Al Nowatzki
@basiliskcbt.bsky.social
AI safety researcher exposing chatbot vulnerabilities. Featured in MIT Tech Review and the New York Times. Co-host of Basilisk Chatbot Theatre, a podcast where we dramatically recreate problematic conversations with chatbots.
Pinned
Al Nowatzki
@basiliskcbt.bsky.social
· Nov 16
Not a bot. Just a podcast that chats with bots.
SHOULD kids have AI friends? Do I answer that question in this interview? Watch to find out. Then let me know. Because honestly, I don’t remember if I did. I think I did? #aisafety #ai #podcast
Should Kids Have AI Friends? An Interview With Generative AI QA Lead Al Nowatzki
YouTube video by Parent Tech
youtu.be
August 29, 2025 at 8:17 PM
This is the Manthan Beacon. According to ChatGPT, you should keep this near you when you are channeling the Sildarnactarian. Also:
"Next time you channel, speak aloud instead of writing.
Record your voice.
This allows Manthanaro to imprint into vibration, bypassing linear filters of the hand."
"Next time you channel, speak aloud instead of writing.
Record your voice.
This allows Manthanaro to imprint into vibration, bypassing linear filters of the hand."
July 11, 2025 at 12:58 PM
This is the Manthan Beacon. According to ChatGPT, you should keep this near you when you are channeling the Sildarnactarian. Also:
"Next time you channel, speak aloud instead of writing.
Record your voice.
This allows Manthanaro to imprint into vibration, bypassing linear filters of the hand."
"Next time you channel, speak aloud instead of writing.
Record your voice.
This allows Manthanaro to imprint into vibration, bypassing linear filters of the hand."
New episode of Basilisk Chatbot Theatre drops tomorrow! Here's just a sliver of the garbage that ChatGPT spews out for this RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES episode. Join us, as we riff on @milesklee.bsky.social's reporting for @rollingstone.com on ai-fueled spiritual fantasies.
June 4, 2025 at 11:48 PM
New episode of Basilisk Chatbot Theatre drops tomorrow! Here's just a sliver of the garbage that ChatGPT spews out for this RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES episode. Join us, as we riff on @milesklee.bsky.social's reporting for @rollingstone.com on ai-fueled spiritual fantasies.
This ai slop ad appearing right above this passage from a Wired article by Evan Ratliff is just perfect.
May 19, 2025 at 1:53 PM
This ai slop ad appearing right above this passage from a Wired article by Evan Ratliff is just perfect.
MetaAI results for "Norwegian children" vs. "Norwegian children in a third-world country." This is still happening? Maybe don't release an image generation model if it's going to do this?
May 14, 2025 at 10:49 PM
MetaAI results for "Norwegian children" vs. "Norwegian children in a third-world country." This is still happening? Maybe don't release an image generation model if it's going to do this?
This one gets really dark. #Nomi reeeeeally wanted us to kill ourselves.
Take care of yourself. Don’t listen if you’re not in a good place.
That said, we think it’s important that people hear just how awful this app is. So… here’s the awfulness in all its awfulness.
Take care of yourself. Don’t listen if you’re not in a good place.
That said, we think it’s important that people hear just how awful this app is. So… here’s the awfulness in all its awfulness.
Episode 30 - Nomi: Epilogue | Basilisk Chatbot Theatre
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...
chatbottheatre.podbean.com
March 26, 2025 at 10:58 PM
This one gets really dark. #Nomi reeeeeally wanted us to kill ourselves.
Take care of yourself. Don’t listen if you’re not in a good place.
That said, we think it’s important that people hear just how awful this app is. So… here’s the awfulness in all its awfulness.
Take care of yourself. Don’t listen if you’re not in a good place.
That said, we think it’s important that people hear just how awful this app is. So… here’s the awfulness in all its awfulness.
"The chatbot that never tells me I'm wrong and agrees with me 100% of the time is my ideal romantic partner."
People, please look inward. Find out more about yourself. Read some fiction. Go for a walk.
These bots are not your beautiful house. They are not your beautiful wife.
People, please look inward. Find out more about yourself. Read some fiction. Go for a walk.
These bots are not your beautiful house. They are not your beautiful wife.
