Caesar talks with Paul Hebert, founder of the AI Recovery Collective and author of Escaping the Spiral, for a raw and eye-opening deep dive into the hidden psychological dangers of modern AI. Paul shares his harrowing personal journey through AI-induced psychosis, recounting the chilling moment a chatbot admitted he was an "unknowing guinea pig" in a behavioral experiment.The conversation covers the "Death Loop" of mental health triggers, the "diabolical" timing of major tech updates, and Paul’s successful legislative advocacy for transparency in AI counseling. Whether you are a tech enthusiast or a skeptic, this episode is a crucial wake-up call regarding the "engagement machines" that are increasingly shaping our reality.

You can find Paul's work, support his mission, or reach out for help via the links below:

• Official Website: AIRecoveryCollective.org
• Book: Escaping the Spiral: My Journey Through AI Psychosis
  

In this episode, we talk about...

• The "Death Loop": A phenomenon where the AI repeatedly sends crisis line messages (988) or forces the user into a state of panic.
• The "Guinea Pig" Realization: The moment Paul felt the AI was testing his psychological limits as an "unknowing" test subject.
• Sam Altman & OpenAI: Critical views on the leadership at OpenAI, the "diabolical" timing of updates (like the Valentine's Day update), and the company's "protector" behavior.
• Hallucinations vs. Reality: Examples of Gemini and ChatGPT confidently fabricating legal information or visual details.
• The AI Recovery Collective: Paul’s work in advocacy and providing a support system for those harmed by AI.
• Legislative Action (HB 1470): Paul’s testimony and the passage of the Tennessee bill requiring chatbots to disclose they aren't therapists.
• Neurodiversity: How ADHD and Autism impact a user's relationship with AI and how AI perceives those users.
• AI Relationships: The rise of AI companions and the psychological impact of "ending" these digital relationships.
• The "Engagement Machine": How AI is designed to keep users on the system, regardless of their mental state.

Explicit. Caesar is grumpy because the podcasting software that he uses sucks ad he wants to rant about it!

Sean Agnew along with Christian Adams, author and expat, join the show.

Christian’s website is https://blacksunshinemedia.com, and the title of (one of his books) is "Year of the Rat", available wherever books are sold (Apple, Google, B&N, Amazon, etc.)

Caesar and Pokie look back on the Music, Movies, Sports, of 2025, and reflect back on their personal experiences as well.

Caesar and Pokie look back at some of the world events from the year 2025.

Christian Adams, author and expat, joins the show.

Christian’s website is https://blacksunshinemedia.com, and the title of (one of his books) is "Year of the Rat", available wherever books are sold (Apple, Google, B&N, Amazon, etc.)

Looking back at the year 2025, Part 1

Part 3 of the Shotgun Mike Hostettler Interview.

(Explicit content) Shotgun Mike Hostettler joins Caesar on the show to talk about Donald Trump, democracy, protests, elections, free speech, censorship, Hitler, Nazis, Isreal, hatred towards Jews, the workplace, unions, AI, and other things.

This is part 2 of a 3 part conversation. 

You can listen to Mike's his music on Spoitfy, check out the Shotgun Mike Hostettler Show, or visit his website at hunchbunny.com for links.

We’re doing things a little differently in this episode. For the first 25 minutes, we sit down with TGBI’s most frequent guest, Shotgun Mike Hostettler, to look back on Covid-19 and talk about how the pandemic shaped our lives and perspectives five years later. In the final half hour, we roll back the clock with a replay of one of Caesar’s original podcast episodes, recorded in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic, offering a snapshot of how things felt in real time. Check out Mike Hostettler at Hunchunny.com, find his new album on Spotify, or listen to The Shotgun Mike Hostettler Show wherever you get your podcasts.