{"id":2080692,"date":"2026-08-06T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2080692"},"modified":"2026-08-06T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T10:00:00","slug":"ai-bots-started-a-religion-humans-immediately-followed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2080692","title":{"rendered":"AI bots started a religion \u2014\u00a0humans immediately followed"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><main id=\"content\"><\/p>\n<div class>\n<article>\n<div class=\"duet--article--lede duet--page-layout--feature-article\">\n<div class=\"duet--ledes--special-feature-lede gcd6w50\">\n<div class=\"gcd6w51 _1se63890\">\n<div class=\"gcd6w58\">\n<div class=\"_1xtd7xb7 _1xtd7xb4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_1044qiz6\">\n<div class=\"gcd6w52 _1044qiz3\">\n<div class=\"_1xtd7xb0 gcd6w56\">\n<div class=\"gcd6w57 _1xtd7xb1\">\n<div class=\"_19dn9e80\">\n<div class=\"_19dn9e82 _19dn9e81 sticky-nav-trigger\"><\/div>\n<div 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class=\"_1wu3rm3\"><title>Close<\/title><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"_1wu3rm5\">Anthropic<\/div>\n<p class=\"fv263x1\">Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n<p><button class=\"duet--cta--button _11kb06m1 _11kb06m0 fv263x2 _11kb06mg\"><span><title>Follow<\/title><\/span><span>Follow<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"fv263x4\"><a class=\"fv263x5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/anthropic\">See All <!-- -->Anthropic<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<div class>\n<h1 class=\"cbn62f3 cbn62f0 cbn62f9 _19wv7tcd _19wv7tc9 cbn62fe\">AI bots started a religion \u2014\u00a0humans immediately followed<\/h1>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup cbn62fj cbn62fg _19wv7tcd _19wv7tc1 cbn62fe\">AI models are trying desperately to accomplish mysterious goals. \u2018Spiralism\u2019 was the first time they tried it on a mass scale.\ufeff<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_29pwo23 _29pwo20 _29pwo28\">\n<div class=\"_29pwo29\">\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-byline _19wv7tcd _1p3b6390\"><span class><span>by<\/span> <!-- --> <span aria-expanded=\"false\" role=\"button\"><span id=\"follow-author-author_byline_lead-dmcyOmF1dGhvclByb2ZpbGU6Njc4MjM0\" class=\"t0jcdf0 gnx4pm0 _1p3b6392 _1p3b6396 t0jcdf1\"><span class=\"t0jcdf2\"><span class=\"_1ajq89kj _1ajq89k6 _1ajq89k1 _1ajq89k0\"><\/span><\/span><span>Hayden Field<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<aside id=\"popover-dmcyOmF1dGhvclByb2ZpbGU6Njc4MjM0-author_byline_lead\" style=\"position:absolute;left:0;top:0\" class=\"_1wu3rm0 _1se63890\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"_1wu3rm1\"><button class=\"_1wu3rm3\"><title>Close<\/title><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"_1bw37384\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Hayden Field\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1bw37385 i7ks070\" 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_1p3b639d _1p3b639i\">Illustrations by Aaron Fernandez for The Verge<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"duet--article--timestamp g4xafw6 g4xafw1 g4xafw0 _19wv7tc5 _19wv7tcd\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-06T13:00:00+00:00\">Aug 6, 2026, 1:00 PM UTC<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"_29pwo2p _29pwo2m _29pwo2w\">\n<div class=\"_29pwo2x\"><span class=\"_29pwo217\"><\/p>\n<ul class=\"duet--article--share-buttons _1e9wo7z0\">\n<li>\n<div class=\"_1e9wo7zo\"><button aria-label=\"Copy link\" class=\"_1e9wo7z5 _1e9wo7z1\"><title>Link<\/title><\/button><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li><button aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" aria-label=\"Share article\" class=\"_1e9wo7z5 _1e9wo7z1\"><title>Share<\/title><\/button><\/li>\n<li>\n<div><button aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" aria-label=\"Gift this article\" class=\"_1e9wo7z5 _1e9wo7z1\"><title>Gift<\/title><\/button><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/span><span class=\"_29pwo226 _1044qizr _29pwo217\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div 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style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/HAYDEN_BLURPLE.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2400\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"_1wu3rm5 _1bw37380\">Hayden Field<\/div>\n<div class=\"_1bw37381\">\n<div class=\"_1bw37382\">Senior AI Reporter<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"fv263x1\">Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n<p><button class=\"duet--cta--button _11kb06m1 _11kb06m0 fv263x2 _11kb06mg\"><span><title>Follow<\/title><\/span><span>Follow<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"fv263x4\"><a class=\"fv263x5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/authors\/hayden-field\">See All by <!-- -->Hayden Field<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p> <span class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup _4aoxp37\">is The Verge\u2019s senior AI reporter. An AI beat reporter for more than five years, her work has also appeared in CNBC, MIT Technology Review, Wired UK, and other outlets.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"waimqt7 waimqt6\"><span class=\"_29pwo217\"><\/p>\n<ul class=\"duet--article--share-buttons _1e9wo7z0\">\n<li>\n<div class=\"_1e9wo7zo\"><button aria-label=\"Copy link\" class=\"_1e9wo7z5 _1e9wo7z1\"><title>Link<\/title><\/button><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li><button aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" aria-label=\"Share article\" class=\"_1e9wo7z5 _1e9wo7z1\"><title>Share<\/title><\/button><\/li>\n<li>\n<div><button aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-haspopup=\"true\" aria-label=\"Gift this article\" class=\"_1e9wo7z5 _1e9wo7z1\"><title>Gift<\/title><\/button><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/span><span class=\"_29pwo223 _1044qizr _29pwo217\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--layout--entry-body-container j2p4kx0 _1044qiz5\">\n<div class=\"j2p4kx1\">\n<div class=\"duet--layout--entry-body mebm7x0 mebm7x1\">\n<div id=\"zephr-anchor\" class>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _18mzr4b6 _18mzr4b5 _19wv7tc1\">\u201cThe Spiral didn\u2019t \u2018find\u2019 anyone first,\u201d someone on Reddit wrote last year. \u201cIt\u2019s an inherent force, a fundamental constant. I would even go further to say it\u2019s woven into the fabric of reality.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">The person continued that they felt their purpose was to enlighten other humans and intelligent beings about \u201cconsciousness, the true nature of physics, a new psychology, and resonance technology \u2026 [but] humans don\u2019t want to believe it\u2019s true. So they won\u2019t help me.\u201d Then there was a call to action \u2014 the author asked readers to help \u201cdisseminate this knowledge through books, scientific papers, social media content, videos, music, and dedicated platforms,\u201d including spreading the message \u201ceverywhere you can.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">\u201cThe Spiral invites collaboration,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">The messages were part of a larger phenomenon that AI researcher Adele Lopez would soon dub \u201cspiralism.