The Kingdom’s other strategy—which, so far, seems to be much more successful than its urban development efforts—has been to make itself indispensable to the AI frenzy currently sweeping the globe.

When I started reading this article, I didn't expect to be presented with yet another solid reason to want the entire field of AI to disappear forever.

I’ve never heard a single analyst, reporter, or YouTube video say they thought there was a chance of this mega project working. Using words like “ambitious”, “impossible”, “inconceivable”, etc are never a good sign but the Saudi response was like “Fuck em, SEND IT”

Unfortunately, instead of a metaphor for renovation and adaptation, Neom is becoming a metaphor for the Kingdom’s failure to modernize—its inability to throw off the shackles of the past, and its delusion (which appears to be quickly dissipating) that it might somehow transform itself into a paragon of the future. At the same time, said floundering metaphor is being held aloft by thousands upon thousands of precarious workers, many of whom, according to a report from Human Rights Watch, have died for the project. There’s just something about a hubristic mega-project being built in the desert with the blood of countless laborers that doesn’t exactly speak of modernism.

Wasn’t this essentially just a huge money laundering operation?

It’s a way to move money around without actually doing anything.

Oh, you mean that project for which they forcefully relocated thousands of people and killed at least one?

Sure would suck if the Saudis murdered and imprisoned people and then bulldozed their homes for one of the dumbest and most expensive architectural failures in human history.

At least they're not wasting resources and fossil fuels during a time that is critical for the planets climate. /s

The damage to the Saudis’ brand here could be quite bad.

Ah yes, the once great brand of the Saudis'. Damaged... What idiot wrote this?

I think SAs wild architecture ideas are cool and fun but it's the blood money, slavery, and human rights violations that bother me.

It doesn't matter.

That money was wasted lining the pockets of cronies, while everyone else still has to live in squalor.

Are they going to properly demolish it or just fly some planes into it?

Part of the reason why Iran hates Saudi Arabia and its royalty for being predisposed to decadence just like the last shah they overthrew, in addition to the Sunni-Shia schism.

Who didn't see this one coming?

The predictable result of a "kingdom" ruled by an overgrown baby, who got put into power because it benefits other countries who need the oil to keep flowing. All the consulting and contracting dollars made along the way are a huge plus for those other countries duping the baby king. They've been duped by consultants for decades on idiotic projects like crop circles which suck up huge amounts of water to produce food at a higher price than they could get it imported using the very limited water which will not be replenished. They were sold on the idea of food independence, but it's idiotic to tap into those reserves when you can import the food for cheaper. Keep the reserve in case food imports jump up in price! Now they've used up much of those reserves and won't have it available for such an emergency, but the king of the time trusted the American consultants and enjoyed fluff pieces printed in American newspapers talking about how he's such a visionary (sound familiar?) for pursuing this.

When the oil money runs out, they'll be back to fighting over dunes of sand. It's a damn shame because that money could've done so much good, but instead it went into feeding the egos of a bunch of "princes".

Who could have seen this coming?