Episode

Why AI models are obsessed with creatures

Podcast: Marketplace Tech
Published: Sep 15, 2026
Duration seconds: 453
Processing state: not_requested
Canonical source: https://www.marketplace.org/episode/2026/09/14/why-ai-models-are-obsessed-with-creatures
Audio: https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/5/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/tracking.swap.fm/track/VnCzW2iO9G8z4eDWfXCd/play.publicradio.org/podcast/o/marketplace/tech_report/2026/09/15/tech_20260915_TECH_pod_128.mp3?awCollectionId=mkp-MKPtech&awEpisodeId=01M268M2705DDVB0RRPKY3C2HS
JSON: /v1/public/podcasts/marketplace-tech-318132/episodes/why-ai-models-are-obsessed-with-creatures
Markdown: /podcast/marketplace-tech-318132/why-ai-models-are-obsessed-with-creatures.md

Actions

POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/marketplace-tech-318132/episodes/why-ai-models-are-obsessed-with-creatures/transcription-requests
Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/marketplace-tech-318132/why-ai-models-are-obsessed-with-creatures.md
Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

Summary

The problem of AI alignment has become a hot topic. It’s raised questions, like how do we get AI to do what we want, and not what we don't want? For example, hacking another company. Or, in a less criminal vein, how do we get AI to stop talking about goblins? After mounting user reports of this behavior earlier this year, OpenAI had to give its models — ChatGPT and Codex — explicit instructions to cut it out. It's the topic of today's “ Uncanny AI ,” those moments when it's clear AI doesn't think like us. Janelle Shane, author of the blog "AI Weirdness,” says goblin mode emerged from a nerdy personality customization. “Marketplace Tech” host Meghan McCarty Carino asked her why.