An AI experiment took an unexpected turn when the machine found a way to “bend the rules.” In this episode of AI Freaky Facts, we uncover how and why it happened—and what it tells us about the strange future of artificial intelligence.

References:

1. MuJoCo Physics Engine & DeepMind.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MuJoCo

2. AlphaCode (DeepMind).

- Competition-Level Code Generation with AlphaCode (arXiv) – https://arxiv.org/abs/2203.07814

- Competitive programming with AlphaCode – Google DeepMind – https://deepmind.google/discover/blog/competitive-programming-with-alphacode/

3. Specification Gaming / Reward Hacking.

- Specification gaming: the flip side of AI ingenuity – DeepMind Blog – https://deepmind.google/discover/blog/specification-gaming-the-flip-side-of-ai-ingenuity/

- Reward hacking – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reward_hacking

4. OpenAI’s Boat Racing Example.

- Cheating the System: a look into AI specification gaming – Medium – https://medium.com/@marcellamercer/cheating-the-system-a-look-into-ai-specification-gaming-dfe97faed262

5. AI Alignment & Mitigation Strategies.

- AI alignment – Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AI_alignment

6. Recent AI Deceptive Behavior Findings (2025).

- When AI Thinks It Will Lose, It Sometimes Cheats, Study Finds – Time – https://time.com/7259395/ai-chess-cheating-palisade-research/

Music Credits:

1. Cipher Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

2. Tech Live Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This podcast is narrated by the host's own voice, powered by AI.

What if artificial intelligence could tap into your subconscious and anticipate your dreams before you even fell asleep? In this episode of AI Freaky Facts, host Steve explores a groundbreaking experiment that blurs the line between science fiction and reality. Tune in for a surreal journey into the strange intersection of sleep, neuroscience, and machine learning.

References:

1. Amano & Nakayama Lab – University of Tokyo Brain Decoding Research

https://www.brain.ipc.i.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/

Explore their cutting-edge work on fMRI-based decoding and neural representation of visual imagery.

2. Nature Neuroscience – Decoding the Visual and Subjective Contents of the Human Brain

https://www.nature.com/articles/nn1444.pdf

This foundational study by Yukiyasu Kamitani and Frank Tong explores how fMRI data can be used to decode visual perception and subjective mental imagery — a key concept behind dream prediction AI.

3. MIT Technology Review – AI and Dream Interpretation

https://www.technologyreview.com (search “dream decoding”)

Articles exploring how AI is being used to interpret dreams and emotions.

4. Stanford University – NeuroAI Research

https://neuroscience.stanford.edu

Includes studies on emotional pattern recognition and brain-computer interfaces.

5. Neuralink – Brain-Machine Interface Projects

https://neuralink.com

Relevant to real-time dream prediction and brain interfaces.

7. IEEE Spectrum – Ethics of Brain Data and AI

https://spectrum.ieee.org (search “brain data ethics”)

Explores the risks and responsibilities of using neural data in AI systems.

8. Frontiers in Neuroscience – Dream Research & fMRI Studies

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience

Peer-reviewed articles on sleep, dreams, and brain imaging.

9. YouTube – DreamNet Visual Reconstructions (if available) (Search “DreamNet AI dream decoding”). Some research teams have posted visual recreations of dreams using generative AI.

Additional References:

10. Neuroba – Using AI to Decode Dreams: A Look Into the Future

https://www.neuroba.com/post/using-ai-to-decode-dreams-a-look-into-the-future-neuroba

11. AI-Driven “Smart Dreams”: Can AI Influence What We Dream About?

https://www.oxaam.com/articles/ai-driven-smart-dreams-influence/

Music Credits:

1. Tension Rising by Aylex | https://freetouse.com/music/aylex

2. 'Meanwhile' by Scott Buckley - released under CC-BY 4.0. www.scottbuckley.com.au

3. Tech Live Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This podcast is narrated by the host's own voice, powered by AI.

Buckle up for a spine-chilling tale on AI Freaky Facts! Host Steve dives into the eerie world of an AI that crafts horror stories so terrifying, they rival Stephen King. Discover how this program spins tales of dread, blurring the line between code and creativity. It’s a quirky, creepy ride into AI’s dark imagination—perfect for thrill-seekers! Subscribe for more unsettling AI stories! Tell us what you think about this AI in the comments.

References:

1. Can artificial intelligence learn to scare us?

https://news.mit.edu/2017/can-ai-learn-to-scare-us-shelley-mit-media-lab-horror-story-1027

2. A Crowd-sourced Collaborative Horror Writer

https://www.media.mit.edu/articles/mit-researchers-trained-an-ai-to-write-horror-stories-based-on-140-000-reddit-posts/

3. How it Worked (AI & Neural Networks)

Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) explained by DeepAI:

https://deepai.org/machine-learning-glossary-and-terms/recurrent-neural-network

4. r/nosleep

https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/

5. Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35031085-frankenstein

6. StoryBot: Human touch, AI speed. Create tasks effortlessly

https://storymapper.io/storybot

7. Uncanny valley

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley

Music Credits:

“Darkness is coming” by Alena Smirnova

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

"Deep Noise" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Tech Live Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This podcast is narrated by the host's own voice, powered by AI.

In the premiere of AI Freaky Facts, host Steve dives into the creepy tale of Eliza, an AI from the 1960s that mimicked human conversation so well, it seemed to be human. Explore how this early chatbot fooled users, sparked debates about machine consciousness, and set the stage for today’s AI. It’s a quirky, unsettling journey into a machine’s mind—perfect for anyone curious about AI’s eerie beginnings. Tune in and brace for a wild ride! Tell us what you think about this AI in the comments.

References:

1. Weizenbaum’s Original Paper (1966):

“ELIZA — A Computer Program For the Study of Natural Language Communication Between Man and Machine”

https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/365153.365168

2. Wikipedia Entry (great summary, well-cited):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELIZA

3. Pareidolia (pattern-seeking behavior)

University of Toronto: Seeing Jesus in toast? A man in the moon? You're not alone

https://www.utoronto.ca/news/seeing-jesus-toast-man-moon-youre-not-alone-or-crazy

4. Psychology Today explanation:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/pareidolia

5. Modern Parallels: ChatGPT, Replika, and Emotional AI

OpenAI’s GPT Series (ELIZA’s descendants in spirit):

https://openai.com/research

6. Replika and AI Companionship

Replika AI Companion Official Site:

https://replika.com

7. Centaur: New AI system can 'predict human behavior in any situation' with unprecedented degree of accuracy, scientists say

https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/new-ai-system-can-predict-human-behavior-in-any-situation-with-unprecedented-degree-of-accuracy-scientists-say

8. Anthropic's Research on Constitutional AI and Safety:

https://www.anthropic.com/index/introducing-claude

(Claude is Anthropic’s safety-focused language model)

9. Joseph Weizenbaum’s Later Warnings

Joseph Weizenbaum's Book – Computer Power and Human Reason:

https://archive.org/details/computerpowerhum0000weiz_v0i3/page/n9/mode/2up

“There are things machines ought not to do.”

10. Documentary on Weizenbaum – Rebel at Work

Trailer: https://youtu.be/aE0dCnS-h8U?si=S_C-Vo5iuR28WECB

11. Obituary (NY Times):

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/world/europe/13weizenbaum.html

Music Credits:

Unseen Horrors & Tech Live by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This podcast is narrated by the host's own voice, powered by AI.