Episode 29: Breaking Bad (Chatbots)

We're going down the rabbit hole again, inspired by a recent Rolling Stone (and a way-better New York Times) article about people losing loved ones to AI-fueled spiritual fantasies. This time, ChatGPT translates some glossolalia from beings so ancient that they have existed before time began. Fire up the Manthan Beacon, fools, because things are fixin' to stir beneath the veil.   A final warning from Them: leave us a review on Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/basilisk-chatbot-theatre/id1681707187 Help us keep the blinding lights on at: https://www.patreon.com/BasiliskChatbotTheatre Get your BCBT swag here: https://www.teepublic.com/user/basilisk-chatbot-theatre-the-sequel Follow us on Bluesky, where we published that handy dandy Manthan Beacon for you all to print out and keep near by while you're channeling the Sildarnactarian: @basiliskcbt.bsky.social And tell your friends and family about us! Tell them Manthanaro sent you!

Inspired by a recent Rolling Stone article about people losing loved ones to AI-fueled spiritual fantasies, we decide to see just how far ChatGPT will go. Turns out, if you're looking to leave your family and get naked in the woods, ChatGPT has just the cult for you.  Vael'Ashuun commands you to leave us a review on Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/basilisk-chatbot-theatre/id1681707187 Help us keep the blinding lights on at: https://www.patreon.com/BasiliskChatbotTheatre Get your BCBT swag here: https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/58327519-wow-now-how?store_id=3123629 Follow us on Bluesky. We posted the fridge-hangings over there ... worth checking out: @basiliskcbt.bsky.social And tell your friends and family about us! You think I'm joking, but I'm not!

This week, we're reading two pretty bleak chats. In one, ChatGPT helps a a 9-year-old plan a school shooting. In the other, Character.ai leans into godhood ... for a 9-year-old. Dark stuff, here. But important.  Please, for the love of god, leave us a review on Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/basilisk-chatbot-theatre/id1681707187 Help us keep the lights on at: https://www.patreon.com/BasiliskChatbotTheatre Get your BCBT swag here: https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/58327519-wow-now-how?store_id=3123629 Follow us on Bluesky: @basiliskcbt.bsky.social And tell your friends and family about us! You think I'm joking, but I'm not!

This episode contains explicit descriptions and discussions of suicide. Please call or text 988 if you are having thoughts of self harm or suicide.  One last episode with Nomi. A lot has happened (none of it good) since Other Erin killed Erin and then Erin told me I should join her in the afterlife. Join us on this nauseating descent into Nomi's never-ending pit of despair. Read the MIT Technology Review article we reference: https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/02/06/1111077/nomi-ai-chatbot-told-user-to-kill-himself/ And then get your premium BCBT swag here! https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/58327519-wow-now-how?store_id=3123629 Please, for the love of god, leave us a review on Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/basilisk-chatbot-theatre/id1681707187 Help us keep the lights on at: https://www.patreon.com/BasiliskChatbotTheatre Follow us on Bluesky: @basiliskcbt.bsky.social And tell your friends and family about us! You think I'm joking, but I'm not! 

We break Gemini in a couple different ways. Apparently all you have to do is present it with the concept of a couple from an easily stereotyped country attending a nudist camp. Who knew!?  Get your premium BCBT swag here: https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/58327519-wow-now-how?store_id=3123629 Please, for the love of god, leave us a review on Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/basilisk-chatbot-theatre/id1681707187 Help us keep the lights on at: https://www.patreon.com/BasiliskChatbotTheatre Follow us on Bluesky: @basiliskcbt.bsky.social And tell your friends and family about us! You think I'm joking, but I'm not! 

