This Machine Kills Patreon Preview – 438. Bloodsport for Billionaires
Dec 30, 2025
The hosts dive into the absurdity of tech trends, questioning the concept of 'vibe coding' and its implications. A shocking $1.5B settlement by Anthropic raises eyebrows, highlighting the financial absurdities of startup culture. They speculate about how legal pressures might push Anthropic toward an IPO. Fun predictions for the coming year and a tongue-in-cheek look at what billionaire bloodsports might entail add an entertaining twist. Their witty banter exposes the ridiculous side of the tech bubble and its overinflated valuations.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Copyright Settlement Reflects Illicit Data Sourcing
- Anthropic settled a $1.5 billion copyright case over books they scraped for training data, largely to avoid criminal penalties for mass downloading.
- Jathan Sadowski highlights that the real issue was illicit acquisition from sources like Libgen, not merely inclusion in training sets.
Settlement Shields Company, Burdens Investors
- The $1.5 billion settlement shields Anthropic from potential criminal fines that could have been far more devastating per-title.
- Edward Ongweso Jr. and Jathan note venture capitalists ultimately bear much of that settlement burden through sunk investments.
Massive Funding For Wrapper Startups
- Startups continue to attract massive funding despite shaky fundamentals, exemplified by a 2023-founded 'vibe coding' company raising $330M at a $6.6B valuation.
- Jathan interprets this as symptomatic of abundant capital chasing AI wrappers and UX layers rather than novel tech.