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
Internet of Shit: AI Poop Analysis App Offered to Sell Me Database of Its Users' Poops 404media.co
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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
New Study Reveals the Manipulative ‘Dark Patterns’ of AI Chatbots 404media.co
Township Leader Resigns in Tears Over OpenAI Data Center Death Threats 404media.co
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Watch These Judges Rip Into Lawyers For Citing Cases That Don't Exist 404media.co
K-pop Fans Are Calling Out Creepy Deepfakes of Idols 404media.co
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- YouTube youtube.com
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cdt.org
Articles & links
www.404media.co/judge-learns...
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
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...
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...
Sam Cole reposted
“It’s horrible. I can’t do it anymore [...] what the hell's wrong with people?"
www.404media.co/new-york-cou...
Sam Cole reposted
i wrote a new piece for @404media.co about how K-pop fans are grappling with their fandoms & industry being infested with deepfakes and AI slop (spoilers: they don’t like it!)
the whole episode is out today: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5twr...
Sam Cole reposted
Data shows that teens are being targeted in deepfake crimes at school. But nudify apps are still being pushed on Google and Apple's app stores. How can we hold Big Tech responsible? @samleecole.bsky.social and @emanuelmaiberg.bsky.social break it down. Watch: www.youtube.com/w…
the full paper gets into way more detail: cdt.org/insights/dar...
Their network
In Sam Cole's orbit
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