AI companies contact comedian Matt Husk after chatbot trolling videos

In short: Big AI companies are reaching out to a comedian whose videos highlight how chatbots can fail at simple tasks.

What's going on

Comedian and creator Matt Husk says OpenAI, Anthropic, and Elon Musk’s xAI have asked about working with him after his videos went viral. Husk shared this on Wednesday during the WIRED World Fair, in an on-stage interview with podcast host Evan Ratliff.

Husk has built an audience of about 2 million followers across Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. His videos often show him making calm, simple requests to a chatbot, like asking ChatGPT’s voice feature to count to 100 or keep time while he runs. The joke is that the AI sometimes gets basic things wrong, like measuring a few seconds as “around 10 minutes.”

Husk said OpenAI offered him early access to a fix for its timer problem if he shared his account, but he declined. He also said the company emailed him about collaborating, then offered gifts and asked for his home address, and he declined again. Husk also claimed xAI offered him a Tesla for a week if he made videos only for that company.

What to watch

AI companies are trying to convince people their tools can handle everyday chores, like planning meals or helping with school paperwork. Husk’s popularity shows a growing gap between how these tools are marketed and how they sometimes behave in real life, like a confident assistant who still cannot set a reliable kitchen timer. It is worth watching whether AI firms start working more openly with critics and creators who stress-test their products in public.

Source: Wired