What did the Springboards CEO say about his own company?

He told MIT Technology Review his firm is "a self-loathing AI company" and that they don't know if they really like what they're doing.

How do public attitudes toward AI compare with actual usage?

More US adults think AI will have a negative impact than a positive one, yet ChatGPT hit a billion monthly users in May and half of US adults now say they use a chatbot.

What is the regulatory landscape for AI in the US?

All 50 US states have either passed or proposed laws governing AI, creating more than 2,100 bills—a tenfold increase in three years.

Large Language ModelsOpen-Source AIAI Business & IndustryMIT Technology Review AI1d agoOct 5, 2026, 19:00 JST

Springboards CEO: "self-loathing AI company" as use soars

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3 Key Points

What happened
The CEO of Springboards, a startup building an LLM, told MIT Technology Review his firm is 'a self-loathing AI company,' and said there is no walking back from LLMs, but they can still be made to do something different.
Why it matters
This self-loathing stance mirrors a global love/hate AI attitude—sour public feelings alongside record usage—and suggests the industry's own leaders share the unease.
What to watch
Whether AI companies deliver clarity about what AI can and cannot do hinges on consumer choice and market pressure from open-source alternatives. Watch the patchwork of over 2,100 state AI bills.

WHO IT HITSThis news lands on AI company executives and product teams facing souring public sentiment even as usage climbs, and on consumers weighing open-source alternatives against closed models.

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Context & Analysis

The author recounts a conversation with the CEO of Springboards, who admitted his company is "a self-loathing AI company." This sentiment, the author notes, reflects a broader global mood: public pessimism about AI is rising, especially among the young, even as adoption skyrockets. Pew Research Center data shows more US adults expect negative personal and societal impacts than positive ones, and similar unease appears in Stanford and Gallup surveys. Yet ChatGPT reached a billion monthly users in May, and Gemini logged 950 million in July, with half of US adults now using chatbots—more than double the 2023 figure. The author argues these are not two distinct groups but a Venn diagram becoming a circle: people dislike not the technology but the relentless push by companies behind it. Unlike social media, where quitting meant losing connections, AI still offers potential for consumer choice and political appetite for regulation. All 50 US states have passed or proposed AI laws, totaling over 2,100 bills. The author hopes for more clarity about AI's capabilities and a technology not sold as world-conquering.

FAQ

What did the Springboards CEO say about his own company?: He told MIT Technology Review his firm is "a self-loathing AI company" and that they don't know if they really like what they're doing.
How do public attitudes toward AI compare with actual usage?: More US adults think AI will have a negative impact than a positive one, yet ChatGPT hit a billion monthly users in May and half of US adults now say they use a chatbot.
What is the regulatory landscape for AI in the US?: All 50 US states have either passed or proposed laws governing AI, creating more than 2,100 bills—a tenfold increase in three years.

MIT Technology Review AIRead Original Article

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