that wouldn't be scam that would be a invention worthy of a Nobel Prize and be world altering beyond the impact of AI. I mean controling the flow of time without creating a supermassive blackhole would allow sort of fun exploits in computation alone not to mention other practical uses like instantly aging cheese or wine

> A more plausible theory is that the training actually relies on a ton of human labeling behind the scenes (I have no idea if this is true or not).

Isn't this already generally known to be true (and ironically involving Mechanical Turk-like services)?

Not sure if these are all the same sources I read a while ago, but E.G.:

https://www.theverge.com/features/23764584/ai-artificial-int...

https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-tech/human-lab...

https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/04/20/1050392/ai-indus...

https://time.com/6247678/openai-chatgpt-kenya-workers/

https://www.vice.com/en/article/wxnaqz/ai-isnt-artificial-or...

https://www.noemamag.com/the-exploited-labor-behind-artifici...

https://www.npr.org/2023/07/06/1186243643/the-human-labor-po...