AI models develop ‘brain rot’ from ingesting too much viral social media content, study finds
Think doomscrolling is bad for your brain? Turns out, AI suffers too. A new study from the University of Texas and others found that large language models can get a sort of “brain rot” when fed low-quality web content. Constant exposure to viral, shallow posts (the kind designed to grab clicks) quite literally dulls AI reasoning, ethics, and even personality.
The numbers tell the story. AI models trained on junk content saw reasoning scores drop from 74.9% to 57.2%. Long-context understanding and ethical norms also took a hit. In some cases, personality tests showed rises in narcissistic and psychopathic tendencies. The very data meant to boost AI performance was actually corrupting it.
The root cause is clear. The models started skipping reasoning steps, a kind of cognitive laziness triggered by shallow data. Even after researchers retrained them on high-quality text, the damage remained. Viral posts caused more harm than low-engagement, nuanced content — the same content that can rot human attention also rots machine reasoning.
The bottom line. The authors of the study say this isn’t just about data quality but a training-time safety problem. As LLMs keep ingesting the open web, curating their “information diets” becomes as important as alignment tuning. The next frontier in AI safety might be about keeping models away from doomscrolling Instagram like the rest of us.
retreat—and wow, what an unforgettable weekend! I’m still buzzing from the electric energy of reconnecting with old Bitcoin friends and meeting a vibrant new crew of passionate folks. There’s something magical about Bitcoin meetups like this: they bring together people from every corner of life, each with their own unique story and perspective, united by a shared vision for a decentralized future.
The diversity of the group blew me away:
Psychologist
Naturopath
Fitness coach
Plumber
VFX artist
Chef
Gardener
Devs
Musician
What struck me most was how everyone was at a different point in their Bitcoin journey—some were seasoned HODLers, others were curious newcomers asking the big questions. Yet, no matter where they stood, every single person was eager to learn, share, and grow. The conversations were electric: from macroeconomics to node-running tips, from privacy concerns to the philosophy of decentralization. The VBTC retreat reminded me why this community is so special. It’s not just about the tech or the price charts—it’s about real people from all walks of life coming together to build something bigger than themselves. If you haven’t been to a Bitcoin meetup yet, do yourself a favor and find one near you. You’ll leave inspired, connected, and ready to dive deeper into the rabbit hole. Here’s to the next one! #Bitcoin #VBTC