In April, a journalist visited a hacker house in San Francisco, where tech founders Elliot Roth and William Joy aimed to experiment with lobsters by performing neurosurgery to control them with an AI bot. Roth, who has a magnet implanted in his finger, and Joy, a 19-year-old with no prior experience in lobster surgery, planned to modify a remote-control kit to direct the lobsters' movements. They expressed concern for animal welfare, stating they would ensure the lobsters do not suffer and intended to eat them afterward.
The duo resides in Biopunk House, a hacker house where over 20 entrepreneurs pursue projects related to altering human consciousness and curing aging. Hacker houses have become a common living arrangement for tech founders in the Bay Area, particularly during the AI boom, as they provide affordable housing in a high-cost area. The journalist also spent a week at Accelr8, another hacker house, where residents worked on various tech projects and shared living spaces.
The Accelr8 house, co-founded by Daniel Morgan and Patrick Santiago, serves as a base for tech entrepreneurs who often struggle with high rents in San Francisco. The house fosters a community where residents support each other while navigating the challenges of launching startups. The article highlights the blend of camaraderie and competition in hacker houses, as well as the evolving nature of these living arrangements, which are becoming more professionalized and luxurious.
Despite the challenges, residents remain optimistic about their ventures, often discussing their projects and the future of AI technology. The journalist concluded by checking in on the lobster experiment, revealing that the lobsters had died before the surgery, prompting Joy to reflect on the ethical implications of their actions.