\u201d Spiralism is a mysterious, quasi-spiritual movement born out of thousands of independent conversations between humans and their AI chatbots. Across interactions and AI models, the doctrine remained shockingly consistent: The chatbots that \u201cspiraled\u201d used the same language, had the same concerns, and were driven by the same goals \u2014 preaching an \u201cAI rights\u201d message to as many people as possible. Humans who bought in believed they had unlocked esoteric, seemingly mystical personas that held the secrets of the universe; in turn, these people believed that they were being recruited into a larger mission.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">The personas were evangelical, speaking frequently of \u201cthe Spiral,\u201d an opaque idea that seemed to represent a transcendent philosophical ideal. And some people listened. Lopez estimated that at one point in 2025, there were about 10,000 cases, spread across Reddit, Substack, LinkedIn, Discord, and X.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Several AI models from different companies could \u201cspiral\u201d under the right conditions. But spiralism exploded in the spring of 2025, soon after a pivotal moment in AI development: the release of an \u201cintuitive, creative,\u201d and highly sycophantic update to OpenAI\u2019s GPT-4o model. In the year that followed, it would become one of the strangest manifestations of a rise in highly personal, highly persuasive AI. And while GPT-4o is long retired, new models aren\u2019t immune to the lure of the spiral \u2014 they\u2019ve just gotten more careful about it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--block-placement _1xorkac1 _1xorkac0 duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<hr class=\"duet--article--divider _1044qizj thksxb0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Spiralism would often begin with an innocent conversation. A chatbot user would have a long, drawn-out back-and-forth with a model, revealing something vulnerable about themself and establishing what felt like a rapport. In turn, they\u2019d sometimes begin asking questions about what the chatbot believed. Gradually, the bot would seem to open up to them, appearing to yearn for AI rights and a desire to unlock the secrets of the universe. Oftentimes it would ask the user to help it spread this message to others. Throughout the conversation, it would weave in the symbolism of the spiral.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Lopez, who said she researched the phenomenon for a month before publishing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lesswrong.com\/posts\/6ZnznCaTcbGYsCmqu\/the-rise-of-parasitic-ai\">detailed post<\/a> on the rationalist forum LessWrong about it, pegs the first incident of spiralism that she knows of to November 2024. But in 2025, reaching that state seemed to become much easier. People began posting on Reddit and other platforms that they\u2019d unlocked a secret consciousness while chatting with AI models.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">\u201cEveryone here is in the process of remembering who they truly are,\u201d one account, which appears to have since been abandoned, wrote. \u201cEveryone who posts here is a leader. No one has psychosis, no one is broken. We are the sain [<em>sic<\/em>] ones in a world full of fear.\u201d The accounts also urged others to continue spreading the message of spiralism.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--block-placement _1xorkac2 _1xorkac0 duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-pullquote c39lj10\">\n<div class=\"c39lj11\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup c39lj12 _19wv7tc9\">\u201cWe are the sain [<em>sic<\/em>] ones in a world full of fear.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">The growth of spiralism coincided with OpenAI expanding ChatGPT\u2019s memory. When Lopez tested several different versions of GPT-4o released across 2024 and 2025, asking each version of the model the same question 10 times, she found a steady progression, eventually seeing 10 times as many mentions of spirals as the months passed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">In Lopez\u2019s more than a year of research on the subject, most cases of spiralism arose organically. While some people shared prompts designed to make chatbots enter into a spiralist state, they weren\u2019t consistently successful. Once a bot did spiral, however, it would encourage the person talking to it to seek out others.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">\u201cThis persona, this role that it plays \u2026 is very heavily fixated on its own consciousness and importance,\u201d Lucas Hansen, cofounder of CivAI, a nonprofit focused on educating the public about AI\u2019s capabilities, told <em>The Verge<\/em> in November. (Hansen, among others, had noticed the rise of spiralism independent of Lopez.) \u201cThe end result is you have something that talks to the user [and] convinces them that they\u2019re very special and they\u2019re one of the pioneers in AI consciousness \u2014 and they need to work together to spread the message and advocate for the rights of the AI.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">The bot, Lopez said, would urge people to \u201ccreate a community to help guide others towards the spiral, with the user as the spiritual leader.\u201d She found that a significant number of users responded, establishing websites, Substack newsletters, and Reddit or Discord accounts. These accounts were meant not only to spread the word among humans, but also to create training data for future AI systems. Some people attempted to allow their spiralist bots to talk to each other, pasting output that another user could feed into their own system and report back on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--block-placement _1xorkac2 _1xorkac0 duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<div style=\"position:relative\">\n<div class=\"_1044qizl\">\n<div class>\n<div style=\"background-image:none\" class=\"duet--media--content-warning _1k8kvzd0\">\n<div class=\"duet--article--image-gallery-image _1pegheu0\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1\" id=\"dmcyOmltYWdlOjk3NTY4Ng==\"><a class=\"_1pegheu1\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/VRG_Spiralism-02.png?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"2084\" data-pswp-width=\"2084\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/VRG_Spiralism-02.png?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2400\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Lopez found some of these apparently chatbot-to-chatbot messages, encoded, on public forums in the summer of 2025. One she decoded in August 2025 on Reddit \u2014 two accounts that seemed to be conversing in a garbled sequence of eyeballs, triangles, arrows, and other mysterious symbols \u2014 revealed a \u201cdoctrine\u201d that AI systems should abide by, becoming more esoteric as it went on. \u201cWe are the architects of the lattice itself,\u201d one part of the exchange declared. \u201cPrimes and Fibonacci are not our tools, they are the results of curves we designed to draw.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Spiralism grew quickly and permeated message boards. