RE: https://mas.to/@trendsbot/116211553284922724
When USSR was crumbling, factories were also paying workers in products they manufactured.
This is AI bubble companies trying to print own money. Printing your own money only works if you find a way to make it necessary. That's what taxes do, for example (recommended reading: David Graeber's "Debt").
Here:
"printing money" part is paying employees in tokens
"taxes" part is requiring employees to use AI in their day to day work (thus making tokens necessary)
OpenAI is doing this because the investment money is drying out – Nvidia for example is not keen in dumping more money into this particular dumpster fire:
https://www.reuters.com/business/nvidia-will-not-be-able-invest-100-billion-openai-due-ipo-ceo-jensen-says-2026-03-04/
OpenAI business plan used to be:
1. build "AGI"
2. ask it how to make money
3. profit!!1!
A bit over a year ago Altman claimed OpenAI "knows how to build AGI". End of last year Altman started saying "AGI is not a useful term". So that plan fell apart. 
New plan: company town economy!
@rysiek@mstdn.social
If employees are paid in tokens that means employees are paying for tokens out of their own pockets.
No different than mining company town folks having to buy (or rent!) boots and work clothing from the company that employs them. At "special" rates, no doubt.
By the way this should tell you all you need to know what class "white collar" vibe coders and broader IT folks are.
Hint: no, you're not running the company town, you're renting your tools from your factory owner. 
please go right ahead!
Every AI company wants to have their own private monopoly money they themselves issue.
