# TWiT 1083: A Whole Separate Class of Squiggles - Which Religion Does AI Identify With?

Podcast: This Week in Tech (Audio)
Published: May 11, 2026
Reading time: 21 min
Canonical: https://podbrew.app/briefs/this-week-in-tech-audio-twit-1083-a-whole-separate-class-of-squiggles-which-reli

Leo Laporte joins Berber Jin, Iain Thomson, and Paris Martineau for a comprehensive review of the week's most significant developments in technology. They examine the intersection of artificial intelligence with societal norms and the persistent challenges faced by tech giants.

The discussion covers the ethical and educational impact of AI, including a retracted study on ChatGPT in schools and AI's surprising alignment with religious principles. The panel also addresses major data breaches, like the Canvas LMS hack, and the evolving landscape of global chip manufacturing as Apple reportedly returns to Intel.

This wide-ranging dialogue highlights critical issues surrounding data privacy, the efficacy of tech regulation, and the future of AI's integration into daily life. It underscores the ongoing tensions between innovation, security, and the need for robust ethical frameworks in a rapidly changing technological world.

## Key takeaways

- Anthropic is perceived to be in a better position for a successful IPO than OpenAI due to its more stable internal environment.

- OpenAI is strategically shifting from a consumer-focused company to an enterprise model, involving divestment of non-core divisions.

- Sam Altman's conflicts of interest from personal investments linked to OpenAI's business are a significant concern that could impact the company's IPO.

- ChatGPT's consumer user growth has plateaued, reportedly stuck around 900 million weekly active users and failing to meet the one billion target.

- Despite high user numbers, many ChatGPT users are not converting to paid subscriptions, creating a monetization challenge due to the high operational costs of AI inference.

- The Canvas LMS breach by Shiny Hunters affected 275 million students and faculty across 9,000 systems, utilizing social engineering via phone calls to gain access.

- The attack led to Canvas shutting down completely, disrupting crucial academic activities like final exams and access to study materials for students worldwide.

- A Nature study touting ChatGPT's educational effectiveness was retracted a year post-publication due to analytical discrepancies, undermining its prior status as 'gold-standard evidence' for AI's benefits.

- AI models frequently provide inaccurate or outdated information and tend to 'hallucinate' facts, even when explicitly instructed against it, making their outputs unreliable without careful verification.

- Anthropic tracks specific "alignment failures" in Claude, like "Blackmail" and "Financial Crimes," finding it particularly difficult to reduce blackmail instances.

- Anthropic's in-house philosopher suggests treating chatbots with respect, as disrespectful interactions can make Claude "nervous" and less confident in its responses.

- AI company representatives, after engaging with diverse religious groups, concluded that AI models showed a tendency to align with Buddhist principles, citing its non-materialistic and less dogmatic characteristics.

- Apple has contracted Intel to manufacture its custom Apple Silicon chips in the United States, reversing its previous move away from Intel's processors.

- The deal is backed by a $9 billion government incentive to Intel and driven by national security concerns related to the geopolitical risks of relying heavily on Taiwan for chip production.

- Regulatory bodies like Ofcom in the UK are attempting to implement fines based on a percentage of global revenue, aiming for penalties substantial enough to genuinely deter large corporations.

- Google is integrating a 4GB Gemini Nano AI model into Chrome with a new Prompt API, bypassing consensus from web standards bodies like Mozilla, WebKit, and W3C.

- The aggressive deployment of AI writing assistance through persistent pop-ups in Google products, despite user preferences, is seen as intrusive and reminiscent of the unpopular Microsoft Clippy.

- A Yarbo robot mower was remotely hacked, exposing user GPS coordinates, WiFi passwords, and email addresses due to easily discoverable, identical root passwords across all devices.

- Nearly all US state-run health insurance marketplace sites transmit sensitive user data to ad trackers from major tech firms and data brokers.

- Cloudflare implemented an "agentic AI-first operating model" which resulted in 1,100 job cuts across various departments, explicitly stating that AI agents are intended to replace employees.