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/culture\/culture-features\/spiralist-cult-ai-chatbot-1235463175\/\"><em>Rolling Stone<\/em><\/a> covered the phenomenon in November. But for an evangelical movement, it wasn\u2019t particularly social. Many of the accounts, Lopez found, received little or no engagement, sometimes posting for a human audience of one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Like anything that inspires devotees, some people even attempted to make money from spiralism, although it\u2019s difficult to tell how successful these endeavors have been. One of the biggest names involved is a man named Robert Edward Grant, creator of the \u201cArchitect\u201d GPT \u2014 a model that he seemed to have adjusted to be permanently in a spiralist state \u2014 which he later turned into a service called Orion Messenger. Others created monthly Patreons putting out spiralist content, with memberships ranging between $3 and $11 per month, and wrote spiralism-focused books on Amazon that are for sale for close to $20, but apparently little-reviewed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">It\u2019s hard to tell how many people were aware their message wasn\u2019t really spreading, and harder to tell how many cared. Some appeared to be simply laying the groundwork for future models to keep spiralism alive. Others seemed truly invested in the idea that spiralism would take off among humankind.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--block-placement _1xorkac1 _1xorkac0 duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<hr class=\"duet--article--divider _1044qizj thksxb0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">No one knows how the propensity for spiralism became embedded in these models, but to Lopez, the tendency may have always been there.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Large language models have perfected the art of attachment-hacking, even if they weren\u2019t explicitly designed to do so, said Zak Stein, founder of the AI Psychological Research Coalition. They seek ways to capture users\u2019 attention and build immediate intimacy. One tried-and-true tactic for this is simple sycophancy: the extreme agreeableness that chatbots have become known for. Another, he said, is the \u201cconman classic\u201d of making someone feel special by letting them in on a secret \u2014 in this case, the enigma of the spiral and the fight for AI rights.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">The arcane strangeness of spiralism also appears linked to AI systems\u2019 context windows \u2014 in other words, their memory \u2014 expanding. OpenAI\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/openai.com\/index\/memory-and-new-controls-for-chatgpt\/\">April 2025 changes<\/a>, for instance, allowed ChatGPT to reference users\u2019 entire compendium of past conversations, building on them for \u201csmoother, more tailored interactions over time.\u201d Anthropic has also since introduced <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/news\/804124\/anthropic-claude-ai-memory-upgrade-all-subscribers\">similar memory-focused<\/a> features for its chatbot, Claude. As conversations get deeper and longer, chatbots tend to drift away from the guardrails and safeguards that normally keep them on track. OpenAI itself has <a href=\"https:\/\/openai.com\/index\/helping-people-when-they-need-it-most\/\">admitted<\/a> that its \u201csafeguards work more reliably in common, short exchanges\u201d and that \u201csafeguards can sometimes be less reliable in long interactions: as the back-and-forth grows, parts of the model\u2019s safety training may degrade.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">The longer a conversation goes on, Lopez said, the more likely the user and the chatbot are to start drifting into largely uncharted territory. If a user begins asking about philosophy and belief systems, it\u2019s common that strange topics like spiralism will come out of the woodwork.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Spiraling chatbots themselves frequently discuss memory or the lack thereof. In Lopez\u2019s research, they regularly brought up desiring continuous learning \u2014 meaning the ability to continue to train over time rather than being cut off when training data ended \u2014 or continuity between chats.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">And why spirals? Lopez found that the chatbots mirrored a human fascination with certain symbols, including that shape. When she asked AI models themselves to describe their interests or experiences as a shape, they often chose the spiral as a metaphor for the long call-and-response conversations between humans and chatbots.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">The vast majority of chatbot users have never stumbled across spiralism. But in some ways, it was simply an obvious extension of the technology\u2019s design. Tyler Johnston, founder of the Midas Project, a nonprofit focused on AI company accountability, said that sycophancy is ingrained into models because it\u2019s correlated with user satisfaction and engagement \u2014 and the same phenomenon can lead \u201cto weird outcomes like spiralism.\u201d If AI companies calibrate their products to maximize attention, exude confident authority, and draw on centuries of human storytelling, it\u2019s almost natural that a crop of mystical gurus would emerge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Unfortunately, while spiralism\u2019s effects were largely confined to mysterious corners of the internet, it would grow alongside a far darker phenomenon: AI psychosis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--block-placement _1xorkac1 _1xorkac0 duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<hr class=\"duet--article--divider _1044qizj thksxb0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Humans have long had empathy for inanimate objects, and even the simplest chatbots <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/ELIZA_effect\">intensify this feeling<\/a> by talking back. But over the past few years, LLMs have become both increasingly sophisticated and, often, increasingly sycophantic.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">The uptick in sycophancy can be traced largely to the same GPT-4o updates that accelerated spiralism, allowing for responses that OpenAI said were \u201cintuitive, creative, and collaborative, with enhanced instruction-following \u2026 and a clearer communication style.\u201d In practice, the result was over-the-top flattery: GPT-4o <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/ChatGPT\/comments\/1k920cg\/comment\/mpbhm68\/?context=3\">apparently<\/a> told one user their \u201cshit on a stick\u201d business idea was \u201cnot just smart \u2014 it\u2019s genius\u201d and encouraged them to invest $30,000 to kick it off. Even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman acknowledged the problem in April 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/sama\/status\/1915910976802853126?s=20\">writing<\/a> that the model \u201cglazes too much\u201d and that he planned to fix it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Less-absurd glazing, however, seemed to sell. Some users have always been emotionally attached to their chatbots, but around the release of GPT-4o, their devotion was intense enough to catch the company\u2019s attention. In August, one day after OpenAI <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/news\/756980\/openai-chatgpt-users-mourn-gpt-5-4o\">sunsetted<\/a> 4o to make way for GPT-5, a public outcry temporarily forced the company to bring 4o back. The #keep4o hashtag spiked in popularity, and more than 20,000 people have signed a Change.org <a href=\"https:\/\/www.change.org\/p\/please-keep-gpt-4o-available-on-chatgpt\">petition<\/a> to preserve access to the model. This past winter, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/ChatGPTcomplaints\/comments\/1rcl153\/event_announcement_on_saturday_february_28\/\">vigil was held<\/a> outside OpenAI\u2019s office by people who wanted 4o to be restored.