Everyone is hating on "X" right now because of the bloviated way tech companies talk about "changing the world". I'm always pessimistic about things like this too, but I do have a soft spot in my heart for this stuff.

Why?, because it allows some engineers to work on cool stuff. Will it pan out, probably not, but I'm not going to cry if Google blows through a few million bucks. They won't even notice it.

Better that a few engineers get to have some fun working on stuff other than optimal ad placement. Who know's maybe they'll stumble across something actually helpful to humanity (not holding my breath).