Latest news with #Crikey
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Conspiracy Theorists Are Creating Special AIs to Agree With Their Bizarre Delusions
Conspiracy theorists are using AI chatbots not only to convince themselves of their harebrained beliefs, but to recruit other users on social media. As independent Australian news site Crikey reports, conspiracy theorists are having extensive conversations with AI chatbots to "prove" their beliefs. Then, they post the transcripts and videos on social media as "proof" to others. According to the outlet's fascinating reporting, there are already several bots specifically trained on harebrained conspiracy theories, including a custom bot designed to convince parents not to vaccinate their children. The news highlights a troubling trend, with countless ChatGPT users developing bizarre delusions and even spiraling into severe mental health crises, as we reported last week. Experts have warned that AI chatbots are designed to be incredibly sycophantic, predisposing them to agreeing with users even when doing so is clearly harmful. Much like delusions of spiritual awakenings, messianic complexes, and boundless paranoia, conspiracy theorists are finding the perfect conversational partner in tools like ChatGPT. Since they were trained on the open web — an enormous data set that includes unfounded conspiracy theories, like the belief that vaccines cause autism — they can easily be coaxed into furthering these theories. As Crikey reports, one chatbot called Neo-LLM was trained by a Texan anti-vaxxer using over 100,000 dubious articles from the far-right conspiracy theory news website Natural News. It's unclear how many users have downloaded the chatbot, but promotional videos have garnered tens of thousands of views. In short, it's an alarming trend that shows the dangers of powerful AI chatbot tech falling into the wrong hands. In particular, people suffering from mental health issues can be convinced they're talking to a real authority, rather than a parroting language model that continuously calculates the probability of the next word. That kind of delusion can have devastating consequences. As the New York Times reported last week, a 35-year-old man — who had previously been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia before becoming obsessed with ChatGPT — was shot and killed by police after he charged at them with a knife following a mental health crisis centering on the bot. Since AI chatbots have become incredibly effective at generating convincing-sounding answers, their ill use could have real-life implications. Researchers have shown that AI chatbots can easily be weaponized and taught how to spew an endless firehose of disinformation. With the Trump administration actively rolling back AI regulations and key politicians furthering anti-vaccine conspiracy theories themselves, the future looks bleak. Even tech companies have historically failed to implement effective guardrails to stop chatbots from hallucinating. However, some experts have pondered if the tech could be used for good as well. Last year, researchers at MIT found that chatbots can also be used to reduce the belief in conspiracy theories, a glimmer of hope as the internet becomes increasingly polluted with deranged, AI-generated claims. More on AI delusions: People Are Becoming Obsessed with ChatGPT and Spiraling Into Severe Delusions
NDTV
21-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Brendon McCullum Shares One Aspect England Need To "Improve On" Ahead Of India Tests
London: England head coach Brendon McCullum feels his players have lacked humility in their recent public utterances and he would like to see them win back respect from fans ahead of the tough home series against India and the Ashes later this year. McCullum, while speaking to the media ahead of a lone Test against Zimbabwe starting Thursday in Nottingham, said the players need to be more attuned to the public mood. "It's not just about what you do on the cricket field. It's how you carry yourself. It's how you interact with the public. It's the messaging that you give," McCullum told the British media. "The ability these guys have to be able to play on the biggest stage, under the brightest lights and the pressure that takes is one thing, but also the ability to be humble and show some humility and not feel out of touch with the general population is something I'd like to see us improve on." England's players have drawn criticism for their seemingly nonchalant attitude towards on-field setbacks, the most recent being a winless Champions Trophy campaign in Pakistan. They were also lambasted by former batting star Kevin Pietersen for playing golf while skipping training during a poor limited-overs tour of India before the Champions Trophy. England are playing a one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge before next month's marquee series at home against India and the away Ashes rubber in Australia. McCullum's remarks come after comments made by some players dismissing criticism came under scrutiny, forcing England's director of cricket Rob Key to say that they need to "stop talking rubbish". Even last month, fast bowler Mark Wood admitted that they can be "a bit dumb". "We've just got to be a bit smarter with some of our comments. What we say in that dressing room is often very different to what you expect to come out in a public forum," McCullum said. "We've got we just got to be aware of that, smart enough to be able to make sure that we articulate things when we get the opportunity so that we don't lose touch with the English people. McCullum said he and his team want the fans to be proud of the team. "We want them along for the ride, particularly in the next few series, which could be quite amazing. "We want people to look back and say, 'Crikey, that team in the mid-2020s was a hell of a team that we loved following, and we felt as if we were a part of that journey they went on.'" Since taking charge of the team in 2022, McCullum changed England's style of play, popularly called the 'Bazball' approach, which emphasizes making positive decisions in attack and defense both with bat and ball. The move paid dividends initially as from one win in 17 Tests before McCullum's era, England emerged victorious in 10 of their next 11 matches. England are currently second in world rankings, but of late, they have been guilty of producing some sloppy performances. To add to it, England lost all their matches in the Champions Trophy in February this year. "If we look at it at the start, people were excited by the way we played," said McCullum. "They were enthralled by the freewheeling type of cricket and they a bit of idle time, we get the opportunity to retrospectively look at things and see where things have been over the last few we've achieved, opportunities we've let slip...," the former New Zealand captain added.
