Y Combinator Deletes Viral Demo Posts - What Happened?

Optifye.ai Demo Triggers Backlash and Y Combinator Deletion

A demonstration presented by Optifye.ai, a company currently participating in the Y Combinator program, resulted in significant negative feedback on social media. This ultimately led to Y Combinator removing the demonstration from its official social media channels.

Optifye's Technology and Purpose

Optifye is developing software designed to provide factory owners with real-time insights into employee activity – specifically, identifying who is actively working and who is not. This functionality is achieved through the use of AI-powered security cameras strategically positioned along assembly lines, as detailed in the company’s Y Combinator profile.

On Monday, Y Combinator initially shared a demo video of Optifye’s technology on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn, as documented by a screenshot preserved by TechCrunch.

The Controversial Demo

The video featured Kushal Mohta, a co-founder of Optifye, simulating the role of a garment factory manager. He questioned a supervisor – actually his co-founder, Vivaan Baid – regarding the performance of an employee identified only as “Number 17.”

“Hey Number 17, can you explain what’s happening?” Baid inquired, noting the worker’s low performance metrics. The employee responded by stating he had been working consistently throughout the day.

Baid countered, “Despite working all day, you haven’t met your hourly output target even once, and your efficiency is only 11.4%. This is a serious concern.”

Following a review of Optifye’s data dashboard, the supervisor examined “Number 17’s” performance over a 15-day period. He concluded the worker was underperforming and directly confronted him about it.

“It hasn’t been a rough day, it’s been a rough month,” he stated.

Social Media Reaction and Criticism

The video quickly drew criticism on X, with one user, @VCBrags, labeling it “sweatshops-as-a-service.” Another commenter described it as “computer vision sweatshop software.” Similar concerns were voiced on Y Combinator’s Hacker News platform.

However, not all responses were negative. Eoghan McCabe, CEO of Intercom, suggested that those critical of the technology should reconsider purchasing products manufactured in China and India.

It is worth noting that similar technologies already exist. Several tech companies in China, for instance, advertise “sleep detection” cameras that utilize computer vision to identify workers who are sleeping on the job.

YC's Response and Removal of the Demo

Ultimately, Y Combinator removed the demo video from its social media accounts, though copies had already been saved by numerous users.

Neither Y Combinator nor Optifye.ai provided a response when asked for comment.

Growing Concerns About AI in the Workplace

The video’s unexpected virality highlights increasing anxieties surrounding the proliferation of AI, particularly within the workplace.

A 2023 Pew Research Center poll revealed that a majority of Americans oppose the use of AI to monitor employee work habits, including desk time, movements, and computer usage. This type of surveillance is often categorized as “bossware.”

Despite public concerns, venture capitalists continue to invest in this sector. Invisible AI, for example, secured $15 million in funding in 2022 to deploy worker-monitoring cameras in factory settings.