Expert’s Satire Exposes Speculation and Bubble Risks Behind AI Investment Boom

Trend Micro cybersecurity expert Peter Girnus used a fictional startup called Synthetica to satirize how founders can attract venture capital during the generative AI boom simply by piling on buzzwords and repackaging the ChatGPT API. The article portrays AI funds as former cryptocurrency funds, highlighting the bubble risks created when capital chases fashionable labels and due diligence breaks down.

In a March 20, 2026, post on X, Girnus imagined Synthetica raising $4 million in February with a 22-page pitch deck that mentioned “AI” on every page. The lead investor contributed $2 million. The product merely connected to the ChatGPT API and charged $29 a month, $9 more than ChatGPT. BlockTempo published an adapted report on March 22, stressing that the piece was satire, not a genuine fundraising case.