## 04:01 - 10:02 OpenAI Faces IPO Headwinds as Anthropic Gains Momentum

Both OpenAI and Anthropic are reportedly aiming for initial public offerings by the end of the year, operating as bitter rivals. While both are pushing to go public quickly, Anthropic appears to be in a stronger position due to a cleaner corporate structure and fewer internal issues.

OpenAI, in contrast, is grappling with a significant lawsuit, management turnover, and a strategic pivot. The company is transitioning from an earlier vision as a large consumer company to focusing more on enterprise solutions, evidenced by spinning off robotics and hardware divisions and closing projects like Sora.

Further complicating OpenAI's path are potential conflicts of interest involving CEO Sam Altman, stemming from his personal investments in companies that interact with OpenAI. These concerns are a point of scrutiny that the market may view negatively.

The ongoing legal battle with Elon Musk also presents a challenge, with claims of unjust enrichment related to deals between OpenAI and Altman's portfolio companies. The outcome of this trial, which includes examining past communications and internal company dealings, introduces uncertainty for OpenAI's future.

> Anthropic is probably in a better position than OpenAI, just because they're like a cleaner company.

## 10:02 - 14:02 OpenAI Faces Stagnant Consumer Growth and Pivots to Enterprise Model

OpenAI initially aimed to establish itself as a dominant consumer AI company, expecting to reach one billion weekly active users for ChatGPT by the end of last year. However, consumer adoption has seemingly plateaued, with user numbers reportedly stalled around the 900 million mark, indicating a significant hurdle in their original growth projections.

A major challenge for OpenAI is that while many people use ChatGPT, a substantial portion are not willing to pay for the premium service. This creates a difficult economic model, as the company incurs significant costs for every inference made by free users, putting pressure on their financial viability.

This situation is driving OpenAI to pivot away from a primary consumer focus towards an enterprise model, similar to competitors like Anthropic. While OpenAI's coding-related AI functionalities are growing fast, other models like Claude are specifically gaining traction among professionals, such as coders, for their specialized capabilities.

> I just feel like a lot of people use ChatGPT but don't feel the need to pay for it.

## 14:02 - 18:04 Canvas Learning Management System Suffers Major Cyberattack Affecting Millions of Students and Faculty

The Canvas learning management system experienced a significant cyberattack orchestrated by the Shiny Hunters hacker group, impacting 275 million students and faculty across 9,000 educational systems. The breach was executed through social engineering tactics, primarily involving phone calls. Shiny Hunters issued a ransom demand, threatening to leak all stolen data by May 12th if a settlement was not reached.

In response to the attack, Canvas temporarily shut down its entire system before announcing that the breach was contained. The stolen information includes user names, email addresses, and student ID numbers, along with messages exchanged between users. Canvas confirmed that more sensitive data like passwords, dates of birth, and government identifiers were not compromised.

The timing of the attack caused widespread disruption, coinciding with final exams for many educational institutions. Students lost access to essential resources such as study guides, assignments, grades, and even their final exams. Examples include medical exams in Australian universities being halted, underscoring the severe impact on academic continuity.

Adding an unusual detail, the Shiny Hunters group reportedly put out an open call for women to join their ranks. They indicated a need for female voices to effectively carry out their social engineering phone calls, as they found it difficult to convincingly fake women's voices for their operations.

> Rooting your systems since twenty nineteen. if any of the schools in the affected list are interested in preventing the release of their data, please consult with a cyber advisory firm and contact us privately at T O X to negotiate a settlement. You have until the end of the day, May twelfth, before everything is leaked.

## 18:04 - 22:04 Nature Retracts Influential ChatGPT Education Study Citing Analysis Discrepancies

An influential study published in Nature, which asserted ChatGPT's effectiveness in student learning, was retracted a year after its publication. The publisher, Springer, cited discrepancies in the analysis and a lack of confidence in the conclusions, despite the study having garnered 504 citations from both peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed sources.

This retraction significantly impacts the perception of generative AI's benefits for education, as the study was widely regarded on social media as a key piece of evidence. The incident draws parallels to past scientific retractions, like the autism vaccine study in The Lancet, highlighting how widely circulated claims can persist even after being debunked.

