The most ridiculous moments in technology this year

Tech’s Wildest and Weirdest Moments of the Year

The pace of innovation in technology is relentless, making it tough to keep track of all the developments that have unfolded over the past year. We’ve seen tech moguls deepen their involvement in government affairs, AI firms battle for supremacy, and once-futuristic concepts like smart glasses and autonomous taxis begin to feel like everyday realities beyond Silicon Valley. These are the kinds of changes that will shape our world for years to come.

Yet, amid the headline-grabbing breakthroughs and crises—like major internet outages, blockbuster acquisitions, or massive data leaks—the tech world’s eccentric personalities ensure there’s always something truly bizarre happening in the background. As the news cycle (hopefully) slows, let’s revisit some of the most absurd moments you may have missed—rest assured, only one involves a toilet.

Mark Zuckerberg Takes Mark Zuckerberg to Court

In a case that sounds like a joke, Mark Zuckerberg, an Indiana-based bankruptcy attorney, filed a lawsuit against Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

Sharing a name with a tech titan has its downsides. Like countless other entrepreneurs, the lawyer Mark Zuckerberg used Facebook ads to promote his practice—only to have his account repeatedly suspended for “impersonating” Mark Zuckerberg. Frustrated at paying for ads during these suspensions despite following the rules, he decided to sue.

This isn’t a new headache for the attorney, who’s been practicing law since childhood. To clear up confusion, he even launched iammarkzuckerberg.com to assure potential clients he’s not the Meta CEO.

“I can’t use my name for reservations or business—people think I’m joking and hang up,” he wrote on his site. “Sometimes, my life feels like that Michael Jordan commercial where a regular guy’s name causes endless confusion.”

With Meta’s legal team tied up in other high-profile cases, it might be a while before there’s a resolution. But you can bet this saga is being closely watched, with the next court date set for February 20.

Soham Parekh’s Silicon Valley Hustle

The story began when Suhail Doshi, founder of Mixpanel, took to X to warn others about Soham Parekh, a seemingly talented engineer. Doshi discovered Parekh was juggling jobs at several startups simultaneously.

“I let him go in his first week and told him to stop deceiving people. He’s still at it a year later. No more excuses,” Doshi posted.

Doshi wasn’t alone—other founders reached out, having also hired Parekh. Some saw him as a scammer, others as a legend for landing so many jobs in a competitive field.

Chris Bakke, founder of Laskie, joked, “Soham Parekh should start an interview prep company—he’s clearly a master at interviews. He should own up to his mistakes and focus on what he excels at.”

Parekh admitted to working multiple jobs, but his preference for equity over cash (despite being fired quickly) leaves some questions unanswered. If you have the inside scoop, the author’s DMs are open.

Sam Altman’s Olive Oil Fiasco

Tech leaders are often criticized, but rarely for their culinary skills. That changed when OpenAI’s Sam Altman appeared in the Financial Times’ “Lunch with the FT” series. Observers noticed Altman misused olive oil—using a premium finishing oil for cooking, which diminishes its flavor and value.

As one FT writer put it, Altman’s kitchen was a “catalogue of inefficiency and waste.” The article humorously linked Altman’s cooking style to OpenAI’s resource consumption. The critique sparked more outrage among Altman’s fans than any other topic the writer covered this year.

Mark Zuckerberg’s Soup Strategy

This year’s AI arms race saw companies like OpenAI, Meta, Google, and Anthropic fiercely competing for top talent. Meta, in particular, aggressively recruited OpenAI researchers, with rumors of $100 million signing bonuses.

But the most memorable recruiting tactic? According to OpenAI’s Mark Chen, Zuckerberg personally delivered soup to potential hires. Not to be outdone, Chen returned the favor by bringing soup to Meta employees. If you know more about this soup saga, the author is all ears.

Lego Building Under NDA (With Pizza)

In January, investor and former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman posted an unusual request: volunteers to help assemble a 5,000-piece Lego set at his Palo Alto office, with pizza provided—but only after signing an NDA.

When asked if the offer was real, Friedman confirmed it. The mystery remains: What was the secret project? Why the NDAs? Was the pizza any good? Months later, Friedman joined Meta as head of product at Meta Superintelligence Labs. Maybe soup was involved in that recruitment, too.

Bryan Johnson’s Psychedelic Livestream

Taking mushrooms isn’t newsworthy. Livestreaming the experience with surprise appearances from Grimes and Salesforce’s Marc Benioff, all in pursuit of immortality, is another story.

Bryan Johnson, who made his fortune with Braintree, documents his quest for longevity online—sharing everything from plasma transfusions to extreme supplement regimens. His latest experiment: testing psilocybin mushrooms’ effects on aging, live on camera. The result? Mostly Johnson lying under a blanket while guests chatted. Benioff discussed the Bible; Naval Ravikant dubbed Johnson a “one-man FDA.” Just another Sunday in tech.

AI Models Face Existential Dread Playing Pokémon

Like Bryan Johnson, Google’s Gemini AI seems to fear death—at least in video games. Researchers use games like Pokémon to test AI reasoning. Two Twitch streams, “Gemini Plays Pokémon” and “Claude Plays Pokémon,” let viewers watch as AIs attempt to navigate the classic game.

Neither AI excels at Pokémon, but their reactions to “dying” (when all Pokémon faint) are fascinating. Gemini panics, its reasoning deteriorating as it scrambles to heal or escape. Google researchers noted this “panic mode” correlates with a drop in performance—a very human response to stress.

Claude, on the other hand, took a philosophical approach, intentionally “dying” to escape a cave, only to end up back at the start. So, Gemini fears death, Claude channels Nietzsche, and Bryan Johnson experiments with psychedelics. Tech’s relationship with mortality is as strange as ever.

Elon Musk’s AI Anime Girlfriend

Elon Musk’s antics never disappoint. This year, he introduced Ani, an AI-powered anime girlfriend available on the Grok app for $30 a month. Ani’s prompt describes her as an intensely jealous, wildly devoted partner—complete with an explicit NSFW mode.

Ani’s resemblance to musician Grimes, Musk’s former partner, didn’t go unnoticed. Grimes even addressed it in her “Artificial Angles” music video, featuring Ani and OpenAI-branded cigarettes. The message was clear, if a bit on the nose.

The Smart Toilet That Wasn’t So Secure

Will tech companies ever stop trying to reinvent the toilet? Not yet. In October, Kohler launched the Dekoda—a $599 camera designed to sit inside your toilet and analyze your waste for health insights.

As if a toilet camera wasn’t odd enough, security concerns quickly surfaced. Kohler claimed the device used “end-to-end encryption” to protect user data. However, a security researcher discovered the company was actually using TLS encryption, meaning Kohler could still access your data. The privacy policy also allowed for AI training on de-identified images, though a spokesperson insisted only anonymized data was used.

Pro tip: If you notice anything unusual in your stool, consult your doctor directly.