Why OpenAI is Failing: 3 Reasons Scarlett Johansson Proves You’re Doing AI Wrong

OpenAI isn't winning. They’re panicking.

The Scarlett Johansson debacle wasn't a PR hiccup. It was a structural collapse of their brand authority.

OpenAI is currently in the "Hubris" phase.

1. You are chasing "Vibes" instead of Value

OpenAI spent months trying to sign Scarlett Johansson. She said no. Twice.

So what did they do? They released "Sky." A voice so similar to hers that her own legal team couldn't tell the difference.

This tells me one thing: OpenAI is obsessed with the feeling of AI, not the function of it.

They wanted the "Her" fantasy. They wanted the sci-fi trope. They wanted users to fall in love with a chatbot.

Most founders are doing the same thing. They are adding "AI features" because they look cool in a demo. They want the "wow" factor.

But "wow" doesn't pay the bills. Reliability does.

2. Permission is the only Moat left

The "Move Fast and Break Things" era is over.

In 2010, you could scrape data and apologize later. In 2024, the world is tired. Regulators are hungry. Creators are angry.

By trying to bypass Scarlett Johansson, OpenAI proved they don't respect the source of their power: Intellectual Property.

I’ve shifted my entire portfolio toward companies that own their data sets. Companies that have signed contracts with the humans who provide the "intelligence."

OpenAI’s disregard for Johansson shows they think they can outrun the law. They can’t. The legal wall is officially higher than the compute wall.

If your business model depends on "fair use" being interpreted broadly, you don't have a business. You have a countdown clock.

3. The "God Model" is a Myth

OpenAI wants you to believe in AGI. They want you to believe that one day, GPT-5 or 6 will solve every problem in your life.

The Scarlett Johansson stunt was a distraction from a hard truth: GPT-4o is a marginal improvement, not a revolution.

The gains are shrinking. The cost of compute is skyrocketing. The energy grid is screaming.

I see thousands of people waiting for the next update to save their business.

"I'll wait for GPT-5 to automate my workflow." "I'll wait for the next model to fix my churn."

Stop waiting for a Savior Model.

The people winning right now aren't using the "best" model. They are using the "smallest" model necessary to solve a specific, boring problem.

They are using local LLMs. They are using RAG. They are using human-in-the-loop systems.

Scarlett Johansson proved that OpenAI is more interested in being a cultural icon than a utility.

Utilities are boring. Utilities are essential. Icons are replaceable.

The Insight: The Era of "Permissionless AI" is Dead

Everyone is looking at the tech. I’m looking at the ethics.

Not because I’m a moralist. Because I’m a realist.

When the world’s most famous voices, artists, and writers decide to opt-out, the models stop growing. They start eating themselves. Model collapse is real. Synthetic data is a feedback loop of stupidity.

My prediction: Within 24 months, we will see a "Human-First" certification for software.

Companies will brag about not using stolen data. "Built with 100% Licensed Intelligence" will be the new "Organic."

OpenAI is currently the villain in that story. And in tech, the villain usually gets disrupted by the guy who makes everyone feel safe.

The Question

Are you building a business that relies on OpenAI’s hubris, or are you building a business that owns its own foundation?