A year ago I warned an AI startup I was talking to in office hours that they had to be careful to avoid hiring ideological employees, or the conflict between the employees' ideology and reality would warp the product. Now we see how much that matters.

@VlVEK There are certainly some people with much more of it than others. Hard to say if anyone can achieve zero.

@paulg is it like picking between someone who has it loosely held vs the one with a strong ideology?

@VlVEK @paulg Professionals can compartmentalize (or focus, if you prefer)

@VlVEK @paulg Some people’s ideology is to make money (at least with regards to their startup)

@VlVEK @paulg No, but in my experience most people who bring this up want to privledge revolutionary ideologies over others. Knowing someone isn't strongly ideological is like knowing something isn't porn. A discrete list of components is difficult but the whole is obvious.

@VlVEK @paulg Everybody has their own POV, what matters is whether they're able to avoid being dogmatic, not make spreading their views more important than their work, and avoid confirmation bias.

@VlVEK @paulg He's testing his audience. If you can think about the subject clearly instead of just panicking in the way he wants people to, you're not the type he's selecting for.

@VlVEK @paulg Of course. Please come and join my startup, . Amorality and a lack of empathy essential. Engineering qualifications and AI experience regarded favorably.

@VlVEK @paulg Likely not. But there are plenty of folks with restraint.

@VlVEK @paulg He means race communists.

@VlVEK @paulg People always have had ideologies and beliefs. It is only now they are building them into the fabric of their employers products and it is only recently that the owners of the company have allowed this to happen.

@VlVEK @paulg The correct workplace ideology is ‘Leave your damned politics at home and make great products that please customers so they give us lots of money. All your politics can do at work is bother your fellow employees so shut up about them.’

@VlVEK @paulg There are levels to it, that is for sure. And beyond a certain level, it becomes a problem.

@VlVEK @paulg Probably not but it's possible to keep ideology out of workplace - other than, of course, the ideology of MSV.

@VlVEK @paulg Lol exactly, human beings have bias, if you think your bias never leaks into other aspects of life, you’re just not self aware enough

@VlVEK @paulg When we're talking world-changing tech like AI or these large platforms that facilitate communication and networks of millions of people. I mean... that's pretty ideological.

@VlVEK @paulg

@VlVEK @paulg Yes. They’re called people with faith and courage.

@VlVEK @paulg Everyone will have biases, but to different degrees, & there’s folk who actively try to be objective. Contrast diversity ideologues who want to combat one supposed bias by just discriminating in the opposite direction, versus pursuing race blind, anonymised selection & hiring.