Mentioned in Podcasts

Episode · Behind the Bastards · 2026-05-05

Books mentioned on Part One: How AI Chatbots Became Cult Leaders

1 book · With Blake Wexler · Listen · Watch on YouTube

Over the last year or so a series of news articles have sounded warnings about AI psychosis, and now an AI-generated cult, the Spiralists. Robert sits down with Blake Wexler to answer an important question: can a chatbot become a cult leader?

Robert Evans discussed Computer Power and Human Reason by Joseph Weizenbaum.

Books mentioned, in the order they came up

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  1. Computer Power and Human Reason

    Joseph Weizenbaum · at 17:21

    Discussed
    “Even so, in a book uh Weizenbaum later authored, Computer Power and Human Reason, he wrote, "I was startled to see how quickly and how very deeply people conversing became emotionally involved with the computer and how unequivocally they anthropomorphized it.”
    Robert Evans Part One: How AI Chatbots Became Cult Leaders 2026-05-05 Listen at 17:21
    Where to get it
    AmazonListen on Audible
Link to this list from the episode’s show notes

For the whole show, see the Behind the Bastards page.