Digital Exhaust #204
Shrinking doctors, the DTC arms race, and an expensive bullshit machine
Morning. A few things over the past few days:
AI for Me, But Not for Thee
I loved this: Anthropic, the company behind Claude, wants to make one thing clear: AI is great, just not for your job application.
Applicants must certify they won’t use AI to help with resumes, cover letters, or responses. Apparently, Anthropic values authentic skills, genuine communication, and a soft, human touch — all the things AI was supposed to enhance.
So the company shaping the future of AI wants you to apply like it’s 2010. I assume concerns over this policy must be submitted in (hand)writing.
More Doctors Use Ozempic
A profession that once championed moderation is now embracing GLP-1 RAs for their personal weight loss journey. The New York Times recently highlighted the growing trend of doctors using these drugs for weight loss. One physician (an advisor to Eli Lilly) gleefully described a colleague as shrinking away. Another, seemingly channeling The Onion, reported that traditional dieting didn’t work because he was ‘crazy hungry’ when eating less. And a diabetes specialist (who consults for both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly) confidently agreed to wager ‘dollars to doughnuts’ that the multitudes of shrinking doctors at medical meetings are on weight-loss meds.
The whole thing gives off strong More Doctors Smoke Camels vibes.
But here’s the real question: Is there even a role for eating less and moving more? The prevailing response seems to be: I tried that, and it just doesn’t work.
To be clear, for those with severe obesity or metabolic disease, these medications are a godsend. They also offer other remarkable benefits. But at what point should we say no to GLP-1 RAs? Or should we? Are we collectively throwing up our hands and accepting that diet and exercise are futile? Or is this just the inevitable next step in how we think about health?
Swipe right for serious medication
The direct-to-consumer telemedicine industry is out of control. You can now ‘see a doctor’ who miraculously always agrees that you need the drug you came for. While that’s concerning, compounding pharmacies are taking it even further, selling GLP-1 RAs like large-scale drug manufacturers. The difference? They’re doing it without the safety and efficacy standards we deserve.
A few things to keep in mind:
Compounded medications are not bioequivalent to FDA-approved drugs.
They don’t undergo the same rigorous testing.
Meanwhile, Hims & Hers took out a Super Bowl ad positioning themselves as the anti-establishment option for weight-loss meds. You can read about it here.
The idea of swipe right for serious medication isn’t going to end well. And with mega-compounders fighting for market share, it’s going to end even faster.
All progress has a starting point
ChatGPT is the fastest growing application in history with possibly the weakest brand awareness.
So Sunday, during the Super Bowl, OpenAI had its big moment. Using its signature cursor dot, it animated the eras of human progress: fire, the wheel, agriculture, trains, the lightbulb, air travel, space exploration, and computing culminating in the tagline: All progress has a starting point.
I can’t speak for anyone else, but I’m constantly searching for ways technology can empower me to do what I do better. And that tagline? It speaks directly to me. Sucker for Madison Ave? Perhaps. But I’ve been known to take inspiration from odd places. Fast Company has some interesting analysis on the OpenAI ad and what it means.
Or maybe we’re all off base, and ChatGPT is just an expensive bullshit machine.
JD Vance: Turn in your smart watch
This is interesting. I work with a retired Brigadier General who spent his career unable to wear a smart watch. I never really understood why until I read this article by Watches of Espionage. Apparently, right now every nefarious foreign actor in the world is trying to hack into our leader’s devices. And smart watches are a great entry point. The story began when images circulated of JD Vance wearing an Apple Watch. The piece details why this is a no-no. I can’t imagine living this way.
Thanks for reading. Do me a solid and share this with someone you love.