About this episode
This episode discusses the ELIZA Effect and its implications for today's perceptions of AI.
An MIT professor developed the first chatbot in 1964 and discovered that we tend to ascribe human traits to even the simplest computer programs. This would foreshadow today’s widespread AI delusion. Punching Upwards , Episode 24 for 22 February 2026 Topic: Technology / Artificial Intelligence 🦉 No AI Content 📢 Podcast RSS Feed Credits Thanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen , Fadi Mansour , Evgeny Kuznetsov and Vlad A Gouf for subscribing to the podcast on Substack and supporting it financially! Additional thanks to Sir Galteran who continues to provide financial backing via Fountain.fm ! See Also * Punching Upwards 8: Robotics Slop * Punching Upwards 15: State Secret or Vibe Physics? * Punching Upwards 22: Moltbook Madness Sources * ChatGPT promised to help her find her soulmate. Then it betrayed her , NPR, 14 February 2026 * Before Siri and Alexa, there was ELIZA – excerpt from Better Mind the Computer , BBC Horizon , 21 March 1983 * Weizenbaum’s nightmares: how the inventor of the first chatbot turned against AI , The Guardian, 25 July 2023 * Reading ELIZA: Critical Code Studies in Action , David M. Berry & Mark C. Marino, Electronic Book Review, 3 November 2024 The theme music for…
People in this episode
Host: Fabian A. Scherschel
Topics covered
- Technology
- Artificial Intelligence
- Chatbots
- Human-Computer Interaction
- AI Delusion
Keywords
- ELIZA
- chatbot
- AI delusion
- human traits
- technology
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: MIT, NPR, BBC, The Guardian
Books & works: Better Mind the Computer, Fight or Fall
More episodes of Punching Upwards
- PU 39: The Dead Internet Theory Was Right · June 7, 2026 · 1h 4m
- PU 38: Is Chat Control Finally Dead? · May 31, 2026 · 33 min
- PU 37: How Not to Report an Aviation Accident · May 24, 2026 · 46 min
- PU 36: Dire Straits of Hormuz · May 17, 2026 · 44 min
- PU 35: The Horror of Computerised War · May 10, 2026 · 1h 38m
- PU 34: Scam Altman · May 3, 2026 · 1h 29m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Punching Upwards podcast page.