this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2025
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Apparently a page from an internal IBM training manual. Some further attempts at source it

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[–] ruuster13@lemmy.zip 162 points 1 week ago (1 children)

And when computers make all management decisions, let us not forget that managers told them to do so, lest we forget whom to hold accountable.

[–] Lodespawn@aussie.zone 31 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You know shit only flows downhill right?

[–] MelodiousFunk@slrpnk.net 104 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] sukhmel@programming.dev 16 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I think what they meant is nobody in management cares if someone wants to hold them accountable

Bit it's a nice picture, yeah

[–] scathliath@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

I don't know, they all sure hate Luigi for some reason.

[–] sukhmel@programming.dev 6 points 1 week ago

Probably not fans of Nintendo or something

[–] Salvo@aussie.zone 106 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Managers aren’t being held accountable for their management decisions either.

“Oh, I sacked our entire workforce and sold all the company assets, so the figures will look amazing this month.”

“Oh, the figures are down this month, a golden handshake!? Thank you very much.”

[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 7 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Most industries management fails upward. Definitely true in Pharma.

There are CEOs with a 20 year string of development failures, but they bring "vast experience".

[–] xxce2AAb@feddit.dk 82 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Ah, from back when people still had critical thinking faculties in good working order.

[–] raman_klogius@ani.social 51 points 1 week ago (4 children)

Back when tech is still dominated by hippies and not fascists.

[–] GrabtharsHammer@lemmy.world 57 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de 14 points 1 week ago

At the time the computers were kinda newfangled and they tolerated some hippies over there in research.

The business part, well, yeah.

[–] frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zone 30 points 1 week ago

That's not how you would describe IBM at any point in its existence.

[–] thinkercharmercoderfarmer@slrpnk.net 26 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

This is as good an excuse as any to break out the ol' IBM corporate songbook

Tech has always been suits at the top, hippies at best an annoying necessity because they know how to actually operate the machine.

[–] frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

"Back in the day", IBM was all suits the entire way up and down the ladder. They were considered the company for 1960/70s button down dress code.

The hippie types were at MIT hacking on DEC machines.

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[–] shalafi@lemmy.world 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

IBM in 1979 was the polar opposite of hippie or liberal. You're thinking of later, younger outfits, Pirates of Silicon Valley types. IBM was white shirt, black tie, solidly stuck in their ways.

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[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 57 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Reminds me of Woz’s old saying “Never trust a computer you can’t throw out a window.”

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 27 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That became easier with phones huh.

[–] lauha@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yes, really easy to throw cloud out the window

[–] msage@programming.dev 6 points 1 week ago

With clouds it's easy, they are already outside the windows.

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[–] ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world 43 points 1 week ago

Executives today:

This means if we put AI somewhere in our decision making, we can no longer be held accountable.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 38 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Isn't that exactly why they do use them for management decisions?

[–] InputZero@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Yup!

"I'm sorry but your contact is terminated because our management software designated your position as redundant and unnecessary. It wasn't our decision to let you go, but it was our decision to begin using that software and it was our decision to program it to try to fire as many employees as possible, but it's not our decision and therefore we can't be held responsible. Goodbye."

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[–] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 32 points 1 week ago

Since when are managers held accountable? Is this new?

[–] sundray@lemmus.org 21 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I can only assume the very next slide said, "But having a computer make battlefield targeting decisions is A-OK!" /s

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago

It's just a little war crimes, it's ok it's ok.

[–] Croquette@sh.itjust.works 21 points 1 week ago (3 children)

That's the neat thing, you can deny accountability by blaming the computer's decision

[–] InnerScientist@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

A COMPUTER CAN NEVER BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE

THEREFORE A COMPUTER MUST ~~NEVER~~ MAKE ~~A~~ MANAGEMENT DECISIONs

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[–] kingofras@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago

promptly

Very meta

[–] NatakuNox@lemmy.world 17 points 1 week ago (2 children)

That's why board executives and business are so excited about it

[–] Saarth@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They can finally get rid of McKinsey and blame it on cheaper and faster trendy butthole logo of the month.

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[–] undergroundoverground@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (2 children)

It's not my fault

~~I was just following orders~~

~~It's just company policy~~

It's just a misstep in the algorithm

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[–] Lushed_Lungfish@lemmy.ca 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

TBF Management can barely make any management decisions either...

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[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Let's be honest though, most managers, maybe ~60% could be replaced by AI. If you want evidence, think of anyone who goes to meetings, and those who go to meetings all day element 90% of meetings, at minimal. Those jobs shouldn't exist. They are what people like Bezos/Musk believe should not exist.

Now, how does one get from being nothing, and never being in meetings to being someone making money... You can't, unless you know someone. AI is an "American Dream" killer

[–] CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 1 week ago

Well that’s the exact reason these people are so horny for AI.

https://www.wheresyoured.at/the-era-of-the-business-idiot/

[–] Heikki2@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago (2 children)

As a US citizen, this logic need to be applied to corperations. The C_Os make all the decisions for the company, the Campany should not be held as responsible for the shitty actions of its Board. The Board should be held accountable for the companies actions be required to served by all the C_Os. I say served, I mean fines and prison time ,in all cases, as a fine is paid personally by the person and time is served aslo bu the person.

I know fine are just a temporary for "legal fo .a price" fine should be paid to hut them so Retirement accounts are taken, future earning are taken, income from salary+bonus at time of infraction are taken, and close loops of off shore accounts

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[–] saltnotsugar@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Thou shall not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind.

[–] psud@aussie.zone 2 points 5 days ago

That's alright, so far they haven't even come close

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[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

The computer can't be held accountable, but the programmer and operator can.

I could go on a whole thing about mission rules and command decisions here, but I'm sick of typing for the day.

[–] Witchfire@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (2 children)

So when is Musk getting held accountable for making a literal US funded Nazi waifu bot

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[–] FishFace@piefed.social 9 points 1 week ago

This is sad, not humorous

[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 week ago

A complete one-eighty nowadays..."As a highly paid "business" exec I have no ideas...computer, tell me what to do."

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