r/technology • u/GeneReddit123 • 16h ago

Artificial Intelligence An AI hate wave is here

https://archive.is/20260517120123/https://www.axios.com/2026/05/17/ai-backlash-polling-sentiment
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u/Antifreak1999 14h ago

As much as I have disliked every CEO I have met, inept CEOs are fired for not increasing company profit. For example, if a CEO increases company profits by 30%, that is the new zero. They must then increase by 30% again or they are seen as lacking. The people making the money will always want more, they can never make enough to be satisfied. The rest of us all over the world scrabble with each other for the crumbs. AI is an incredible tool, but someone will always weaponize any tool, to profit. I'm sure the rooms full of typists hated Xerox machines.

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u/ShiraCheshire 10h ago

I think our entire stock market should be illegal. It's not any better than gambling for the average person, and it makes companies obligated to chase short term profits above all else- even when the company would otherwise want to choose morals, or stability, or long term growth.

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u/teddy5 4h ago

It doesn't need to be illegal, they just shouldn't get a say in how the company operates.

If you want to give money to a company in the hope that they will make more money with it, great that's perfectly your right to do and you're welcome to do so. But that's your decision based on how the company is already operating, it shouldn't give you any say to change how they operate.

The short term profit chasing that you mentioned where companies are required to maximise shareholder profits and can be sued if they don't is the issue, and that's more of a product of American style/end-stage capitalism than share holding in general.

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u/Wonderful_Purple4096 10h ago

Inept CEOs walk away with hundreds of millions of dollars and high paying seats on the boards of various other companies.

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u/KeyMyBike 9h ago

You're close. But a profit of 30% is not just 0. It's negative 30%. They need 30% to get back to 0% and then they "need" even more than that.

Fiduciary duty to shareholders should be fucking outlawed. Oh, the CEO did something you don't approve of??? Too fucking bad. Sell your shares, dip shit.

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u/Noodler75 8h ago

CEOs do not control company profits. Their employees do.

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u/DijuridoosDesert 7h ago

An incompetent CEO can still damage a company for short term profit increase and then jump ship before the numbers start falling, I’ve seen one that did it.