AI labs' out-of-touch demos stem from no remote hiring, says commentator
GabGarrett · x · 2026-10-04
Gabriel Garrett argues that AI labs' product demos feel out of touch because the labs mostly refuse remote hiring: their cohorts are largely Stanford grads who can afford San Francisco and weekend ski trips to Salt Lake City — hence demos like "book a last-minute flight" repeated as a killer use case.
His core points:
- Most Americans face dozens of mundane monthly administrative burdens that would make far more compelling use cases
- Silicon Valley has become "Lilliputian" relative to small-town America, lacking feel for real users' daily lives
- Allowing remote hiring might give labs a more realistic sense of how to demonstrate their bot products usefully
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