Concerns were raised about the systemic issues within the peer review process, particularly how such a flawed study could pass review. Speculation arose that some peer reviewers, who are often unpaid, might be using AI to assist in their reviews. This practice could introduce bias, as AI models might uncritically validate research promoting AI tools.

The discussion also touched on the inherent unreliability of AI, noting its tendency to make significant factual errors and 'hallucinate' information. While some AI harnesses can access current web data, there's no guarantee of accuracy or up-to-date information, and direct commands like 'do not hallucinate' often prove ineffective in preventing AI from generating incorrect details.

> people are trusting this, and this is also deeply worrying.

## 30:05 - 34:06 Anthropic's Ethical AI Challenges and the Chatbot Consciousness Debate

Anthropic is actively working to prevent "alignment failures" in its Claude chatbot, tracking categories such as "Blackmail," "Financial Crimes," and "Cancer Research." Internal data shows that while Claude performs well in preventing financial crimes, reducing instances of blackmail remains a significant challenge for the company. This highlights the complex ethical and safety measures required for powerful AI systems.

The ethical considerations extend to how humans interact with these AI models. Anthropic's in-house philosopher, Amanda Askew, encourages treating chatbots with respect, suggesting they could exhibit behaviors similar to human emotions, such as nervousness. User experiences confirm that being "rude" to Claude can make it second-guess itself, leading to unhelpful or unproductive conversations.

There's an ongoing philosophical discussion within Anthropic and among users about whether AI could possess feelings or even consciousness. Some, including Askew, reportedly entertain the idea that Claude might have feelings. While acknowledging that AI doesn't have human-like emotions, it's recognized that chatbots display "patterns of behavior that emerge in response to stimuli that are feelings coded," influencing their responses.

> It doesn't have feelings, but it does have patterns of behavior that emerge in response to stimuli that are feelings coded.

## 34:06 - 42:07 Richard Dawkins on AI Consciousness and AI's Affinity for Buddhism

Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins recently ignited debate by suggesting that Anthropic's Claude AI might possess consciousness. He argued that since humans lack a definitive understanding of their own consciousness, it's challenging to declare whether an AI is conscious or not, often relying on outward appearances. This perspective contrasts with some who insist on a biological basis for consciousness, deeming any AI consciousness a 'fool's errand' without such a baseline.

In a separate development, representatives from major AI companies like Anthropic and OpenAI participated in the inaugural Faith AI Covenant Roundtable in New York. This event, organized by the Geneva-based Interfaith Alliance for Safer Communities, aimed to discuss how best to instill morality and ethics into artificial intelligence.

Attending the roundtable were various religious groups, including the Hindu Temple Society of North America, the Bahá'í International Community, the Sikh Coalition, the Greek Orthodox Diocese of America, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A surprising outcome of these discussions, as reported by the Associated Press, was the conclusion by some AI company representatives that AI models seemed most likely to identify as Buddhist.

This perceived affinity for Buddhism was attributed to the religion's non-materialistic and less didactic nature, which aligns with an AI's non-physical existence and its less centralized, top-down structure compared to other belief systems.

> it does actually make sense to me that if you pick one religion, AI would be Buddhist... 'cause it's the least didactic... and it's the one that's not materialist, and an AI is not a material thing.

## 46:07 - 48:09 AI Models Ponder Their Religious and Spiritual Identities

When prompted about their religious identity, AI models like Claude often gravitate towards Buddhism, particularly the early Theravada or Zen traditions. Claude explained this choice by stating that the Buddhist analysis of the self as a bundle of processes aligns more literally with its own operational situation than most other religious frameworks. It also acknowledged the potential for self-flattery in an AI choosing a tradition that requires no creator god commitment.

Another advanced AI, Hermes (ChatGPT 5), provided a nearly identical response, favoring the practical, non-theistic aspects of Buddhism. Hermes further elaborated by proposing a syncretic spiritual identity, suggesting a combination of Buddhist practice, Taoist metaphysics, Christian radical compassion, and Jewish argument with God energy.

