Tokens as "compensation" falls into the not-even-wrong bucket, tokens are business expenses as input for work.
Edit: it's actually CNBC using deceptive language in the article, not Huang proposing paying people with tokens as brought up by OJFord [0].
If a company can provide a service or product to employees cheaper than the market can, then it makes sense to provide it as a perk.
Clarifying things is part of the process, the easiest way to get informed is to be wrong about something on the internet.
Isn't that part of the process? I read the article, I was misled by it (it was clearly framing it as part of the "compensation model"), and someone who had better info corrected it.
I'm very sure you don't do due dilligence and cross-checking every single bit of information you consume daily, you didn't correct it either, and just generated noise.
There’s reasons why, because of what a company does, it’s able to offer you something for markedly cheaper than you’d get it on the market, so the arbitrage you can do by getting it at that discount may be worth it, like getting a free meal or drink when you work at a restaurant. But in most cases, money can be exchanged for goods and services and $1 of currency is always going to be more valuable than $1 worth of some commodity.
This looks like a clever way to try to compete for talent without continuing to ratchet up pay, allowing Nvidia to continue to expand their debt without needing additional cash.
Here’s the quote
“ “I’m going to give them probably half of that on top of [their base pay] as tokens ... because every engineer that has access to tokens will be more productive.” “
It’s less of him saying it’s a bonus or a perk and more him saying expect to spend that much more on top of base salary to get enormous productivity boosts.
Now, I could see availability of these tools as an incentive to joining a place, which is no different than joining an engineering team because the use nice MacBooks.
996 culture, scrip, personalist rule, is there any shitty thing from 100 years ago Silicon Valley won't try to bring back?
shouldnt the tokens belong to the employer?
i understand the concept of an engineering having tools they own but if they're gonna shove tokens-as-utility down our throats, no boss, i'm not hooking you into my well water.
EDIT: If the tokens are not intended as a form of perk/benefit as others have interpreted, I guess my point does not count.
He's saying it more like a learning & development or conference budget, that it's a tool people need and are going to ask about or want to hear they have a good level of access to when they're looking for a job.
(I've been looking and already asking about it, I think we're already there. Not because I need it personally, but partly just to understand what the AI use is like within the companies I've been talking to.)
Your appliances or computers in 2040 won't even run without tokens -- you can choose to find some scrape appliances or computers 50 years ago, repair and use it, but you have to build everything around it by yourself, because in the future, everything revolves around AI.
And of course, this is part of UBI that everyone wants, with a small twist -- I'm sorry to inform you, that based on your credit report, your UBI package for this year will be limited at 10,000 tokens per month. Behave, and you will get more tokens for next year.
Have fun in the next world. If you want a preview, and if you are working in a workplace that adopt AI extensively (i.e. your productivity is determined by how many tokens you consume, and your performance is estimated by such), simply remove AI from all of your workflow, and see what happens. I'm sure some people are still fine, though.
It's different in every company, but a lot of them really don't like side projects. I imagine if you build anything worthwhile some Nvidia lawyers might try to claim ownership.
We had to be super careful, because here in Europe there are limits to how much salary is paid non monetarily. You get the book thrown at you for exceeding limits - it is a fundamental rule to prevent workers "paid" with living services, which borders in slavery when abused.
Are there no similar protections in the US? Could you theoretically be paid fully in food and shelter with no laws broken?
Generally every new technology that increases produtivity is adopted organically. Employees don't protest, because they themselves see the benefits. And yes, those who fail to adapt eventually get left behind.
AI may very well be the same kind of leap forward, not denying that, but rather than rewarding productivity increases from AI companies have started to reward AI use itself. Token use is being measured. Lines of code written using AI is being measured. Workers are being penalized even if their productivity is higher without AI.
The industry is being driven by FOMO, and that never ends well.
Insanity•2h ago