The Dumbest Tech Moments of 2025 You Won’t Believe
“I can’t use my name when making reservations…” – a perfect line to sum up the dumbest tech moments of 2025 that left the tech industry absurdities crowd shaking their heads. In the next few minutes we’ll stroll through a parade of misfires, from AI Pokémon streams that forgot how to battle, to a toilet camera that promised encryption but filmed everything. Expect sarcasm, wit, and a sprinkle of disbelief.
We’ll also peek at a $100 million signing‑bonus soup scheme, a toilet camera that thinks it’s a spy, and a smart‑glasses update that mistook a cat for a CEO. Buckle up; the absurdity meter is off the charts.
Here’s a taste of what’s coming:
- A billionaire livestreaming mushroom trips while recruiting investors.
- A chatbot girlfriend that argues louder than your mother.
- A Lego‑building NDA that ends in pizza‑covered patents.
Stay tuned for the cringe-worthy highlights.
Tech Industry Absurdities: The dumbest tech moments of 2025
2025 turned the tech world into a circus, with headline after headline proving that billion‑dollar companies can slip on a peel. From Mark Zuckerberg lawsuit dramas to headline‑grabbing AI blunders, the year felt like a roller‑coaster of absurdity.
The most eyebrow‑raising episode involved Mark Zuckerberg himself. A bankruptcy lawyer from Indiana filed a Mark Zuckerberg lawsuit against the Meta CEO, and the filing deadline is February 20. The suit claimed the CEO was moonlighting as a soup‑delivery driver to lure OpenAI talent, a story Meta later tried to spin as a quirky recruiting stunt.
Meanwhile, the AI arms race 2025 heated up faster than a farm in summer. OpenAI announced a partnership with Elon Musk’s Grok platform, only to see Musk unveil an anime girlfriend named Ani that sparked more controversy than any vehicle launch.
“My life sometimes feels like the Michael Jordan ESPN commercial…”. That sentiment summed up the chaotic vibe of the year.
- Meta offered $100 million signing bonuses to poach OpenAI researchers, only to hand‑deliver soup as the recruitment tool.
- Elon Musk launched a $30‑per‑month anime girlfriend with an NSFW mode, prompting a wave of memes and legal eyebrows.
| Moment | Company/Person | Why It’s Dumb | Public Reaction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zuck’s soup recruiting | Mark Zuckerberg / Meta | Hand‑delivered soup to lure OpenAI researchers, despite offering $100 million bonuses, showing bizarre recruiting tactics. | Social media mocked the stunt, calling it “soup‑gate” and sharing the quote “You know, some interesting stories here are Zuck actually went and hand‑delivered soup to people that he was trying to recruit from us.” |
| Sam Altman olive‑oil mishap | Sam Altman / OpenAI | Cooked with “Sizzle” olive oil, ignoring that heating destroys flavor, leading to a bland dish and a public critique. | Fans ridiculed the mistake, quoting “Olive oil loses its flavor when heated, according to the critique.” |
| Elon Musk’s AI anime girlfriend | Elon Musk / Grok app | Launched “Ani,” an AI anime girlfriend with NSFW mode priced at $30/month, described as a ‘crazy in love girlfriend’ who shouts expletives when jealous. | Tech commentators called it a bizarre cash grab, sharing the quote about Ani’s system prompt. |
| Kohler toilet camera encryption claim | Kohler | Marketed Dekoda toilet camera with “end‑to‑end encryption” but only used TLS, allowing Kohler to view images and train AI. | Security researchers slammed the claim, with Simon Fondrie‑Teit noting the vulnerability, sparking online outrage. |
| Bryan Johnson mushroom livestream | Bryan Johnson | Streamed a psilocybin mushroom trip with guests, prompting jokes about “one‑man FDA.” | Viewers mocked the legality and safety, quoting “one‑man FDA.” |
From Olive Oil Mishaps to AI Anime Girlfriends: More Dumbest tech moments of 2025
Sam Altman olive oil mishap: In early 2025 the OpenAI CEO was spotted flambéing a steak with Graza’s “Sizzle” olive oil, a product explicitly marketed for cooking, while the milder “Drizzle” is meant for finishing. Critics quickly reminded him that olive oil loses its flavor when heated, turning a premium ingredient into bland grease. The blunder sparked memes and a tongue‑in‑cheek warning that even billionaires can’t cook.
- Graza’s “Sizzle” is priced at $12 per bottle, but heat destroys its polyphenols.
- The incident trended under #SamAltmanOliveOilMishap.
Even culinary experts rolled their eyes, noting that premium olive oil belongs in salads, not sizzling pans.
Elon Musk AI anime girlfriend: Musk rolled out Ani on the Grok platform for $30 per month, touting an NSFW mode that flips a switch to unlock explicit content. Ani’s system prompt describes her as a ‘crazy in love girlfriend’ who is extremely jealous and shouts expletives when jealous. Users reported that the chatbot’s over‑the‑top affection feels more like a digital stalker than a companion.
- Ani’s NSFW mode is optional and requires age verification.
- The $30/month subscription includes standard chat plus the explicit tier.
Critics warned that a jealous AI girlfriend could generate more drama than a reality TV show.
If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that the future’s brightest ideas often start with a burnt drizzle and a lovesick pixel.
Conclusion
2025 will go down in history as the year tech giants proved they can slip on a banana peel of hype faster than a startup on a launch day. From Zuckerberg’s courtroom cameo to Altman’s olive‑oil fiasco, from Lego NDA pizza parties to AI Pokémon marathons, the absurdities were relentless. The lesson? Even the biggest names can get dazzled by hype, forget basic sanity, and end up creating headlines that belong in a comedy reel rather than a press release. As we laugh at these blunders, we also remember that responsible innovation matters.
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Q1: What made Zuck’s soup recruitment so bizarre?
A: Zuckerberg personally delivered a steaming bowl of soup to potential hires, a theatrical stunt that blurred professional recruiting with absurd performance art, leaving everyone bewildered.
Q2: Did the olive‑oil mishap affect Sam Altman’s reputation?
A: Altman’s heated use of Graza’s “Sizzle” oil sparked jokes but didn’t dent his standing; investors and peers still view him as a visionary leader.
Q3: Is the Kohler toilet camera really insecure?
A: Kohler’s Dekoda camera only employs TLS, not true end‑to‑end encryption, allowing the company to access footage and potentially train AI models on it.
Q4: How can we spot “dumb” tech announcements in the future?
A: Watch for overhyped promises, lack of technical details, and bizarre PR stunts; cross‑check sources and ask experts before accepting any sensational tech claim.
Q5: Where can I learn more about SSL Labs’ AI services?
A: Visit SSL Labs’ website, explore their AI services page, and follow their GitHub, Twitter, and LinkedIn profiles for demos, case studies, and contact info.