The Bay Area tech scene used to be dorky. Now, it's downright terrifying.

"If you commute from the East Bay into the gray heart of San Francisco, you'll see them everywhere. They string together nonsense words. They stare at us with dead eyes. They exalt the far right while claiming to be apolitical. And, worst of all, they bully us: As you wait to board the crowded Muni bus home after a long day at work, they brag about how they'll eventually replace you and rob you of your livelihood."

"In the year 2025, billboards advertising artificial intelligence have become inescapable, crowding the city's skyline and sneering at us from every corner. To the average person, they're both dystopian and indecipherable, and for cash-bloated executives behind these campaigns, that's the point. But the city's horizon didn't always look like this - nor was the Bay Area tech community so homogeneous and cutthroat."

"In the mid-2010s, long before ominous phrases like "generative AI" and "the singularity" became part of public lexicon, San Francisco's burgeoning startup scene could be considered quaint. In 2015, some of the most exciting fledgling companies were flower delivery services, T-shirt design websites, and secondhand furniture marketplaces. The CEO of one workplace social media app, cheekily called Slack, even wore a bow tie like a 1930s marionette."

By 2025 billboards advertising artificial intelligence dominate San Francisco's skyline, using opaque slogans and provocative imagery to unsettle residents. Executives behind the campaigns deploy indecipherable messaging and ideological posturing, sometimes praising far-right ideas while claiming apolitical neutrality. The advertising tone is aggressive and bullying, including threats of job replacement that heighten everyday commuter anxieties. The current tech environment contrasts sharply with the mid-2010s, when startups often focused on consumer services, quirkiness, and diversity of ideas. Historical companies ranged from flower delivery and T-shirt design sites to early workplace apps, reflecting a less homogeneous and less cash-driven culture.

Read at SFGATE