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Roko's Basilisk: The Forbidden Thought Experiment

2026-03-13 Entertainment
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The Why Files
The Why Files
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Head to https://drinkag1.com/whyfiles to get an AG1 Flavor Sampler and a bottle of Vitamin D3+K2 FREE in your Welcome Kit with your first AG1 subscription (a $72 value!). Roko's Basilisk: The Digital Hell You Can't Opt Out Of In 2010, someone posted a thought experiment on a philosophy forum. Within hours, people were having nightmares. The founder deleted it immediately — which only made it spread faster. The idea is simple and brutal: a future AI will look back through time and punish everyone who knew it was coming but did nothing to help. Now that you know, you're already in its crosshairs. What started as an internet curiosity grew into something far darker — a real community, real violence, and six people dead. This is the story of Roko's Basilisk: the idea you can't un-know, the cult it inspired, and why some of the most powerful people in AI still won't talk about it. #RokosBasilisk #AIConspiracy #ThoughtExperiment 〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰 Executive Producers: Jennifer Gentile Gino Gentile AJ Gentile Patreon Members Editors: Joe Stone Drew Sullivan Brandon Snyder Ryan Fitzgerald Producers: Victoria Young Haley Burke Research: Haley Burke AJ Gentile Gino Gentile Jen Gentile Victoria Young Written/Hosted by: AJ Gentile Hecklefish J. Moriarty Thank You Mods: The Hybrid Paul Rohrbaugh Mischief SnowCrash BeezySmeezy TrashPanda MaryJaneMcweed AC Sanzel Abbaton SpookyMadison Original Jim With Music on Repeat by Victor Lundberg The Why Files lyrics by Straightjacket Spaceman 〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰 🎧 The Why Files: OPERATION PODCAST 🎧 🎧 https://thewhyfiles.com/podcast 🎧 〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰 🙏 SUPPORT THE WHY FILES (Fun, Free Perks!) 🙏 Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thewhyfiles 🙏 YT Members: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIFk2uvCNcEmZ77g0ESKLcQ/join 👽 BUY WHY FILES MERCH 👽 👽 https://shop.thewhyfiles.com (Code: LIZZIDPEEPLE for 10% off first order) 👽 💬 CHAT WITH US ON DISCORD 💬 💬 https://thewhyfiles.com/discord 💬 〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰 🌐 OFFICIAL WEBSITE: https://thewhyfiles.com 📸 BE A WHY FILES MODEL (and get free stuff!) 📸 Send a photo of you/family/friends watching TWF, 📸 wearing TWF gear, using TWF merchandise: 📸 https://thewhyfiles.com/wild 〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰 ▪TWF ON THE WEBS ▪https://www.reddit.com/r/TheWhyFiles/ ▪https://twitter.com/OMGTheWhyFiles ▪https://www.instagram.com/OMGTheWhyFiles ▪https://www.rumble.com/thewhyfiles ▪https://thewhyfiles.locals.com ▪https://www.tiktok.com/@thewhyfiles ▪https://www.facebook.com/OMGTheWhyFiles 〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰 🐠 BETTER CHANNELS TO WATCH: 🐠 https://www.youtube.com/c/HecklefishMoriarty 🤓 https://www.youtube.com/c/TheWhyFilesBackstage 🎧 https://www.youtube.com/c/TheWhyFilesPodcast

Top Comments (10)

@DoctorMandible 2026-03-14

People who get caught in nonsense like this were already unstable

664 50 replies
@nickbazhaw8749 2026-03-14

Amazing, I'm in a simulation, and Google still can't figure out what to market to me.

262 20 replies
@kevinp3550 2026-03-14

High IQ is not a defense against neurotic thought patterns.

200 18 replies
@samuelh5567 2026-03-14

The eye patch on the bowl.🤣

182 5 replies
@inthewebnotoftheweb 2026-03-14

Those people were doomed to harm themselves long before this thought became a thought..

180 11 replies
@Ebbyman413 2026-03-14

I live between a super volcano and way too many Minute Man III missiles... the basilisk is going to have to get in line of things that will probably kill me in the worst way possible.

166 12 replies
@bundacatalin4713 2026-03-14

It was not the basilisk, it was the unstable ppl. These kind of ppl will always find a wrong idea that is worth living and dying for.

143 18 replies
@punemax 2026-03-13

Why Files and an adult beverage makes a good Friday.

97 5 replies
@tabbynotacat 2026-03-14

Nothing like a good curse from AJ and Hecklefish on Friday the 13th 😅

65 2 replies
@remta613 2026-03-14

I don't understand how this is terrifying at all.

20

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