Matt Case - October 27th, 20205 

From pickup lines to primates — A.I. just crossed the weird line

Artificial intelligence was supposed to make life easier. Instead, it’s making it stranger by the day.

Take dating. A growing number of singles are using chatbots like ChatGPT to write flirty messages on apps — and it’s working a little too well. One woman told The Guardian she realized she’d been “ChatGPT-ed into bed” after discovering her date’s smooth digital charm didn’t quite translate in person. Experts warn it’s blurring the line between authenticity and deception. After all, A.I. can fake confidence, but not chemistry.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is bringing back a ghost from the early internet 

The company just launched “Mico,” a glowing, animated blob that serves as the face of its Copilot A.I. assistant. It changes colors, dances, even throws on glasses when it’s “thinking.” It’s designed to make A.I. feel friendly, not freaky — though the fact that we need a cartoon character to remind us our software has feelings might already be a little freaky.

Then there’s Newark, New Jersey — where police say a full-blown monkey scare turned out to be an A.I. hoax.

Viral photos of primates raiding dumpsters sent officers racing across town, only to discover the images were entirely fake. Just another reminder that in 2025, even your neighborhood wildlife might be a deepfake.

From fake romance to fake assistants to fake monkeys, it’s clear: A.I. isn’t just helping us live online — it’s rewriting what’s real. And it’s starting to feel like we’re not the ones in control anymore.