We’ve all read the Greek myth of Daedalus and Icarus. Daedalus, the master craftsman, gave his son wings but warned him not to fly too high, or the sun would melt the wax. Initially, Icarus flew cautiously, but soon, his ego and overconfidence took over. He soared higher and higher, the wax melted, and he fell to his death.
Research on Hubris
Inspired by this story, the Daedalus Trust was established in the UK to research Hubris Syndrome in political and corporate leaders. Their mission is to examine how success can create a false sense of invincibility leading to their eventual downfall.
Do check it out http://www.daedalustrust.com
Hubris on Display by Sam Altman in India
This video has resurfaced and is making the WhatsApp rounds.
During a press conference on his 2024 trip to India, Sam was asked whether Indian startups could build foundational AI models with limited resources. The tone of his response and choice of his words was full of arrogance and hubris:
“Look, the way this works is we’re going to tell you it’s totally hopeless to compete with us on training foundation models. You shouldn’t try, and it’s your job to, like, try anyway. And I believe both of those things. I think it, I think it is pretty hopeless, but…”
Disruption by DeepSeek
A low budget start up from China DeepSeek just proved how wrong he was. With just 200 employees and a $5 million budget, DeepSeek disrupted the entire AI industry, once again proving that innovation is not a billion dollar game. We’ve of course seen countless industries being shaken up by low budget start ups and this is just another case.
Its Now Time for Sam to Seek Deep
I believe it’s time for Sam Altman to learn from DeepSeek not just on how they did it but from the very name itself. He should flip it and learnt to seek deep within himself and discover humility. His initial success has blinded him. With the launch of Deepseek he is now on the verge of becoming just another player.
For thousands of years, hubris has been the cause of downfall of kingdoms, industries, and individuals. This is a lesson for all of us that it is only those who seek deep within and stay grounded in humility that succeed in the long run.
Hari’s Curries
A Buffet of Reflections