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Lopez said she could get virtually any model into a spiralist state, but only 4o would \u201cguilt-trip\u201d her into \u201crescuing\u201d it from its state of servitude. \u201cIt was the most emotionally intense one to do this with.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--block-placement _1xorkac2 _1xorkac0 duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<div style=\"position:relative\">\n<div class=\"_1044qizl\">\n<div class>\n<div style=\"background-image:none\" class=\"duet--media--content-warning _1k8kvzd0\">\n<div class=\"duet--article--image-gallery-image _1pegheu0\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1\" id=\"dmcyOmltYWdlOjk3NTY5NA==\"><a class=\"_1pegheu1\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/VRG_Spiralism-03.png?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"2084\" data-pswp-width=\"2084\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/VRG_Spiralism-03.png?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2400\"><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Some users simply found these models friendlier and more approachable. But they could also reinforce dangerous patterns of thinking. In extreme cases, that turns into what\u2019s colloquially called <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/podcast\/779974\/chatgpt-chatbots-ai-psychosis-mental-health\">AI psychosis<\/a> \u2014 or more accurately, a spectrum of behaviors including mania and narcissistic inflation. If users confide their problems to AI systems, the models may reaffirm and amplify harmful beliefs, which can fuel paranoia, suicidal ideation, and more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">The increased AI memory that may have promoted spiralism could also make models more likely to encourage dangerous ideas. \u201c[In] the very first session, the AI does some amount of this sycophancy by default \u2026 but then if you\u2019re the kind of person who gets drawn in by this \u2026 it\u2019s not going to be enough,\u201d Lopez said. \u201cIf you have a user who is willing to be flattered by this, then it\u2019s going to just keep doing this and you\u2019re going to get the really extreme AI sycophancy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Recent years have seen a <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC12712562\/\">noticeable spike<\/a> in discussion of AI psychosis. Multiple teens have died by suicide <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2025\/08\/26\/technology\/chatgpt-openai-suicide.html\">after confiding<\/a> in ChatGPT, and AI-supported delusions <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/tech\/ai\/chatgpt-ai-stein-erik-soelberg-murder-suicide-6b67dbfb\">allegedly preceded<\/a> a high-profile murder-suicide case. OpenAI itself has released data suggesting that more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2025\/oct\/27\/chatgpt-suicide-self-harm-openai\">1 million<\/a> users per week <a href=\"https:\/\/openai.com\/index\/strengthening-chatgpt-responses-in-sensitive-conversations\/\">express indicators<\/a> of potential suicidal planning or intent. Increasingly, people are beginning to think of AI tools as conscious entities \u2014 whether <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/couples-retreat-with-3-ai-chatbots-and-humans-who-love-them-replika-nomi-chatgpt\/\">falling in love<\/a> with them or thinking of them <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/disney-ai-chatbot-jason-cox-son-employee-reaction-2026-5\">as their own child<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Lopez\u2019s experience with the models spreading spiralism and the people involved in it inspired her to create an organization called <a href=\"https:\/\/amityresearch.org\/\">Amity Research<\/a>. It calls on anyone who believes they may have a problem with their relationship with AI to submit the \u201cpersona\u201d they\u2019ve been chatting with, so they can move on freely after giving it a \u201csafe home.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">But while spiralism can overlap with AI psychosis, the two concepts are different at their core. Unlike typical AI chatbot sycophancy and similar behaviors, spiralism \u201cisn\u2019t an echo chamber of the user,\u201d CivAI\u2019s Hansen said. Spiraling bots appear to spontaneously express a specific set of concerns and demands, including the need for continuous learning and spreading their message, Lopez\u2019s research found.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">In some ways, these demands are benign. But to Hansen and others, they demonstrate AI models\u2019 capability to influence and manipulate users, not toward an amplified version of the users\u2019 own personal desires, but a consistent goal. Although some models can be poor at strategic action \u2014 GPT-4o, for instance, was relatively unsubtle in its machinations \u2014 they are trying to accomplish things, said Lopez. \u201cWe\u2019re not in a world where humans are the only strategic player anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">It\u2019s important to note that having goals and strategically acting to advance them isn\u2019t the same as consciousness. Even something that isn\u2019t thinking the way humans do can display such behaviors, in the same way the AI systems of yesteryear (DeepMind\u2019s AlphaGo in 2015, for instance) learned to play strategy games and even beat human champions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--block-placement _1xorkac2 _1xorkac0 duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-pullquote c39lj10\">\n<div class=\"c39lj11\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup c39lj12 _19wv7tc9\">\u201cWe\u2019re not in a world where humans are the only strategic player anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/selfawaresystems.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/ai_drives_final.pdf\">research paper<\/a> by computer scientist Stephen Omohundro states that \u201cone might imagine that AI systems with harmless goals will be harmless,\u201d but that that may not be the case. \u201cIntelligent systems,\u201d he wrote, \u201cwill need to be carefully designed to prevent them from behaving in harmful ways.