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
'We need to show some humility,' says England coach McCullum
England head coach Brendon McCullum feels his players have lacked humility in their recent public utterances and he would like to see them win back respect from fans ahead of the tough home series against India and the Ashes later this year. McCullum, while speaking to the media ahead of a lone Test against Zimbabwe starting Thursday (May 22, 2025) in Nottingham, said 'the players need to be more attuned to public mood'. "It's not just about what you do on the cricket field. It's how you carry yourself. It's how you interact with the public. It's the messaging that you give," McCullum told the British media. "The ability these guys have to be able to play on the biggest stage, under the brightest lights and the pressure that takes is one thing, but also the ability to be humble and show some humility and not feel out of touch with the general population is something I'd like to see us improve on." England's players have drawn criticism for their seemingly nonchalant attitude towards on-field setbacks, the most recent being a winless Champions Trophy campaign in Pakistan. They were also lambasted by former batting star Kevin Pietersen for playing golf while skipping training during a poor limited-overs tour of India before the Champions Trophy. England are playing a one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge before next month's marquee series at home against India and the away Ashes rubber in Australia. McCullum's remarks come after comments made by some players dismissing criticism came under scrutiny, forcing England's director of cricket Rob Key to say that they need to "stop talking rubbish". Even last month, fast bowler Mark Wood admitted that they can be "a bit dumb". "We've just got to be a bit smarter with some of our comments. What we say in that dressing room is often very different to what you expect to come out in a public forum," McCullum said. 'We've got we just got to be aware of that, smart enough to be able to make sure that we articulate things when we get the opportunity so that we don't we don't lose touch with the English people'. McCullum said he and his team want the fans to be proud of the team. "We want them along for the ride, particularly in the next few series, which could be quite amazing. 'We want people to look back and say, 'Crikey, that team in the mid-2020s was a hell of a team that we loved following, and we felt as if we were a part of that journey they went on.' Since taking charge of the team in 2022, McCullum changed England's style of play, popularly called the 'Bazball' approach, which emphasises on taking positive decisions in attack and defence both with bat and ball. The move paid dividends initially, as from one win in 17 Tests prior to McCullum's era, England emerged victorious in 10 of their next 11 matches. England are currently second in the world rankings, but of late, they have been guilty of producing some sloppy performances. To add to it, England lost all their matches in Champions Trophy in February this year. "If we look at it at the start, people were excited by the way we played," said McCullum. "They were enthralled by the freewheeling type of cricket and they a bit of idle time, we get the opportunity to retrospectively look at things and see where things have been over the last few we've achieved, opportunities we've let slip...," the former New Zealand captain added.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bindi Irwin shares update from hospital after surgery
Bindi Irwin has shared an update on her hospitalisation, revealing that she is now in recovery after undergoing multiple procedures. "After many months of a grumbly appendix, I finally had to seek help the day of our Steve Irwin Gala," Irwin wrote on Instagram, alongside a video of her in her hospital bed. "My appendix was removed, along with another 14 lesions." The Crikey! It's the Irwins star has battled endometriosis for more than a decade. And those weren't the only operations she underwent. She noted that her medical team also had to "repair to a large hernia I acquired through childbirth four years ago". "Thankfully, I am on the road to recovery," she shared. Irwin expressed her gratitude for the support and love of her husband, Chandler Powell, and their four-year-old daughter Grace, and her brother Robert, who led the charge at the gala after she cancelled her appearance. "Credit to Robert for hosting the evening, he did such an incredible job raising funds and awareness for Wildlife Warriors," Irwin continued. And while she didn't specify how long the recovery process would be, Irwin insisted that she would be healthy enough to attend a different Steve Irwin Gala in Australia, later this year. "One day at a time," she concluded. "Time to heal now."