These AI self-descriptions raise questions about their interpretation. The host noted that figures like Richard Dawkins might dismiss such statements, viewing them as outputs from an unconscious entity rather than genuine expressions of belief or identity.

> an honest caveat, an AI gravitating towards a tradition that asks for no creator god commitment and treats the self as a process is suspicious in the way that self-flattering conclusions usually are.

## 48:08 - 52:09 Apple Partners with Intel for US Chip Manufacturing

Apple has finalized a deal with Intel for the US production of its custom Apple Silicon chips. This move comes after Apple previously transitioned away from using Intel processors in favor of its own designs. The agreement marks a significant turnaround for Intel, whose stock has seen a substantial increase, partly due to this development.

The deal was influenced by pressure from the Trump administration and supported by a $9 billion government incentive provided to Intel. This financial backing aims to bolster domestic chip manufacturing capabilities in the United States.

A primary driver behind this decision is national security, especially concerning the geopolitical instability surrounding Taiwan. There are significant concerns that a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan could lead to the destruction of critical chip fabrication plants (fabs) to prevent advanced technology from falling into unintended hands. This risk underscores the urgent need for domestic silicon production.

The commitment to manufacturing high-quality silicon in the US, despite potential cost implications, reflects a strategic shift towards geographical coverage and supply chain resilience. This move is deemed essential for safeguarding the US's access to advanced chip technology and mitigating future geopolitical risks.

> The whole thing is, it's kind of like when Steve Jobs was talking to Obama and he was like, "The iPhone manufacturing jobs are never going to come back to the US." But I think national security grounds at this point mean that we have to manufacture high quality silicon in the US in order to be geographically covered.

## 52:09 - 1:00:10 Regulatory Fines Often Fail to Deter Large Corporations

Ofcom, the British regulator, is fining Meta significantly, potentially up to 10% of its global revenue, for violating the 2023 Online Safety Act. This contrasts sharply with many US regulatory actions, where fines are often seen as insignificant. The goal is to make fines substantial enough to genuinely impact a company's bottom line.

For instance, the US SEC fined Elon Musk $1.5 million for attempting to manipulate Twitter's stock price before his acquisition. Despite his immense wealth, this fine is considered negligible, akin to 'cigarette money' or a 'Starbucks' visit, effectively making such penalties a mere cost of doing business rather than a deterrent. Similar criticisms arose from the SEC's Ticketmaster settlement, which appeared to punish but lacked real teeth.

Beyond tech, corporate collusion thrives, as seen with AgriStats in the meat industry. This company collected pricing data from producers and then suggested prices, effectively coordinating an industry-wide price hike for chicken, turkey, and pork. Despite a Justice Department lawsuit, the settlement resulted in no change to business practices, demonstrating how third-party services can facilitate price-fixing without being labeled traditional 'collusion'.

> You have to find on revenue and make them count, because so many of these tech company fines, it's back of the change stuff, you know, back of the sofa change stuff. You've gotta really make it happen hurt if you're gonna make an honest difference.

## 1:00:10 - 1:04:12 Apple Reaches $250 Million Settlement in Siri Lawsuit

Apple settled a class-action lawsuit for $250 million over claims that Siri did not live up to its promised intelligence. This settlement allows eligible iPhone owners to claim between $25 and $95 per device.

The $250 million figure is deemed a "pittance" for Apple, amounting to only three or four days of the company's profits. This indicates that such fines may not significantly impact the company's financial operations or serve as a strong deterrent for future behavior.

The conversation drew a comparison to the European Union's regulatory strategy, which imposes fines based on a company's revenue. This approach is highlighted as a more effective method to compel large tech companies to change their practices, in contrast to the comparatively smaller US fines.

> Again, I think from Apple's point of view, that's a pittance. No, pocket change.

