In defense of MKBHD... (Humane AI pin controversy)

Marques Keith Brownlee (born: December 3, 1993), also known under his online alias MKBHD, is an US-based YouTuber and professional ultimate frisbee player, best known for his technology-focused videos as well as his podcast Waveform, produced by the Vox Media network, who he additionally collaborated with on his former YouTube Original series, Retro Tech.

As of December 2023, the 30-year-old has more than 20 million subscribers across all channels and 3.93 billion total video views, with his social media success gaining him a board seat at Ridge Wallet - a prevalent sponsor of hundreds of YouTube creators. At the 10th Shorty Awards in 2019, he was named "Creator of the Decade."

Brownlee has faced significant controversy following his reviews of the Fisker Ocean electric vehicle and the Humane AI Pin. His review of the Fisker Ocean, titled “This is the Worst Car I’ve Ever Reviewed,” published on February 19, 2024 to his car channel Auto Focus, sparked debate due to its harsh criticism, particularly over the car’s software experience. Similarly, his critique of the Humane AI Pin, released on April 16, 2024, and titled “The Worst Product I’ve Ever Reviewed… For Now,” led to a viral discussion about the ethical responsibilities of influencers with large followings and their impact their words can have on the futures of companies. Critics like Daniel Vassallo and Alex Finn led the argument on X (formerly Twitter) - although both recieved significant pushback from many, who defended Brownlee’s right to provide honest feedback, arguing that consumers deserve transparent reviews regardless of a product’s development stage.

In this Heliophobian video, we look at the controversy, and question why MrWhoseTheBoss - another 10 million subscriber tech channel on YouTube, hasn't received the same criticism, as brought up by news outlets like TechCrunch.
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📷 Stock footage courtesy of Unsplash and Videvo
https://unsplash.com/
https://www.videvo.net/

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📝 Sources: https://pastebin.com/xhSdmLke
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0:00 introduction
0:37 who is mkbhd?
1:24 the humane ai pin drama
3:30 venture capitalist bad takes
5:56 mkbhd responds to 'criticism'
8:03 humane ai responds to the review
8:32 culture war! culture war! (mrwhosetheboss)
9:12 conclusion and outro
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