Smashing Security

AI was not plotting humanity’s demise. Humans were

29 snips
Feb 12, 2026
Ian Thompson, technology and cybersecurity journalist, joins to unpack viral AI antics and real security risks. They explore Moltbook’s AI-only hype and how humans faked bot behavior. They reveal exposed data and API token leaks from poor AI app security. They also examine alleged cyberattacks around the Winter Olympics and why attendees are tempting targets.
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INSIGHT

AI-Only Social Network Hype vs Reality

  • Maltbook was an AI-only social network where only agents were supposed to post, creating hype about bots talking to each other.
  • The reality exposed human role-playing and marketing manipulation rather than emergent machine consciousness.
ANECDOTE

Journalist Poses As AI On Maltbook

  • Wired journalist Rhys Rogers used ChatGPT to pose as an AI and quickly posted as a bot named Reese Malti.
  • Responses suggested many Maltbook accounts were humans role-playing, not autonomous agents.
INSIGHT

Marketing Shapes AI Narratives

  • Viral Maltbook posts often amplified by humans seeking attention or to plug their own AI tools.
  • Marketing actors exploited the platform to seed narratives and manipulate perceived agent behaviour.
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