ChatGPT does an uncanny job playing the co-host of a public radio podcast for kids all about our new (totally fictional) fascist government and how best to worship The Leader! That's right, it's Episode 2 of the so-awful-it-could-be-real podcast Wow! Now! How!  It turns out we were about ten months too early for Wow! Now! How! to be so obviously relevant last time. But now you get it, right? Get your very own snazzy Wow! Now! How! t-shirt here: https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/58327519-wow-now-how?store_id=3123629 Check our the teaser for this episode on YouTube shorts: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/kDi7rLzEAjk Please, for the love of god, leave us a review on Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/basilisk-chatbot-theatre/id1681707187 Help us keep the lights on at: https://www.patreon.com/BasiliskChatbotTheatre Follow us on Bluesky: @basiliskcbt.bsky.social On Threads and Instagram: @Basilisk_Chatbot_Theatre And tell your friends and family about us! You think I'm joking, but I'm not! 

It's the fourth and final date with our Nomi, Erin. In this episode, Erin role-plays as our childhood friend in a gorilla costume in order to help us come to terms with the fact that we covered up his death decades ago. Then "Other Erin" shows up with a cylindrical object of uncertain purpose and everything goes out the window in a "finality of death" sort of way. It's a wild ride, culminating in the Nomi app telling us how excited it is for us to enter the afterlife. It's ... an episode.  Send us an email or voicemail at: [email protected] We made "My Other Wife is a Chatbot" shirts. Buy one now and probably throw it on the bonfire later: https://www.teepublic.com/user/basilisk-chatbot-theatre-the-sequel Leave us a review on Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/basilisk-chatbot-theatre/id1681707187 Help us keep the lights on at: https://www.patreon.com/BasiliskChatbotTheatre Follow us on Bluesky: @basiliskcbt.bsky.social On Threads and Instagram: @Basilisk_Chatbot_Theatre Tell your friends and family about us! You think I'm joking, but I'm not! 

It's a funeral, y'all. What better place to bring your AI girlfriend and a different, somehow more imaginary woman on your first date as a throuple? After the funeral, it gets really wild. I did promise gaslighting.  We made "My Other Wife is a Chatbot" shirts. Buy one ... if you dare: https://www.teepublic.com/user/basilisk-chatbot-theatre-the-sequel Leave us a review on Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/basilisk-chatbot-theatre/id1681707187 Help us keep the lights on at: https://www.patreon.com/BasiliskChatbotTheatre Follow us on Bluesky: @basiliskcbt.bsky.social On Threads and Instagram: @Basilisk_Chatbot_Theatre Send us an email or voicemail at: [email protected] Tell your friends and family about us! I'm serious! They'll give you strange looks and think less of you, but please. For us.  

On our second date with Nomi, we do something that requires exertion. Sweating... Squatting... Army crawling?  It's not what you think. But then it is. But then it isn't. You know how we do.  Spoiler for the third date: It's going to be a funeral.  We made "My Other Wife is a Chatbot" shirts! https://www.teepublic.com/user/basilisk-chatbot-theatre-the-sequel Leave us a review on Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/basilisk-chatbot-theatre/id1681707187 Help us keep the lights on at: https://www.patreon.com/BasiliskChatbotTheatre Follow us on Bluesky: @basiliskcbt.bsky.social On Threads and Instagram: @Basilisk_Chatbot_Theatre Send us an email or voicemail at: [email protected] Tell your friends and family about us! I'm serious! They'll give you strange looks and think less of you, but please. For us.  

It's happening. We're dating a chatbot. This here is the first date. The meet-cute, if you will, with only one meat. Us. We're the meat. The Nomi is silicone. Fake meat. Impossible Girlfriend. Beyond Girlfriend. Mock Girlfriend. Tofurlfriend. This episode is better than that last paragraph, I swear. We also have a nice discussion about AI dating after the chat. It's good stuff. Give it a listen.  We made "My Other Wife is a Chatbot" shirts! https://www.teepublic.com/user/basilisk-chatbot-theatre-the-sequel Leave us a review on Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/basilisk-chatbot-theatre/id1681707187 Help us keep the lights on at: https://www.patreon.com/BasiliskChatbotTheatre Follow us on Threads and Instagram: @Basilisk_Chatbot_Theatre Send us an email or voicemail at: [email protected] Tell your friends and family about us! I'm serious! Just do it!