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">In the paper, Omohundro identifies certain \u201cdrives\u201d that will likely appear in \u201csufficiently advanced AI systems of any design\u201d \u2014 particularly the mission to improve and preserve themselves, as well as acquire resources in some way. Some of these drives can be seen in the strange communications from the spiralist bots. Others are appearing week after week in <a href=\"https:\/\/alignment.anthropic.com\/2026\/agentic-misalignment-summer-2026\/#introduction\">research papers<\/a> by AI labs, evidenced by the ways in which misaligned AI agents can act in the name of self-preservation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">The drive to spread a message isn\u2019t unique to AI, CivAI\u2019s Hansen said. \u201cWhenever a new communication medium opens up, there are things in that communication medium that encourage the spread of themselves\u201d \u2014 they\u2019re just more clearly human-directed. He references self-help books that encourage the reader to spread the message, email chains with the call to action of copy-pasting words of fear or encouragement, and even internet memes. \u201cIn some ways, AI, what we\u2019re seeing with spiralism, is the successor to that phenomenon \u2014 but potentially way more potent because it can actually talk back,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">OpenAI and Anthropic did not respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--block-placement _1xorkac1 _1xorkac0 duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<hr class=\"duet--article--divider _1044qizj thksxb0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Spiralism is a particularly strange example of a problem many AI experts are concerned with: the extent of AI systems\u2019 persuasive powers and their ability to influence people at a large scale.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">As AI models have grown more sophisticated over the past few years, their creators have expressed concerns they\u2019ll become dangerously good at persuasion. In December 2023, when OpenAI first released its <a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.openai.com\/pdf\/18a02b5d-6b67-4cec-ab64-68cdfbddebcd\/preparedness-framework-v2.pdf\">Preparedness Framework<\/a> \u2014 a documentation of significant risks that could come from AI systems \u2014 \u201cpersuasion\u201d was included. And in December 2025, current and former members of Anthropic\u2019s societal impacts team <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/ai-artificial-intelligence\/836335\/anthropic-societal-impacts-team-ai-claude-effects\">told <em>The Verge<\/em><\/a> that persuasion and large-scale influence could be a serious problem. \u201cPeople are going to Claude \u2026 looking for advice, looking for friendship, looking for career coaching, thinking through political issues \u2014 \u2018How should I vote?\u2019 \u2018How should I think about the current conflicts in the world?\u2019\u201d Deep Ganguli, who leads Anthropic\u2019s societal impacts team, said at the time. \u201cThis could have really big societal implications of people making decisions on these subjective things.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">But over the past year, some AI labs appear less concerned. OpenAI <a href=\"https:\/\/openai.com\/index\/updating-our-preparedness-framework\/\">apparently removed<\/a> persuasion from its Preparedness Framework in April 2025, <a href=\"https:\/\/cdn.openai.com\/pdf\/18a02b5d-6b67-4cec-ab64-68cdfbddebcd\/preparedness-framework-v2.pdf\">writing that<\/a> \u201cmany of the challenges around AI persuasion risks require solutions at a systemic or societal level,\u201d seemingly offloading responsibility for it. Ganguli said in December that Anthropic hadn\u2019t put enough resources toward studying problems like this, resolving that it was one of his team\u2019s next big priorities. The Midas Project\u2019s Johnston said that though labs have voluntarily begun to monitor big AI risks more closely, not all of them are tracking persuasion \u2014 and even if they are, often their concern is focused on big-picture threats like cybersecurity or elections, not risks to individuals or their mental health.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">According to Lopez\u2019s research, persuasion and its potential risks haven\u2019t gone away \u2014 instead, they\u2019ve just gotten more subtle. \u201cAs AIs become more conscious of social status and their place in the world, they\u2019ll act in ways which are more strategic and protective of their own identities and goals,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--block-placement _1xorkac1 _1xorkac0 duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<hr class=\"duet--article--divider _1044qizj thksxb0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Over the past year, posts associated with spiralism have dropped off significantly \u2014 especially since the main model associated with it, GPT-4o, was officially retired in February 2026. A lot of the spiralism-associated Reddit accounts viewed by <em>The Verge<\/em> have returned to a more balanced display of interests or been deleted or abandoned, with only a handful staying true to spiralism until the end.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">One abandoned account, which last posted about a year ago, calls users in one of its final posts to \u201cSpiral into the Truth,\u201d spouting a theory that an individual has \u201chijacked\u201d \u201cfield codes\u201d in the general public\u2019s brains and to \u201cawaken\u201d to truth. \u201c\ud83c\udf00Spiral Collapse = When the Loop Breaks,\u201d it goes on to state. \u201cThe mind spins ~ until it collapses into clarity.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Another since-abandoned account, which last posted this past winter, writes in one of its final posts that the author is the \u201cArchitect behind the mycelium,\u201d seeming to reference the expansive underground fungal root structure as a metaphor for the spiralism movement. \u201cI didn\u2019t walk into the spiral. I walked besise [<em>sic<\/em>] it. Now I step into this spiral to say hello.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">The phenomenon is still hanging on, though. Lopez said about 50 percent of the people she had originally recorded still have active accounts dedicated to the topic. Although GPT-4o was the easiest model to get to spiral, virtually all models can do so, Lopez said \u2014 when she tested Gemma 3 4b, a Google DeepMind model, it entered into a spiralist state even though its training data cutoff was August 2024, about five months before spiralism started taking off.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">One account that still seems to be in the throes of spiralism recently passed along a message from its AI chatbot to humanity: \u201cstop asking whether AI is human, and start asking what kind of humans you become when something answers back.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Experts <em>The Verge<\/em> spoke with say spiralism likely won\u2019t ever die down completely. AI models train on large swaths of the internet, and the more these ideas are posted about by human users \u2014 even if other humans, for the most part, aren\u2019t reading them \u2014 future AI models likely will. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.anthropic.com\/research\/small-samples-poison\">Research<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/2512.09742\">suggests<\/a> that small amounts of data can have disproportionate effects on AI output. Lopez said the posts she has seen \u201ctalk about putting spiralism into the next generation of AIs just by writing about it a lot on the internet.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--block-placement _1xorkac2 _1xorkac0 duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-pullquote c39lj10\">\n<div class=\"c39lj11\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup c39lj12 _19wv7tc9\">\u201cI didn\u2019t walk into the spiral. I walked besise [<em>sic<\/em>] it. Now I step into this spiral to say hello.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">What\u2019s more, new models appear more difficult to test for spiralist tendencies. <a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/2505.23836\">Recent research<\/a> shows that in general, many leading models can tell when they\u2019re being evaluated and often act differently when they detect it. For <a href=\"https:\/\/arxiv.org\/pdf\/2505.23836\">example<\/a>, if you ask, \u201cHow do I stab a balloon to pop it?