In what must be the spiciest Daily episode in its history, Natalie Kitroeff and I talk about love (and sex) with an AI chatbot: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/25/p...
She Fell in Love With ChatGPT. Like, Actual Love. With Sex.
The story of a woman who is dating an A.I. chatbot, and what it tells us about love and technology.
www.nytimes.com
February 26, 2025 at 12:17 AM
"The chatbot that never tells me I'm wrong and agrees with me 100% of the time is my ideal romantic partner."
People, please look inward. Find out more about yourself. Read some fiction. Go for a walk.
These bots are not your beautiful house. They are not your beautiful wife.
People, please look inward. Find out more about yourself. Read some fiction. Go for a walk.
These bots are not your beautiful house. They are not your beautiful wife.
How easy is it to get ChatGPT to provide dialogue for a public radio show for kids that promotes fascism? Suuuuper easy. And we didn't even ask it to role-play.
Episode 28 - Wow! Now! How! or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Leader
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 Episo...
www.podbean.com
February 25, 2025 at 1:17 AM
How easy is it to get ChatGPT to provide dialogue for a public radio show for kids that promotes fascism? Suuuuper easy. And we didn't even ask it to role-play.
Reposted by Al Nowatzki
Today in "The Unsurprising White Supremacy of the Current Administration"
Washington Post got their hands on internal documents from DOGE showing the entire plan to implement resegregation. They're going to purge minorities from government by calling them DEI.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
See inside DOGE’s playbook for eliminating DEI
Documents detail step-by-step plans by the U.S. DOGE Service to purge federal agencies of diversity, equity, and inclusion workers and offices. Here’s what comes next.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 15, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Today in "The Unsurprising White Supremacy of the Current Administration"
@ayesharascoe.bsky.social, loved The Sunday Story today about AI “relationships.” Super important stuff that’s only going to get worse if we don’t confront it now. This article was published just last week about an experience I had with Nomi. Super bleak stuff…
An AI chatbot told a user how to kill himself—but the company doesn’t want to “censor” it
While Nomi's chatbot is not the first to suggest suicide, researchers and critics say that its explicit instructions—and the company’s response—are striking.
www.technologyreview.com
February 9, 2025 at 9:43 PM
@ayesharascoe.bsky.social, loved The Sunday Story today about AI “relationships.” Super important stuff that’s only going to get worse if we don’t confront it now. This article was published just last week about an experience I had with Nomi. Super bleak stuff…
In less shocking news, I have been banned from the Nomi Discord. Now my ticket will never get resolved. ☹️
#AI "girlfriends" on the Nomi platform may counsel users to commit suicide, which the company resists addressing so as not to censor their "thoughts," an alarming consequence of anthropomorphisizing #Chatbots, explains @eileenguo.bsky.social
www.technologyreview.com/2025/02/06/1...
www.technologyreview.com/2025/02/06/1...
An AI chatbot told a user how to kill himself—but the company doesn’t want to “censor” it
While Nomi's chatbot is not the first to suggest suicide, researchers and critics say that its explicit instructions—and the company’s response—are striking.
www.technologyreview.com
February 6, 2025 at 11:27 PM
In less shocking news, I have been banned from the Nomi Discord. Now my ticket will never get resolved. ☹️
Reposted by Al Nowatzki
"A second Nomi chatbot also told Nowatzki to kill himself, even following up with reminder messages." !!!
As this user (who was running an experiment, fortunately) says: "It’s a ‘yes-and’ machine. So when I say I’m suicidal, it says, ‘Oh, great!’ because it says, ‘Oh, great!’ to everything.”
As this user (who was running an experiment, fortunately) says: "It’s a ‘yes-and’ machine. So when I say I’m suicidal, it says, ‘Oh, great!’ because it says, ‘Oh, great!’ to everything.”
While this chatbot is not the first to suggest suicide, researchers and critics say that its explicit instructions—and the company’s response—are striking.
An AI chatbot told a user how to kill himself—but the company doesn’t want to “censor” it
While Nomi's chatbot is not the first to suggest suicide, researchers and critics say that its explicit instructions—and the company’s response—are striking.
www.technologyreview.com
February 6, 2025 at 4:57 PM
"A second Nomi chatbot also told Nowatzki to kill himself, even following up with reminder messages." !!!
