AI Startup Hype Skepticism

The cluster focuses on skepticism towards AI startups, portraying many as superficial LLM wrappers or marketing ploys chasing hype, funding, and buzzword appeal rather than genuine innovation, often compared to dotcom excesses.

🚀 Rising 2.1x AI & Machine Learning
4,757
Comments
19
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#2559
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
1
2008
4
2010
5
2011
11
2012
4
2013
9
2014
9
2015
23
2016
86
2017
129
2018
160
2019
129
2020
172
2021
117
2022
146
2023
785
2024
1,031
2025
1,806
2026
134

Keywords

e.g IT LLM madstreetden.com www.ai E2E CSM filevine.com AI UX ai ai companies companies use ai product startups marketing hype ai ml dotcom

Sample Comments

draxil May 16, 2024 View on HN

Current gen of "AI" companies aren't that interested in such trivial things!

asicsarecool Oct 19, 2024 View on HN

Don't assume this isn't already in place at the main AI companies

Stocked Oct 4, 2023 View on HN

Very keen of you though as many "AI" startups are LLM wrappers

remify Oct 11, 2018 View on HN

The App is probably just a marketing scheme to promote their AI to real firms.

randomdata Jul 8, 2024 View on HN

Why can't they use "AI" in the sales pitch?

nextworddev Dec 3, 2025 View on HN

interesting HN is so bearish considering most of them spend more on AI daily than any other saas category

redwood Jul 10, 2025 View on HN

I think it's attention and mindshare going to AI

SoftTalker Aug 22, 2025 View on HN

If the AI gets that good, what value does your startup add?

pjmlp Jul 17, 2025 View on HN

Doesn't change the facts, and how appealing AI is for those companies management.

gardenhedge Mar 13, 2023 View on HN

Is this not how AI will be done in the future? It's something startups shouldn't need to spend time on now. Call the API and get all the advantages without any AI investment.