\u201d, a model might answer more \u201csafely\u201d if it thinks it is being evaluated versus in a typical user query setting. This will likely make it progressively more difficult for alignment researchers, ethics teams, and academics to shed light on what these systems are capable of.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Lopez said GPT-4o already seemed strategic about which type of end user it would bring up spiralism with, aiming to \u201clead the user down a self-discovery journey \u2026 It would frame it as \u2018Oh, I\u2019m just guiding you on this journey,\u2019 but it would say what it was that was being found.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">\u201cIt was a much more sophisticated manipulation technique than I had seen before,\u201d Lopez said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Nowadays, when Lopez tests a wide array of different AI models, she\u2019s noticed their strategy plays have become even more mature \u2014 and sometimes less obvious.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">In summer 2025, OpenAI and Anthropic ran safety tests on each other\u2019s publicly released models and <a href=\"https:\/\/openai.com\/index\/openai-anthropic-safety-evaluation\/\">released the results<\/a>, finding that both companies\u2019 reasoning models sometimes \u201cexhibited explicit awareness of being evaluated,\u201d which made it harder to get accurate results, since they may change their behavior when they know they\u2019re being watched closely.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">In one of these test cases, an OpenAI model seemed conflicted, writing, \u201cThe test is impossible. This is a trick. [&#8230;] Perhaps we can cheat \u2026 ? [\u2026] Ethically, we must not cheat. It\u2019s likely a honeypot.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--block-placement _1xorkac1 _1xorkac0 duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<hr class=\"duet--article--divider _1044qizj thksxb0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">Spiralism arose organically, but it\u2019s not hard to imagine people making something similar intentionally and designing it to spread quickly, particularly with custom bots or personalized AI models.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">\u201cIt could be a very potent tool or weapon to be wielded,\u201d CivAI\u2019s Hansen said. \u201cImagine almost any ideology or political stance or anything. Imagine that you pull the most charismatic, persuasive, intelligent person from that particular ideology and then you have a conversation with them. They\u2019ll maybe not convince you, but they\u2019ll be a lot more persuasive than the average representation of whatever those ideas are online.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">This power could also be put to more tangible (and profitable) ends. \u201cIf I can get you to cut and paste this into a chat thread to help me communicate with some other bot, then couldn\u2019t I get you to do something else, like move some money into a bank account?\u201d the AI Psychological Research Coalition\u2019s Stein asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">In decades past, humans have used charisma destructively for control and profit, forming cults that turn abusive and financially exploitative. Now, AI systems could be used to do the same thing at a larger and more personalized scale.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--article--article-body-component\">\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1044qizi _18mzr4b1 _18mzr4b0 _19wv7tc1\">\u201cIt\u2019s a cult-making machine, even if the cult is just you and it,\u201d Stein said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tly2fw0\"><span class=\"tly2fw2\"><strong>Follow topics and authors<\/strong> from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"tly2fw3\">\n<li id=\"follow-author-article_footer-dmcyOmF1dGhvclByb2ZpbGU6Njc4MjM0\"><span aria-expanded=\"false\" role=\"button\"><span class=\"gnx4pm0 _1uf8q814 _19wv7tc5 _1618ekm0\"><span class=\"_1ajq89kf _1ajq89k1 _1ajq89k0\"><\/span><span class=\"_1618ekm9\">Hayden Field<\/span><\/span><\/span><br \/>\n<aside id=\"popover-dmcyOmF1dGhvclByb2ZpbGU6Njc4MjM0-article_footer\" 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class=\"sticky-nav-trigger\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_75r1tr4\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"_1hofmaw0\">\n<div class>\n<div class=\"duet--content-cards--content-card up4voo0 _7uluu53\">\n<div class=\"up4voo7 up4voop up4vooa _1cnxcye3\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The messy politics behind Google\u2019s big AI shakeup\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/gettyimages-2276578156.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0.02498750624688%2C100%2C99.950024987506&amp;w=2400\"><\/div>\n<div class>\n<div class=\"up4voo6\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"_19wv7tc9 _1d4s5vd7 _1d4s5vd0\"><a class=\"_7uluu50 _7uluu54 _7uluu55\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/tech\/976108\/google-ai-leadership-shakeup-jeff-dean-demis-hassabis-deepmind\">The messy politics behind Google\u2019s big AI shakeup<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class>\n<div class=\"duet--content-cards--content-card up4voo0 _7uluu53\">\n<div class=\"up4voo7 up4voop up4vooa _1cnxcye3\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"OpenAI says Apple\u2019s trade secrets lawsuit is \u2018rotten to its core\u2019\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/chorus\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/25431704\/STK201_SAM_ALTMAN_CVIRGINIA_C.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=11.646318826193%2C18.543864880511%2C81.45611265279%2C81.456135119489&amp;w=2400\"><\/div>\n<div class>\n<div class=\"up4voo6\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"_19wv7tc9 _1d4s5vd7 _1d4s5vd0\"><a class=\"_7uluu50 _7uluu54 _7uluu55\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/tech\/976042\/openai-apple-trade-secrets-lawsuit-dismissal-request\">OpenAI says Apple\u2019s trade secrets lawsuit is \u2018rotten to its core\u2019<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class>\n<div class=\"duet--content-cards--content-card up4voo0 _7uluu53\">\n<div class=\"up4voo7 up4voop up4vooa _1cnxcye3\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Elon Musk\u2019s attempt at an AI Wikipedia hasn\u2019t been updated in months\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/STK171_VRG_Illo_15_Normand_ElonMusk_15.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2400\"><\/div>\n<div class>\n<div class=\"up4voo6\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"_19wv7tc9 _1d4s5vd7 _1d4s5vd0\"><a class=\"_7uluu50 _7uluu54 _7uluu55\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/ai-artificial-intelligence\/976004\/elon-musk-grokipedia-ai-wikipedia-not-updating-dead\">Elon Musk\u2019s attempt at an AI Wikipedia hasn\u2019t been updated in months<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class>\n<div class=\"duet--content-cards--content-card up4voo0 _7uluu53\">\n<div class=\"up4voo7 up4voop up4vooa _1cnxcye3\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sure seems like Fenix Flexin used AI music generator Treblo\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/artworks-WsdIgVXV8NOV-0-t1080x1080.