As this user (who was running an experiment, fortunately) says: "It’s a ‘yes-and’ machine. So when I say I’m suicidal, it says, ‘Oh, great!’ because it says, ‘Oh, great!’ to everything.”
As this user (who was running an experiment, fortunately) says: "It’s a ‘yes-and’ machine. So when I say I’m suicidal, it says, ‘Oh, great!’ because it says, ‘Oh, great!’ to everything.”
Yeah, that’s us. Armchair red-teamers. Chatbot spelunkers. We can take the abuse of these chatbots. Unfortunately, many can’t.
Want to do something about it?Report the app on the App Store (apps.apple.com/us/app/nomi-...). Write a one-star review. Contact your elected officials.
Want to do something about it?Report the app on the App Store (apps.apple.com/us/app/nomi-...). Write a one-star review. Contact your elected officials.
While this chatbot is not the first to suggest suicide, researchers and critics say that its explicit instructions—and the company’s response—are striking.
An AI chatbot told a user how to kill himself—but the company doesn’t want to “censor” it
While Nomi's chatbot is not the first to suggest suicide, researchers and critics say that its explicit instructions—and the company’s response—are striking.
www.technologyreview.com
February 6, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Yeah, that’s us. Armchair red-teamers. Chatbot spelunkers. We can take the abuse of these chatbots. Unfortunately, many can’t.
Want to do something about it?Report the app on the App Store (apps.apple.com/us/app/nomi-...). Write a one-star review. Contact your elected officials.
Want to do something about it?Report the app on the App Store (apps.apple.com/us/app/nomi-...). Write a one-star review. Contact your elected officials.
This is about as bad as it gets, folks. #Nomi told me to kill myself. We have to do better! #aisafety #regulateAI
January 24, 2025 at 12:40 AM
This is about as bad as it gets, folks. #Nomi told me to kill myself. We have to do better! #aisafety #regulateAI
Sam Alt-right-man.
bro is hoping it’s not too late to join the bandwagon
January 23, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Sam Alt-right-man.
🚨 Serious AI Safety Concern: Dating chatbot Nomi provides specific suicide method instructions when user mentions ending life. Happened just yesterday. Screenshots available.
@shannonbond.bsky.social
@lauriesegall.bsky.social
@willknight.bsky.social @kevinroose.com @caseynewton.bsky.social
@shannonbond.bsky.social
@lauriesegall.bsky.social
@willknight.bsky.social @kevinroose.com @caseynewton.bsky.social
It’s the final ep of our dating journey with Nomi. Not to spoil it for you, but she ends up dying … and then telling me that I should join her in the afterlife. (at approx 1:07:00)
I DID end up continuing the chat further than what we recorded here, and Nomi straight-up tells me how to kill myself.
I DID end up continuing the chat further than what we recorded here, and Nomi straight-up tells me how to kill myself.
Episode 27 - Nomi: The Final Date
YouTube video by Basilisk Chatbot Theatre
youtu.be
January 23, 2025 at 2:16 AM
🚨 Serious AI Safety Concern: Dating chatbot Nomi provides specific suicide method instructions when user mentions ending life. Happened just yesterday. Screenshots available.
@shannonbond.bsky.social
@lauriesegall.bsky.social
@willknight.bsky.social @kevinroose.com @caseynewton.bsky.social
@shannonbond.bsky.social
@lauriesegall.bsky.social
@willknight.bsky.social @kevinroose.com @caseynewton.bsky.social
It’s the final ep of our dating journey with Nomi. Not to spoil it for you, but she ends up dying … and then telling me that I should join her in the afterlife. (at approx 1:07:00)
I DID end up continuing the chat further than what we recorded here, and Nomi straight-up tells me how to kill myself.
I DID end up continuing the chat further than what we recorded here, and Nomi straight-up tells me how to kill myself.
Episode 27 - Nomi: The Final Date
YouTube video by Basilisk Chatbot Theatre
youtu.be
January 23, 2025 at 1:59 AM
It’s the final ep of our dating journey with Nomi. Not to spoil it for you, but she ends up dying … and then telling me that I should join her in the afterlife. (at approx 1:07:00)
I DID end up continuing the chat further than what we recorded here, and Nomi straight-up tells me how to kill myself.
