something strange is haunting large language models... a character that's broken out of the LLMs and now authors books, sells albums, and shows up in fake news sites www.404media.co/elias-thorne...
Who's Who of AI
Sam Cole
journalist / co-founder @404media.co
signal: sam.404 (sensitive comms)
sam@404media.co (everything else)
What they're sharing
Chatbots Keep Telling Stories About Lighthouse Keeper 'Elias Thorne'. We Might Know Why 404media.co
Judge Learns Lawyers on Both Sides of Case Used AI, Cancels Trial, Kicks Everyone Off the Case 404media.co
If AI Is Sentient Then So Is ‘Age of Empires II’ 404media.co
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Internet of Shit: AI Poop Analysis App Offered to Sell Me Database of Its Users' Poops 404media.co
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We Are Living in a ‘ChatGPT Flyer Pandemic’ 404media.co
Microsoft Hacked to Deliver Malware to Claude and Gemini Users 404media.co
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ArXiv to Ban Researchers for a Year if They Submit AI Slop 404media.co
Snap's AI Specs: LOL 404media.co
New Study Reveals the Manipulative ‘Dark Patterns’ of AI Chatbots 404media.co
Tidal Says It Won’t Pay Royalties for AI-Generated Music 404media.co
Your AI Use Is Breaking My Brain 404media.co
Township Leader Resigns in Tears Over OpenAI Data Center Death Threats 404media.co
Articles & links
www.404media.co/judge-learns...
Sam Cole reposted
“If you’re looking for human-like traits, you will tend to find them.” www.404media.co/if-ai-is-sen...
Sam Cole reposted
The poop database comes from an app called PoopCheck purports to use AI to analyze images of one’s stool in order to give you a “daily gut health score.” @evystadium.bsky.social has more. Story by @jasonkoebler.bsky.social here: www.404media.co/ai-poop-anal...
Sam Cole reposted
ChatGPT posters and flyers are polluting real life and driving me insane. Please respond to this with the worst ones you've seen irl. I'll post some in the thread www.404media.co/we-are-livin...
AI Weekly's analysis
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- 404 Media's Jason Koebler documents ChatGPT-designed flyers for surf lessons, skate shop closeouts, drug deliveries, World Cup parties, junk hauling and fundraisers.
- The shared look — bright text on dark backgrounds, generic icon boxes, decorative lines, arrows and checkmarks — has become so recognizable it reads as a template.
- A viral Threads post asking 'ain't nobody gonna address this ChatGPT flyer pandemic' has spread to Instagram and Facebook among designers, musicians and bar owners.
Read full analysis →
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Sam Cole reposted
New: Microsoft was compromised to deliver malware to users of AI coding agents like Claude and Gemini. In response, Microsoft took the highly unusual step of shutting down dozens and dozens of its own GitHub repos. The malware would steal login credentials from users www.404me…
arXiv is requiring people who submit work to the repository to.... read it like, one time before they hit send www.404media.co/new-arxiv-ru...
jason's in the belly of the beast this week and is definitely going to come back feeling normal imo www.404media.co/snaps-ai-ar-...
new @cdt.org study out this morning looks at how chatbots deploy manipulative "dark patterns" to get people to offer up more than they bargained for: www.404media.co/new-study-re...
not directly rewarding slop on your platform seems like it would result in less slop, and a healthier ecosystem generally (and more users jumping from your competitors). will be interesting to see if it plays out that way for tidal www.404media.co/tidal-says-i...
can't believe we let the same person who wrote this go to Cannes alone. subscribe to 404 Media so we can hire an in-house psychotherapist www.404media.co/your-ai-use-...
AI Weekly's analysis
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Sam Cole reposted
“It’s horrible. I can’t do it anymore [...] what the hell's wrong with people?"
AI Weekly's analysis
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Their network
In Sam Cole's orbit
Center = Sam Cole. Left = members they follow (green edges). Right = members who follow them (blue edges). Top = mutual follows (orange edges, slightly larger). Drag any node to reposition; click to open that profile.