Meta’s AI Workers Are Revolting, Peter Thiel’s Secret Society, and SBF’s Plea to Trump

## Meta’s AI Unit in Crisis

Meta has poured billions into a new AI division called Meta Superintelligence Labs and has launched several AI models, but the internal rollout has been anything but smooth. During the latest round of layoffs in March, roughly 7,000 employees were reassigned to AI‑focused teams, including the Meta Applied AI Engineering unit that supports Superintelligence Labs. The move followed a broader cut of about 8,000 jobs, roughly 10 % of the company’s workforce.

Employees in the Applied AI unit have described the experience as a “Gulag,” with one staff member interrupting an internal meeting to demand that a senior AI executive be told, “Tell him he’s a piece of shit.” The same employee later urged colleagues to write directly to the executive with that message. The outburst was captured on an internal recording that the hosts heard.

According to the hosts, staff resent being shifted from projects they consider meaningful to what they see as menial “post‑training” tasks—essentially fine‑tuning models and fixing AI‑related problems. Many feel they have lost agency and purpose, especially after Meta announced plans to monitor laptop usage to train AI.

Meta’s leadership has acknowledged the communication problems. Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s chief technology officer, described the reorganization as “atrocious.” Proposed fixes include capping managers at 20 direct reports, limiting the frequency of manager changes, and even improving “micro‑kitchens” (snack areas). Mark Zuckerberg suggested a company‑wide hackathon as a morale booster, but employees responded skeptically, saying they lack time and are already stressed.

Despite the internal unrest, Meta’s overall financial performance remains strong, with near‑record quarters driven by legacy advertising products rather than AI initiatives. The company’s latest model, Muse Spark, has seen a rocky rollout and limited user adoption.

## Peter Thiel’s Invite‑Only Dialog Society

A separate investigation uncovered details about an exclusive, invite‑only group co‑founded by billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel in 2006, known as Dialog. The society has historically kept its membership list secret, but a Swiss hacktivist exposed a directory embedded in the website’s code. The leak reveals more than 200 individuals from government, tech, academia, and other sectors.

The disclosed roster includes: - Current Trump‑administration officials - Two U.S. senators - Six members of the so‑called PayPal Mafia - A former Middle‑East chief of intelligence - A sitting ambassador to the United States - Various Silicon Valley executives and foreign government figures

The upcoming 2026 Dialog retreat lists sessions with titles such as “Money (Does?) Buy Happiness,” “Bring Back Nuclear,” “Navigating World War III,” and “How’s Your Sex Life?” The society also appears to offer matchmaking options, asking attendees to indicate marital status and interest in meeting others.

Participants were asked to submit predictions about the future. Common themes included massive labor displacement, a resurgence of unions, potential AI winters, domestic terrorism targeting data centers, and the rise of AI‑driven legal representation.

## Sam Bankman‑Fried Seeks a Presidential Pardon

Former cryptocurrency exchange founder Sam Bankman‑Fried (commonly referred to as SBF) is actively lobbying for a presidential pardon. Convicted on multiple counts for the collapse of FTX and Alameda Research, he received a 25‑year prison sentence.

According to a prison interview with Fox Business News, SBF has filed a formal pardon request with the Justice Department’s Pardon Attorney office. He has not reported direct contact with the White House, and former President Donald Trump has previously indicated he does not plan to pardon SBF. Nonetheless, speculation surrounds a potential July‑2026 “250th birthday” pardon spree that could include up to 250 individuals.

The hosts also note that other convicted figures, such as Charlie Javice—who defrauded JPMorgan Chase and received a seven‑year sentence—are seeking similar clemency, with backing from high‑profile donors like Marc Rowan, CEO of Apollo Global Management.

## SpaceX Acquires Cursor

SpaceX announced the acquisition of AI coding‑assistant startup Cursor for $60 billion. The deal follows an option secured in April that allowed SpaceX to either invest roughly $10 billion for a partnership or purchase the company outright later in the year. SpaceX chose the latter.

The acquisition aligns with SpaceX’s broader AI strategy, particularly for its xAI division, which aims to integrate coding‑specific data into larger language models. Cursor’s market share had fallen from 41 % in June 2025 to about 26 % in May 2025, struggling against competitors like Claude Code and GitHub Copilot. The purchase provides Cursor’s four co‑founders—each now valued at roughly $2.7 billion—with a stable platform under the SpaceX umbrella.

## Anthropic’s Standoff with the Trump Administration

Anthropic has halted deployment of its most advanced models, Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5, after the Trump administration imposed strict export controls. Ongoing negotiations in Washington, D.C., have yet to produce an agreement.

The White House’s condition for reinstating Claude Fable 5 is a guarantee that the model cannot be “jailbroken.” Anthropic argues that while absolute guarantees are impossible, it can make universal jailbreaks “almost impossible.” The lack of a definitive technical solution has left Anthropic at an impasse, while competitors with stronger government ties appear better positioned to meet the administration’s demands.

## How to Listen

The episode is available via the audio player on the Uncanny Valley page. Listeners can subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or Spotify. For questions on tech, privacy, or politics, email [email protected].

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The hosts can be followed on Bluesky: Brian Barrett (@brbarrett) and Zoë Schiffer (@zoeschiffer).