<![CDATA[I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago.]]>I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago.

he was a cool dude. believed in social justice. taught me a lot about math. we had good times together.

then he had one summer at the Thiel Fellowship.

after that, he wasn't the same.

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Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah's remarks on Pope Leo XIV's encyclical "Magnifica humanitas"

The full text of Chris Olah's remarks on the Pope's encyclical on AI

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(www.anthropic.com)

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/c524a0a3-df5f-4778-b1d7-a59d6cb05f6f/i-knew-chris-olah-from-a-hackerspace-i-was-apart-of-15-years-ago.RSS for NodeFri, 05 Jun 2026 13:23:28 GMTTue, 26 May 2026 03:48:49 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Wed, 27 May 2026 06:04:32 GMT]]>@AmyZenunim I’m so sorry to hear about this… “Peter Thiel’s Hot Tub at 2 am” continues to be the most dangerous place for a bright young man to find his soul

(and only men, since Thiel is so openly, intentionally sexist)

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/0xabad1dea/statuses/116645027702053746https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/0xabad1dea/statuses/116645027702053746Wed, 27 May 2026 06:04:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 18:55:07 GMT]]>@AmyZenunim Grief can have a little rage, as a treat.

I knew him at best in passing, and spoke to him at most a handful of times, and even at that I'm very unsettled by this. I can understand where you're at.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.transneptune.net/users/owen/statuses/116642395425394824https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.transneptune.net/users/owen/statuses/116642395425394824Tue, 26 May 2026 18:55:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 18:50:13 GMT]]>maybe I should invoice him for the times I bought him brunch

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116642376163491358https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116642376163491358Tue, 26 May 2026 18:50:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 18:29:29 GMT]]>@jneen @AmyZenunim well fuck me, there is the ‘ch402’ handle.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/illegalhex/statuses/116642294660333181https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/illegalhex/statuses/116642294660333181Tue, 26 May 2026 18:29:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 17:47:05 GMT]]>@AmyZenunim @illegalhex in case it helps

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]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/jneen/statuses/116642127912328334https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/jneen/statuses/116642127912328334Tue, 26 May 2026 17:47:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 16:56:23 GMT]]>sorry, I'm still utterly tilt and pissed off about this. but I need to laugh at some point or I will become the literal Joker

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116641928562908092https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116641928562908092Tue, 26 May 2026 16:56:23 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 16:54:34 GMT]]>This post did not contain any content.
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]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116641921408948391https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116641921408948391Tue, 26 May 2026 16:54:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 16:47:08 GMT]]>@AmyZenunim ooof. yeah that would definitely turn a lot of adolescent heads

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://seattle.pink/ap/users/115855847980876292/statuses/116641892166645055https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://seattle.pink/ap/users/115855847980876292/statuses/116641892166645055Tue, 26 May 2026 16:47:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 16:45:51 GMT]]>@illegalhex he's still got the babyface. it's him.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116641887093938862https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116641887093938862Tue, 26 May 2026 16:45:51 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 16:44:32 GMT]]>@AmyZenunim like when it was ML making weird cat images that was interesting, but not this AI shite.

And it really is the same Chris Olah? The same? Like, not some evil clone or something? Fuck.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/illegalhex/statuses/116641881941400505https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/illegalhex/statuses/116641881941400505Tue, 26 May 2026 16:44:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 16:39:50 GMT]]>@mxchara from what I've read, part of it is giving you "staff" and a truckload of money. basically, they give you a taste of being a rich billionaire fuck, and then groom you into positions of power from a young age.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116641863451132030https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116641863451132030Tue, 26 May 2026 16:39:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 16:38:38 GMT]]>@illegalhex tbh i knew he was working on AI at google but it was all that pipe dream AGI bullshit at the time

but now he's an actual billionaire destroying the lives of everyone I know

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116641858778395371https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116641858778395371Tue, 26 May 2026 16:38:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 16:38:24 GMT]]>@AmyZenunim I am saddened to hear it. I guess that Thiel crap must seem quite intoxicating to some folks, like Ayn Rand

