A comedian who mocks chatbots now has AI companies chasing him

A comedian who makes his name by catching chatbots in mistakes now has the biggest AI companies knocking on his door. Husk told a crowd at the WIRED World Fair on Wednesday that "all the big AI companies" have asked to work with him, including Elon Musk's xAI. He says he has turned down the offers he described.

How he got here

Husk began about a year ago. He was working a landscaping job and ran out of ideas for TikTok. So he told ChatGPT's voice mode that a nuclear bomb had gone off. Its reply, "I'm rooting for you," plus advice to take shelter, was "not helpful at all," he said. The video took off. He now has about 2 million followers across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and a deal with the talent agency Unicorn.

The timer that would not work

His videos are simple. He makes deadpan requests, such as asking the bot to count to 100 or to beatbox, and it often fumbles them. In one clip he asked ChatGPT to time his mile. It measured a few seconds as "around 10 minutes." When he said he was faster than that, it replied, "It can feel faster in the moment."

In April, OpenAI chief Sam Altman was shown that video on the podcast Mostly Human. He called the timer problem a "known issue" and said it would last another year.

The offers

• OpenAI offered early access to a timer fix if he shared his account. He declined.
• OpenAI also offered gifts and asked for his home address. He declined.
• He says xAI offered a Tesla for a week if he made videos only for the company.

Husk said an earlier OpenAI email about a joint video offered "the smallest amount." OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI did not respond to requests for comment.

Why it matters

AI companies increasingly say their tools can handle everyday chores. On Tuesday, OpenAI said its model scored "very highly" on a test of helping with personal tasks, such as meal prep and enrolling a child in kindergarten. Husk tests that kind of claim. In one video he asked the AI to negotiate a Craigslist bread price down from $10,000 to $5. It accepted $400.

Husk also says he does not use AI to come up with video ideas. He would rather have his worst idea be his own.

What to do

Treat chatbot answers on simple, measurable things, like time, math or prices, as a first pass. If the result matters, check it with a clock, a calculator or a person.