The Uniting Forces of Harry Potter Fanfic and OpenAI

I once experienced the unfortunate combination of nausea and diarrhea while listening to a fan-made audiobook of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality (HPMOR) by Eliezer Yudkowsky. Surprisingly, this lengthy fanfic intersects with the ultra-wealthy technorati, including figures involved in the OpenAI controversy. An easter egg in the fanfic references Emmett Shear, co-founder of Twitch and interim CEO of OpenAI. Shear is a long-time fan of Yudkowsky’s work in the AI industry. HPMOR is an alternate universe version of Harry Potter featuring rationalist ideology. Yudkowsky, himself an AI researcher, is associated with influential people in Silicon Valley. The OpenAI leadership changes reflect different beliefs about AI and its potential existential threat. Shear, now acting as interim CEO, represents various factions in the AI debate. The chaos at OpenAI is the subject of ongoing speculation and debate in tech circles. It is fascinating to consider that this all began with a Harry Potter fanfic.