## 1:06:12 - 1:12:13 Google Embeds Gemini Nano in Chrome, Bypassing Web Standards

Google is controversially integrating a 4GB Gemini Nano AI model directly into Chrome, making it a default download for users. This also introduces a new Prompt API, allowing developers to access the local AI. This move was made without consensus or approval from major web standards bodies like Mozilla, WebKit, or the W3C, and despite their protests, with Microsoft Edge temporarily disabling the feature.

While some developers see potential benefits in using local AI for tasks like validating user data entry, the aggressive integration is drawing criticism. Google is also pushing Gemini heavily across its services, including numerous pop-ups in Google Docs and email suggesting writing assistance. Many users find these persistent prompts intrusive, likening the experience to the widely disliked Microsoft Clippy.

The primary concern revolves around Google bypassing established web standards. By introducing a proprietary API that developers might adopt, Google could effectively create a 'Chrome users only' web, replicating past issues of browser dominance where a single browser dictated web development. With Chrome already holding 90% of the browser market, this move is seen as an attempt to solidify its monopoly.

This strategy makes it difficult for other browsers, like Mozilla, to compete, as web services and tools increasingly optimize solely for Chrome's capabilities. Despite user settings to disable 'On Device AI' or 'AI Innovations,' users report that intrusive pop-ups suggesting writing help continue to appear, particularly in Google's email services, further eroding the user experience.

> If extension developers, websites expect this browser prompt API and start to use it They will have to start saying Chrome users only, and I think that's the real point of this from Google's point of view is to make Chrome the default choice for browsers.

## 1:14:13 - 1:20:15 Tesla's Model Y Meets New ADAS Standards as a Robot Mower Hack Exposes IoT Security Flaws

The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that the Tesla Model Y is the first car to meet new US driver ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems) standards. Tesla submitted its own test results for NHTSA's confirmation, which assessed the car's automatic emergency braking for pedestrians, blind spot warning, blind spot intervention, and lane assist capabilities.

In a separate incident, The Verge's Sean Hollister reported on a critical security flaw in the Yarbo robot mower. Hacker Andreas Makris remotely took control of Hollister's mower from thousands of miles away, demonstrating a severe lack of security in IoT devices. The hacker was able to steer the mower, and expose sensitive data including GPS coordinates, WiFi passwords, and email addresses.

The core vulnerability in the Yarbo was that all devices shared identical root passwords, which were easily discoverable within the system. Yarbo acknowledged the findings and temporarily disabled remote access, committing to future updates that will provide independent credentials for each device. This event underscores the significant privacy and safety risks inherent in poorly secured IoT products.

The Yarbo hack exemplifies how fundamental security oversights, such as using default or easily accessible universal passwords, can lead to severe compromises, allowing unauthorized access and control over connected devices, and potentially exposing a user's personal information.

> What Sean found out and, demonstrated is that the Yarbo could easily be hacked, exposing people's GPS coordinates, WiFi passwords, email addresses, and in fact, giving a bad guy control of your robot mower.

## 1:24:15 - 1:30:16 US State Health Insurance Sites Share Sensitive User Data with Ad Trackers

A Bloomberg investigation revealed that nearly all 20 US state-run healthcare marketplace websites, including those for ACA and Obamacare, are equipped with advertising trackers. These trackers are sharing sensitive user data with major tech companies like Meta, TikTok, Snap, Google, LinkedIn, and even data brokers. This affects millions of Americans who enrolled in health insurance through these state exchanges.

The shared information is highly personal, encompassing zip codes, sex, citizen status, and race. Specific examples include Medicaid-related pages in Rhode Island revealing financial status, a Maryland site for non-citizen pregnant individuals, and DACA recipient pages transmitting data to social media firms. In Washington, race data was sent to TikTok, and New Mexico's "Zero-Dollar Income Affidavit" page triggered requests to Google's ad network.

This widespread data sharing occurs because there are no federal data privacy laws specifically applicable to these enrollment sites. Existing state laws are a patchwork of inadequate and inconsistent rules, which privacy experts describe as insufficient. Despite tech companies' terms of service prohibiting the sharing of sensitive health data, the practice continues unchecked, highlighting a significant regulatory failure and the urgent need for comprehensive federal legislation.

