The Semi-Zipped Lips of AI Wizards: Yeah, It Is Fear of Losing and No PR
August 5, 2026
Another dinobaby post. No AI unless it is an image. This dinobaby is not Grandma Moses, just Grandpa Arnold.
In the dust bin of my memory is a lecture given by one of my history teachers. His name was Phil Crane, who left academia and jumped into the political world. Before he dropped off my radar, I recall his lecture about China’s lock down to prevent non-Chinese influences and Western ideas into the Middle Kingdom. We know how that played out: China is now the Big Dragon in technology, and it is the exporter of products and services. One notable Chinese idea is AI information warfare.
Here’s business idea for AI techno-wizards. Afraid of non-US AI advances? Well, just get in line to speak with the professionals at the Paranoia Clinic. You will be a better AI wizard in no time flat. It’s like an air fryer for the mind. Thanks, Midjourney. Good enough.
What’s going on now?
“AI’s Top Startups Are Barely Publishing Their Research” says:
More than half of AI “unicorns” have never published a paper or preprint.
To top off the clamp down, I learned from my team that no Chinese robot vacuum cleaners will be keeping American homes squeaky clean. Is this Huawei-China paranoia or the US emulating the Ming and Qing “haijin” approach to new ideas? And what about those kung fung capable humanoid robots? Forget those.
My dinobaby take on this lock down in AI information is that the US tech bros and bro-ettes are genuinely paranoid about non-US countries’ advances in smart software. China captures the hearts and minds of some big thinkers. However, AI is bubbling along in Germany and, believe it or not, in the United Arab Emirates.
Let’s take a look at the cited write up. I noted this passage:
a new preprint posted on 16 July on bioRxiv suggests many of these [US AI] firms barely participate in one of science’s most fundamental practices: publicly documenting discoveries in scientific literature so other researchers can evaluate and build on them. More than half of AI unicorns—private companies valued at more than $1 billion—have never played a leading role in publishing a scientific paper or preprint, according to the new analysis. Collectively, they accounted for just one in every 1000 AI papers published in 2025.
From my vantage point in rural Kentucky, these actions reveal:
- A knee jerk reaction to the consequences of the AI tech bros’ and bro-ettes’ behavior. It’s hard to believe, but the Silicon Valley way is akin to navel gazing and general unawareness of what’s shakin’ in Harrods Creek, Kentucky-type locations
- A failure to think about how to vet employees. The bizarro evaluation processes overlook or ignore where an employee’s loyalties lie or where his or her parents live. In some countries, government authorities ring up a national working at an American AI outfit and suggest that momsie will be put in prison unless the foreign national exfiltrate information. The result is that a shadow information outflow is institutionalized in some sectors. (I have a great story about how Chinese think about secrecy. Let’s just say it is variable depending on context.)
- A somewhat surprising cloud of unknowing about international political contexts. The AI whiz kids and the MBAs wearing Wolf of Wall Street pinky rings assume their activities occur in a terrarium. Sorry, bros- and bro-ettes. Other countries think about short cuts just as you do. However, those often involve trips around the barn quite unappealing to those who dream of home runs, monopoly control, and big yachts. As a result, the terrarium has glass walls and an open top. What’s in it can be taken out. Those tech conferences? Yep, those are useful, probably more than the gray papers stuffed into ArXiv.
Proprietary information is routine for many businesses. Pharma outfits are not known for their eagerness to share clinical trials data that leaves people worse off after the “test” than before. Some big time quants on Wall Street are not showing up at math conferences to explain how their algorithms cause money to pour from the pockets of investors to their bank accounts. Plus, everyone needs know how. Why share it unless there is a deeper reason; for example, closing a deal or circling the wagons because some angry people want to kill you for trespassing?
My take is that the info-shut down is a result of fear. AI has the potential to become a significant next-generation innovation. Sure, it needs refinement, but it is showing promise. Therefore, button up and batten down the hatches.
A second reason is that the tech bros, in the US, are playing a weird game of saying one thing, contradicting it, seeking US government help, pushing back on some US government activities, signing petitions then demanding regulations after non-regulation exists partially because of big tech’s lobbying efforts. Okay, which is it?
Today it is fear and lock down.
Because I am old, I find the situation interesting. I predict that nervous tech bros will morph into even more wild and wooly business luminaries. Buckle up. The unregulated joy ride is heading toward the most thrilling part of the roller coaster.
Stephen E Arnold, August x, 2026
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