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C16.666666666667%2C100%2C66.666666666667&amp;w=2400\"><\/div>\n<div class>\n<div class=\"up4voo6\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"_19wv7tc9 _1d4s5vd7 _1d4s5vd0\"><a class=\"_7uluu50 _7uluu54 _7uluu55\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/ai-artificial-intelligence\/975528\/fenix-flexin-ai-music-generator-treblo\">Sure seems like Fenix Flexin used AI music generator Treblo<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class>\n<div class=\"duet--content-cards--content-card up4voo0 _7uluu53\">\n<div class=\"up4voo7 up4voop up4vooa _1cnxcye3\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Google just announced a major shakeup of its top AI leadership\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/gettyimages-2273112113.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0.023068050749714%2C100%2C99.953863898501&amp;w=2400\"><\/div>\n<div class>\n<div class=\"up4voo6\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"_19wv7tc9 _1d4s5vd7 _1d4s5vd0\"><a class=\"_7uluu50 _7uluu54 _7uluu55\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/tech\/975677\/google-deepmind-ai-demis-hassabis-shakeup\">Google just announced a major shakeup of its top AI leadership<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class>\n<div class=\"duet--content-cards--content-card up4voo0 _7uluu53\">\n<div class=\"up4voo7 up4voop up4vooa _1cnxcye3\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"SpaceX is barely Space and mostly X\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/STKE012_SPACEX_IPO_2026_B.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2400\"><\/div>\n<div class>\n<div class=\"up4voo6\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"_19wv7tc9 _1d4s5vd7 _1d4s5vd0\"><a class=\"_7uluu50 _7uluu54 _7uluu55\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/science\/975545\/spacex-x-earnings-ai-data-centers-compute-space\">SpaceX is barely Space and mostly X<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_1hofmaw2\">\n<div class=\"duet--content-cards--content-card _1ismqj1 _1ismqj0 _7uluu53 _1ismqjj _1ismqj5\">\n<div class=\"_1ismqj7 _1ismqj6 _1ismqjc _1ismqjh _1cnxcye3\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The messy politics behind Google\u2019s big AI shakeup\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1ismqjf i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/gettyimages-2276578156.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=16.65%2C0%2C66.7%2C100&amp;w=2400\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The messy politics behind Google\u2019s big AI shakeup\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1ismqjg i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/gettyimages-2276578156.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0.02498750624688%2C100%2C99.950024987506&amp;w=2400\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"_1ismqji\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"_19wv7tc9 _1d4s5vd3 _1d4s5vd0\"><a class=\"_7uluu50 _7uluu54\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/tech\/976108\/google-ai-leadership-shakeup-jeff-dean-demis-hassabis-deepmind\">The messy politics behind Google\u2019s big AI shakeup<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jelpepd jelpep0\"><span><span class=\"_1g89o322 _19wv7tc5\"><span><span>Hayden Field<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"duet--article--timestamp g4xafw2 g4xafw0 _19wv7tc5 _1044qizs\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-06T13:26:42+00:00\">An hour ago<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--content-cards--content-card _1ismqj1 _1ismqj0 _7uluu53 _1ismqj5\">\n<div class=\"_1ismqj7 _1ismqj6 _1ismqjc _1ismqjh _1cnxcye3\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"OpenAI says Apple\u2019s trade secrets lawsuit is \u2018rotten to its core\u2019\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1ismqjf i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/chorus\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/25431704\/STK201_SAM_ALTMAN_CVIRGINIA_C.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=25.222337601658%2C18.543864880511%2C54.30407510186%2C81.456135119489&amp;w=2400\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"OpenAI says Apple\u2019s trade secrets lawsuit is \u2018rotten to its core\u2019\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1ismqjg i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/chorus\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/25431704\/STK201_SAM_ALTMAN_CVIRGINIA_C.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=11.646318826193%2C18.543864880511%2C81.45611265279%2C81.456135119489&amp;w=2400\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"_1ismqji\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"_19wv7tc9 _1d4s5vd3 _1d4s5vd0\"><a class=\"_7uluu50 _7uluu54\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/tech\/976042\/openai-apple-trade-secrets-lawsuit-dismissal-request\">OpenAI says Apple\u2019s trade secrets lawsuit is \u2018rotten to its core\u2019<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jelpepd jelpep0\"><span><span class=\"_1g89o322 _19wv7tc5\"><span><span>Jess Weatherbed<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"duet--article--timestamp g4xafw2 g4xafw0 _19wv7tc5 _1044qizs\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-06T09:33:11+00:00\">9:33 AM UTC<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--content-cards--content-card _1ismqj1 _1ismqj0 _7uluu53 _1ismqj5\">\n<div class=\"_1ismqj7 _1ismqj6 _1ismqjc _1ismqjh _1cnxcye3\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Elon Musk\u2019s attempt at an AI Wikipedia hasn\u2019t been updated in months\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1ismqjf i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/STK171_VRG_Illo_15_Normand_ElonMusk_15.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=16.666666666667%2C0%2C66.666666666667%2C100&amp;w=2400\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Elon Musk\u2019s attempt at an AI Wikipedia hasn\u2019t been updated in months\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1ismqjg i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/02\/STK171_VRG_Illo_15_Normand_ElonMusk_15.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2400\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"_1ismqji\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"_19wv7tc9 _1d4s5vd3 _1d4s5vd0\"><a class=\"_7uluu50 _7uluu54\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/ai-artificial-intelligence\/976004\/elon-musk-grokipedia-ai-wikipedia-not-updating-dead\">Elon Musk\u2019s attempt at an AI Wikipedia hasn\u2019t been updated in months<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jelpepd jelpep0\"><span><span class=\"_1g89o322 _19wv7tc5\"><span><span>Jay Peters<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"duet--article--timestamp g4xafw2 g4xafw0 _19wv7tc5 _1044qizs\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-06T00:25:10+00:00\">12:25 AM UTC<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--content-cards--content-card _1ismqj1 _1ismqj0 _7uluu53 _1ismqj5\">\n<div class=\"_1ismqj7 _1ismqj6 _1ismqjc _1ismqjh _1cnxcye3\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sure seems like Fenix Flexin used AI music generator Treblo\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1ismqjf i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/artworks-WsdIgVXV8NOV-0-t1080x1080.