Jobaaj Stories
Y Combinator, a startup accelerator, took down a video after it caused major backlash. The video, posted by the company Optifye.ai, showed an AI system that tracks factory workers' performance. Many people called it “dystopian” and criticized the technology for promoting unethical surveillance in the workplace.
What Was in the Video?
In the video, Optifye.ai founders Vivaan Baid and Kushal Mohta pretend to be factory managers using their software. They show how the AI monitors workers on the assembly line. In one scene, Baid scolds a worker called “Number 17” for not meeting their daily performance goals. He checks the worker’s past performance and says, “Rough day? More like a rough month.”
The video quickly got negative reactions, with people saying it was dehumanizing and exploitative.
They tried to delete it but this anon saved it… pic.twitter.com/mGiHFbEInF
— Based Baron (@BasedBaronT) February 25, 2025
Backlash and Criticism
Many people on social media were angry about the video. Christopher Amidon, founder of Subsea Robotics, criticized the video, saying, “Leave it to people who’ve never worked a real job to come up with something like this.” Others called it “sweatshops-as-a-service” and compared it to promoting slavery.
Because of this, Y Combinator removed the video from their channels.
no way YC deleted the launch post of the computer vision sweatshop software
— Miranda Nover (@miranda_nover) February 25, 2025
Support for the Technology
Some people defended the AI system, saying that similar technology is already used in factories. Vedant Nair, a former Y Combinator founder, agreed that the video was in “bad taste” but pointed out that monitoring tools like this are common in many workplaces.
Eoghan McCabe, CEO of Intercom, also shared his thoughts, suggesting that critics should consider where the products they buy are made. Many products are produced in countries where worker monitoring is common.
About the Founders of Optifye.ai
Vivaan Baid and Kushal Mohta, the founders of Optifye.ai, come from families with manufacturing backgrounds. Baid’s family runs a manufacturing business, and he’s been around assembly lines his whole life. Mohta has similar experience with his family’s manufacturing plants. They used their knowledge to create the AI system to improve factory productivity.
