March 28, 2026
VR ghost, AI roast
You Do Not, in Fact, Have to Hand It to Them
Metaverse flop, AI fight: commenters brawl over hype vs hard cash
TLDR: A scathing post declares the metaverse a punchline and predicts AI will flop next, citing sour polls and corporate retreats, and the comments erupt. Readers split between calling it ragebait and arguing AI isn’t a popularity contest—it makes money—while memes of “headset zombies” and toilet-flush billions steal the show.
The post swings a sledgehammer at Big Tech’s dreamland: it drags that infamous 2016 pic of Mark Zuckerberg striding past rows of headset-wearing “VR zombies,” snorts at Meta’s crumbled metaverse, and insists AI is next on the hype-kill list. It cites a gloomy NBC News poll showing low favorability for AI, claims OpenAI shuttered its Sora video platform, notes Disney backing away, and points to court hits on Meta—then concludes “everybody hates tech, nobody wants their BS.” Cue comment section detonation.
One camp fires back: you can’t equate the metaverse with AI. As one top reply puts it, the Metaverse was a vibe; AI does actual work. Another calls the piece ragebait built to sell subscriptions, accusing the author of dealing in grievances rather than facts. A self-proclaimed old-timer joins to grumble about social media while half-agreeing that billionaire worship is cringe. Others roll eyes at the blame game: Want real parks and jobs? Sure. But is that AI’s fault?
Meanwhile, the memes fly. Commenters resurrect the “headset zombie” photo, add toilet-flush GIFs for “billions down the drain,” and remix the “Resistance is futile” line into “Resistance is viral.” The day’s vibe: fear vs. fatigue, with skeptics chanting “AI is the new metaverse,” and pragmatists snapping back, “Popularity isn’t profit.” Even the haters agree on one thing—the drama is better than Horizon Worlds.
Key Points
- •The article contrasts consumer rejection of VR/metaverse with continued U.S. military interest in high-tech systems.
- •It argues Meta’s metaverse pivot, including Horizon Worlds and the Facebook-to-Meta rebrand, failed to achieve promised adoption.
- •An NBC News survey is cited to claim AI has very low favorability among Americans.
- •The article asserts OpenAI announced the closure of “Sora,” described as a video-focused social platform, and that Disney pulled a billion-dollar investment from the AI firm.
- •It claims two court cases in New Mexico and California found Meta liable for harms to children, citing these as signs of tech plans unraveling.