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://seattle.pink/ap/users/115855847980876292/statuses/116641857822590448https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://seattle.pink/ap/users/115855847980876292/statuses/116641857822590448Tue, 26 May 2026 16:38:24 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 16:20:39 GMT]]>@mxchara i don't remember the exact timeline, as it was so long ago, and I don't know the intimate details of his life

he was definitely out of school and working on other things when I met him. maybe he applied to the fellowship as a way to do something outside of school.

either way, I remember him going into the fellowship somewhat skeptical and wary, and coming out utterly radicalized.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116641788052490992https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116641788052490992Tue, 26 May 2026 16:20:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 16:02:17 GMT]]>@AmyZenunim forgive me for a prying question, but I note that the Wikipedia article on Chris Olah (any relation to chemist George Olah? uh, nm that silly question) says he dropped out of college at age 18. was that a decision he made after the Thiel Fellowship thing?

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://seattle.pink/ap/users/115855847980876292/statuses/116641715833393897https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://seattle.pink/ap/users/115855847980876292/statuses/116641715833393897Tue, 26 May 2026 16:02:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 15:39:55 GMT]]>@illegalhex yep

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116641627886426311https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116641627886426311Tue, 26 May 2026 15:39:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 15:37:31 GMT]]>@AmyZenunim Wait. That’s what theil twisted Chris into? I knew he changed after that summer, but this?

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/illegalhex/statuses/116641618453100437https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/illegalhex/statuses/116641618453100437Tue, 26 May 2026 15:37:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 15:01:09 GMT]]>@DBG3D approximately $1,000,000,000 worth

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116641475457570176https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116641475457570176Tue, 26 May 2026 15:01:09 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 13:57:41 GMT]]>@AmyZenunim @owen Polemics, satire, and sarcasm are key non-violent weapons. The civilians I speak to don't trust what is being advanced or proposed.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/116175731239673526/statuses/116641225845647487https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/116175731239673526/statuses/116641225845647487Tue, 26 May 2026 13:57:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 13:56:58 GMT]]>@AmyZenunim I’m sorry they killed your friend.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.nl/users/venite/statuses/116641223024197142https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.nl/users/venite/statuses/116641223024197142Tue, 26 May 2026 13:56:58 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 13:26:26 GMT]]>@AmyZenunim

"AI systems are not engineered the way a bridge or an airplane is engineered. We understand an airplane because we designed every part of it and we understand the physics that act on it. AI models are not like that. They are grown, on a structure roughly modeled after the brain, on an enormous inheritance of human thought and speech."

How many drugs someone needs to take to become so stupid?

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://masto.es/users/DBG3D/statuses/116641102974303727https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://masto.es/users/DBG3D/statuses/116641102974303727Tue, 26 May 2026 13:26:26 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 13:03:35 GMT]]>@AmyZenunim Just like Denethor, Steward of Gondor

It all sounds too appropriate, and so sad

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.uno/users/s_wilson/statuses/116641013142329741https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.uno/users/s_wilson/statuses/116641013142329741Tue, 26 May 2026 13:03:35 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 11:31:25 GMT]]>@owen he's a billionaire, Owen. a fully-fledged TESCREAL pusher billionaire writing letters to the pope about how the pope's god is soon to be obsolete. Peter Thiel's hand-picked protege, and if I'm reading the papers right, the guy who made LLMs feasible at all.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116640650701894176https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://unstable.systems/users/AmyZenunim/statuses/116640650701894176Tue, 26 May 2026 11:31:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I knew Chris Olah from a hackerspace I was apart of 15 years ago. on Tue, 26 May 2026 11:26:14 GMT]]>@AmyZenunim Wait. THATS where he ended up? Fucking hell.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.transneptune.net/users/owen/statuses/116640630361043559https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.transneptune.net/users/owen/statuses/116640630361043559Tue, 26 May 2026 11:26:14 GMT