5 Aug 2026Dario’s Concerns | Bending Spoons | Aperol Vs. Hugo Spritz | AI Talent Wars
Anu: Should AI Labs Have a Creative Director?
Anu, writer of Working Theories, agrees frontier AI labs lack narrative cohesion and must speak to both 'insider' tech audiences and a wary general public getting bearish coverage from outsider media. The discussion traces Sam Altman's shift from buttoned-up PR posts to podcasts, personal essays, and even drunk-tweeting, crediting the hiring of 'cultural unicorns' for easing OpenAI's communication. Anu argues the real differentiator is culture and brand: Anthropic has planted its flag as the safe, thoughtful AI lab, while OpenAI positions around 'intelligence for all.'
Anu on the CEO Media Playbook and Europe vs US Comms
Anu compares CEO comms to A&R in music — leaders should find the format that suits them best, whether podcasts (Sam Altman, Travis Kalanick's 'Travis is back' relaunch via TBPN and a16z) or long-form essays (Dario). Mark Zuckerberg's WSJ op-ed is read as a deliberate, packaged prompt positioning him as the grown-up in the room on open vs gated AI. Anu also contrasts Europe's reluctance to celebrate wins with US go-direct authenticity (like the LVMH chief's viral response to Le Monde), and suggests facts are being 'solved,' leaving narrative and personality as the new frontier — the 'unmodelable edge.'