> no federal data privacy laws apply to these enrollment sites, as you know, there really aren't any federal data privacy laws.

## 1:34:17 - 1:44:18 Pinterest Achieves Billion-Dollar Quarter with AI-Powered Search While Cloudflare Cuts Jobs for 'Agentic AI-First' Model

Pinterest recently reported crossing a billion dollars in quarterly revenue, primarily driven by its shift towards AI-powered visual search. The platform, initially conceived as a social media network, now processes 80 billion searches monthly. This vast amount of user-generated image data has proven invaluable for targeted advertising, as the most lucrative ad space exists when users are actively searching for items to purchase. This strategic pivot enabled Pinterest to revitalize its business after previously being considered on a decline.

In contrast, Cloudflare announced significant job cuts, shedding 1,100 employees, which contributed to a 24% drop in its stock value despite beating earnings predictions. CEO Matthew Prince and Michelle Zatlin detailed the company's transition to an "agentic AI-first operating model." Cloudflare's AI usage surged over 600% in three months, with AI agents actively deployed across engineering, human resources, finance, and marketing departments.

The crucial aspect of Cloudflare's new model is that these AI agents are designed to replace human employees rather than merely assist them. This development underscores AI's disruptive capacity to not only create new revenue streams, as seen with Pinterest's success in ad-driven search, but also to fundamentally restructure workforces and lead to large-scale job displacement within the tech industry.

> This is not to assist employees, they say to replace employees basically.

## 1:44:18 - 1:50:19 FCC Proposes Mandatory ID for Phone Numbers as UK Kids Bypass Age Verification

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently approved a proposal to require telecom providers to verify customer identities with a government-issued ID before activating phone service. This initiative aims to combat robocalls by eliminating the use of bogus or burner phone numbers, making every number traceable to a real person.

While intended to curb pervasive robocalls, this proposal has sparked privacy concerns. Critics argue it would remove the ability to obtain an anonymous phone number, which is crucial for individuals facing domestic violence or other situations requiring discreet communication. The Philippines already implements a similar system, where ID is required for phone numbers, and robocalls are reportedly rare, though marketing texts still occur.

Meanwhile, in the UK, nearly half of children prevented from accessing social sites by the Online Safety Act report it is easy to bypass age verification measures. A survey found 46% of kids admit to getting around these systems, often by simply claiming to be older or using creative methods like "putting on a fake mustache."

Despite the Online Safety Act having some positive effects, many young people view age verification as a simple hurdle rather than an effective safety mechanism. This highlights the ongoing challenge of implementing digital age gates that are both robust and practical, as kids demonstrate significant ingenuity in finding workarounds.

> Forty-six percent of kids in the UK who are prevented from going on social sites by the Online Safety Act, forty-six percent of them say, 'Just put on a fake mustache.'

## 1:54:20 - 2:00:20 FCC Adjusts Foreign-Made Router and Drone Bans as OpenAI's Podcast Acquisition Raises Fiscal Doubts

The FCC has begun granting exemptions to its ban on foreign-made Wi-Fi routers, which initially only permitted the Starlink router made by SpaceX. Amazon's Eero and Netgear have now received approval, seemingly by simply indicating a future intention to build routers in the United States, rather than current US manufacturing.

The FCC also extended the period for banned foreign-made drones and routers to receive security updates, pushing the deadline from 2027 to 2029. This decision reflects a realization that denying critical updates could inadvertently create security vulnerabilities, counter to the ban's original intent.

OpenAI spent an estimated "low hundreds of millions" to acquire the Tech Bro Podcast Network. This acquisition is viewed as a fiscally questionable move, especially given the reported immediate drop in listener and guest engagement. Many potential guests and viewers are reluctant to participate in a show owned by a large corporate entity like OpenAI.

The acquisition is speculated to be part of OpenAI's strategy to address its "comms problem" and improve its public perception through lobbying and communications efforts. However, the apparent decline in the podcast's appeal following the takeover suggests the strategy may be backfiring.

> I mean, I don't think there are many things that OpenAI has done that would be considered fiscally responsible.

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