something better instead of virtue signalling here.
Re: Y Combinator Supports AI Startup Dehumanizing Factory Workers
#14This is particularly egregious, but I also suspect it's exactly how a large portion of the world currently operates. These founders explicitly stated that they grew up observing their parents factories. I doubt they learned such callous disregard for workers at Duke.
It’s a peek behind the curtain for sure.
Re: Y Combinator Supports AI Startup Dehumanizing Factory Workers
#15Earlier quoted context omitted.
Going to favorite it just so I can find it before it gets flagged. We have to redo the flagging system for HN, it's a complete joke. Why do they persist in the idea that it is better than simple upvotes and downvotes?
I flagged because I can’t stand this overly moralising cancel culture attitude. This exact tech is already commonplace in industry, but no one is trying to find an industry wide solution, just taking cheap pot shots that the nth startup doing the same thing. If you don’t like what this startup is doing, build something better instead of virtue signalling here.
That statement makes no sense. Flagging is cancelling. You are what you can't stand.
Re: Y Combinator Supports AI Startup Dehumanizing Factory Workers
#16Earlier quoted context omitted.
Going to favorite it just so I can find it before it gets flagged. We have to redo the flagging system for HN, it's a complete joke. Why do they persist in the idea that it is better than simple upvotes and downvotes?
I flagged because I can’t stand this overly moralising cancel culture attitude. This exact tech is already commonplace in industry, but no one is trying to find an industry wide solution, just taking cheap pot shots that the nth startup doing the same thing. If you don’t like what this startup is doing, build something better instead of virtue signalling here.
If you don't like evil, you should do something not evil. But also, you shouldn't tell evil people that you don't like what they're doing, because that might hurt their feelings.
Re: Y Combinator Supports AI Startup Dehumanizing Factory Workers
#17This is the same article as the following, with an altered headline:
'Hey Number 17 ' - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43175023 - Feb 2025 (122 comments)
Also recent and related:
Tell HN: Y Combinator backing AI company to abuse factory workers - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43170850 - Feb 2025 (160 comments)
Re: Y Combinator Supports AI Startup Dehumanizing Factory Workers
#18This is particularly egregious, but I also suspect it's exactly how a large portion of the world currently operates. These founders explicitly stated that they grew up observing their parents factories. I doubt they learned such callous disregard for workers at Duke.
It is, and ultimately largely with the same dehumanization but less precision.
So instead of the worker being yelled at because of the AI, the worker will be yelled at because the boss imagines their pile to be smaller than the pile of another worker.
It being common and unfixable is implicit in how this criticism is levelled. Tools that track efficiency should be a great thing. The criticism comes because everyone knows exactly how they will be cruelly used and that is treated as unfixable.
Re: Y Combinator Supports AI Startup Dehumanizing Factory Workers
#19As someone with over a decade in industrial manufacturing, there is only ever the in-group of the masters, and the out-group of the serfs. Actually making things is merely the means to the end of neo-feudalism.
Re: Y Combinator Supports AI Startup Dehumanizing Factory Workers
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
I flagged because I can’t stand this overly moralising cancel culture attitude. This exact tech is already commonplace in industry, but no one is trying to find an industry wide solution, just taking cheap pot shots that the nth startup doing the same thing. If you don’t like what this startup is doing, build something better instead of virtue signalling here.
That statement makes no sense. Flagging is cancelling. You are what you can't stand.
Bob is repeatedly punching Jon in the head, for invalid reasons. Pete, seeing this, runs up and belts Bob to protect Jon.
Are these acts the same?