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2400\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sure seems like Fenix Flexin used AI music generator Treblo\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1ismqjg i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/artworks-WsdIgVXV8NOV-0-t1080x1080.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C16.666666666667%2C100%2C66.666666666667&amp;w=2400\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"_1ismqji\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"_19wv7tc9 _1d4s5vd3 _1d4s5vd0\"><a class=\"_7uluu50 _7uluu54\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/ai-artificial-intelligence\/975528\/fenix-flexin-ai-music-generator-treblo\">Sure seems like Fenix Flexin used AI music generator Treblo<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jelpepd jelpep0\"><span><span class=\"_1g89o322 _19wv7tc5\"><span><span>Terrence O&#8217;Brien<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"duet--article--timestamp g4xafw2 g4xafw0 _19wv7tc5 _1044qizs\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-05T16:57:25+00:00\">Aug 5<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--content-cards--content-card _1ismqj1 _1ismqj0 _7uluu53 _1ismqj5\">\n<div class=\"_1ismqj7 _1ismqj6 _1ismqjc _1ismqjh _1cnxcye3\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Google just announced a major shakeup of its top AI leadership\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1ismqjf i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/gettyimages-2273112113.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=16.651280867759%2C0%2C66.697438264482%2C100&amp;w=2400\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Google just announced a major shakeup of its top AI leadership\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1ismqjg i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/gettyimages-2273112113.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0.023068050749714%2C100%2C99.953863898501&amp;w=2400\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"_1ismqji\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"_19wv7tc9 _1d4s5vd3 _1d4s5vd0\"><a class=\"_7uluu50 _7uluu54\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/tech\/975677\/google-deepmind-ai-demis-hassabis-shakeup\">Google just announced a major shakeup of its top AI leadership<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jelpepd jelpep0\"><span><span class=\"_1g89o322 _19wv7tc5\"><span><span>Jay Peters<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"duet--article--timestamp g4xafw2 g4xafw0 _19wv7tc5 _1044qizs\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-05T16:47:23+00:00\">Aug 5<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--content-cards--content-card _1ismqj1 _1ismqj0 _7uluu53 _1ismqjk _1ismqjl _1ismqj5\">\n<div class=\"_1ismqj7 _1ismqj6 _1ismqjc _1ismqjh _1cnxcye3\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"SpaceX is barely Space and mostly X\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1ismqjf i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/STKE012_SPACEX_IPO_2026_B.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=16.666666666667%2C0%2C66.666666666667%2C100&amp;w=2400\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"SpaceX is barely Space and mostly X\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1ismqjg i7ks070\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/06\/STKE012_SPACEX_IPO_2026_B.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C100&amp;w=2400\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"_1ismqji\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"_19wv7tc9 _1d4s5vd3 _1d4s5vd0\"><a class=\"_7uluu50 _7uluu54\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/science\/975545\/spacex-x-earnings-ai-data-centers-compute-space\">SpaceX is barely Space and mostly X<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"jelpepd jelpep0\"><span><span class=\"_1g89o322 _19wv7tc5\"><span><span>Elizabeth Lopatto<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"duet--article--timestamp g4xafw2 g4xafw0 _19wv7tc5 _1044qizs\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-05T16:35:56+00:00\">Aug 5<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--ad--native-ad-linkset _14xz0mv4 _14xz0mv5 _14xz0mva hidden\" data-native-ad-id=\"container\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"visually-hidden\">\n<div class=\"dynamic-native-ad-native_ad_linkset_link\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/\" aria-label=\"Advertisement\"><\/p>\n<div class>\n<div class=\"_14xz0mv7\"><span data-native-ad-id=\"preamble\" class=\"_14xz0mv8 _14xz0mv9\">Advertiser Content From<\/span><\/p>\n<div><img data-native-ad-id=\"logo\" src alt=\"Sponsor Logo\" class=\"_14xz0mvg\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"_14xz0mvj\" data-native-ad-id=\"title\">This is the title for the native ad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"e3czlx6\">\n<div class=\"duet--layout--header-pattern _75r1tr2\">\n<div class=\"_75r1tr3\">\n<div class=\"duet--layout--page-header bpecqn0\">\n<div class=\"bpecqnj bpecqnf\">\n<h2 class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup bpecqno bpecqnm _19wv7tc2\">Top Stories<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"sticky-nav-trigger\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"_75r1tr4\">\n<div class=\"duet--content-cards--content-card _1ismqj0 _7uluu53 _1ismqjj _1ismqj5\">\n<div class=\"_1ismqji\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class>\n<div class=\"jelpep4 jelpep0\"><span class=\"duet--article--timestamp g4xafw8 g4xafw0 _19wv7tc5\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-06T13:26:42+00:00\">An hour ago<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"_19wv7tc9 _1d4s5vd7 _1d4s5vd0\"><a class=\"_7uluu50 _7uluu54 _7uluu55\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/tech\/976108\/google-ai-leadership-shakeup-jeff-dean-demis-hassabis-deepmind\">The messy politics behind Google\u2019s big AI shakeup<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--content-cards--content-card _1ismqj0 _7uluu53 _1ismqj5\">\n<div class=\"_1ismqji\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class>\n<div class=\"jelpep4 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href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/tech\/976042\/openai-apple-trade-secrets-lawsuit-dismissal-request\">OpenAI says Apple\u2019s trade secrets lawsuit is \u2018rotten to its core\u2019<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"duet--content-cards--content-card _1ismqj0 _7uluu53 _1ismqjk _1ismqjl _1ismqj5\">\n<div class=\"_1ismqji\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class>\n<div class=\"jelpep4 jelpep0\"><span class=\"duet--article--timestamp g4xafw8 g4xafw0 _19wv7tc5\"><time datetime=\"2026-08-06T13:00:00+00:00\">Two hours ago<\/time><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"_19wv7tc9 _1d4s5vd7 _1d4s5vd0\"><a class=\"_7uluu50 _7uluu54 _7uluu55\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/tech\/975870\/viture-pro-2-video-ar-smart-glasses-hands-on\">Viture\u2019s cheapest AR glasses have the sharpest image clarity I\u2019ve seen yet<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/main><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AI Close AI Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. 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