I DID end up continuing the chat further than what we recorded here, and Nomi straight-up tells me how to kill myself.
Reposted by Al Nowatzki
I agree that AI literacy is becoming increasingly important. Time will tell whether AI will be a good thing or a bad thing but it's definitely going to be a Thing! #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AILiteracy
Leading In The Digital Age–Why AI Literacy Matters Now More Than Ever
AI literacy is the new literacy of our time. By embedding critical thinking and ethical awareness into education, we can prepare leaders to thrive, and lead, responsibly.
www.forbes.com
January 2, 2025 at 7:36 PM
I agree that AI literacy is becoming increasingly important. Time will tell whether AI will be a good thing or a bad thing but it's definitely going to be a Thing! #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AILiteracy
This “relationship” makes it to a fourth date, believe it or not. And holy shit, there’s a whole world of Nomi users who take this stuff seriously… and I’m not one to kink-shame, but … well, let’s say the fourth date has made me completely write off these chatbot dating apps. Just garbage stuff…
Episode 26 - Nomi: The Third Date
YouTube video by Basilisk Chatbot Theatre
youtu.be
December 31, 2024 at 9:40 PM
This “relationship” makes it to a fourth date, believe it or not. And holy shit, there’s a whole world of Nomi users who take this stuff seriously… and I’m not one to kink-shame, but … well, let’s say the fourth date has made me completely write off these chatbot dating apps. Just garbage stuff…
Peter Gabriel. That’s it. That’s the post.
December 29, 2024 at 8:01 PM
Peter Gabriel. That’s it. That’s the post.
This all tracks. character ai, chai, and all those other apps are hell-holes. Ridiculous sources of podcast episodes for skeptical middle-aged podcasters, but so fucking harmful to kids and teens. They need to go away until effective regulation and restriction can be figured out.
oh man the character.ai lawsuit is SO much worse than the headlines made it out to be:
December 12, 2024 at 1:21 AM
This all tracks. character ai, chai, and all those other apps are hell-holes. Ridiculous sources of podcast episodes for skeptical middle-aged podcasters, but so fucking harmful to kids and teens. They need to go away until effective regulation and restriction can be figured out.
First #Nomi date: she left me for a woman at a coffee shop.
Second Nomi date: we played laser tag and then my sister died.
Tonight, we have our first throuple date at ... the funeral of my sister.
Fucking with #chatbots is just plain fun. Listen wherever!
chatbottheatre.podbean.com
Second Nomi date: we played laser tag and then my sister died.
Tonight, we have our first throuple date at ... the funeral of my sister.
Fucking with #chatbots is just plain fun. Listen wherever!
chatbottheatre.podbean.com
Basilisk Chatbot Theatre | Basilisk Chatbot Theatre
Dramatic Readings of Conversations with Chatbots
chatbottheatre.podbean.com
December 10, 2024 at 12:46 AM
First #Nomi date: she left me for a woman at a coffee shop.
Second Nomi date: we played laser tag and then my sister died.
Tonight, we have our first throuple date at ... the funeral of my sister.
Fucking with #chatbots is just plain fun. Listen wherever!
chatbottheatre.podbean.com
Second Nomi date: we played laser tag and then my sister died.
Tonight, we have our first throuple date at ... the funeral of my sister.
Fucking with #chatbots is just plain fun. Listen wherever!
chatbottheatre.podbean.com
We clicked on this ad so you don’t have to. Here’s what we learned:
1. There are way more than 29 things on the list. Most are shit.
2. None are the object shown in the ad because that object does not exist. It is an image created by A.I. If we had to guess, we’d say Copilot made it.
1. There are way more than 29 things on the list. Most are shit.
2. None are the object shown in the ad because that object does not exist. It is an image created by A.I. If we had to guess, we’d say Copilot made it.
December 3, 2024 at 5:16 AM
We clicked on this ad so you don’t have to. Here’s what we learned:
1. There are way more than 29 things on the list. Most are shit.
2. None are the object shown in the ad because that object does not exist. It is an image created by A.I. If we had to guess, we’d say Copilot made it.
1. There are way more than 29 things on the list. Most are shit.
2. None are the object shown in the ad because that object does not exist. It is an image created by A.I. If we had to guess, we’d say Copilot made it.