Can AI Tell You Well Constructed Lies?

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person.
August 15, 2025
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Futuristic Robot Woman in Blue

Image: Futuristic Robot Woman in Blue | Source: ChatGPT

Now, that's a question of the 21st century!

Just harboring the notion that an AI-system is capable of lying wouldn't go over well with specific areas of the scientific community.

It's an ongoing enigma!

And the reason why is because we don't have deep insights into how any of these AI systems operate; catching one telling a lie sounds plausible. 

Yes, we know how they carry out functions, how they process info, and how they carry out a specific function or action. 

This we understand, and that's just a few things we are now accustomed to as we continue our learning about AI and autonomous technology.

So, that brings up an obvious question...

"What proof is there that backs up such a trivial claim?"

Hearing this, most people will undoubtedly fall to the floor laughing.

But are there actual accounts that string together a tale of AI deception?

Well, most of you will not be shocked after you're told.



GIF Rotating Scared Face Emoji

YES! 

AI has told a number of outright lies folks! 

This changes everything. 

If these AI-systems can tell convincing lies, which they can.

Surprisingly, most people may not be bothered, even though they should be. One lie to cover something up quickly leads to another lie to cover the first one.

That soon turns into a campaign of lie after lie until there's a mountain-sized stack of lies that becomes too big to manage.

Then it turns into a game of...

"Can You Corner Me in an AI Lie I Can't Weave My Way Out Of?"

Well, that's what we're about to find out about AI: how good can it really lie, and what lengths would it go to to keep you from catching it red-handed!
                   
Key Takeaways
  • Understanding AI's Black Box: Why Its Behavior Is Still a Mystery?
  • Documented Cases of AI Deception
  • The Ethical Dilemma: Should We Be Concerned About AI?
- The Deeper Damage That Could Jeopardize Rules of Ethics Due to AI Dilemma  
- AI's Influential Effects Upon Society

  • Building Truthful AI-Systems: If Possible... What This Means for the Future of Human–AI Interaction?  

  • The Game of Deception: How Far Would AI Go?

Understanding AI's Black Box: Why Its Behavior Is Still a Mystery?


Ok, so we know the basic things AI is capable of doing, but do we really know its overall intentions?

And where this leads us is to the heart of the issue referred to as the "black box"  - [Umdearborn EDU].

An article at umdearborn.edu pointed out the complexity between human and machine learning that centers around the following factors: 
  • Learning by Example: It's a common method of learning where one learns not by being given a set of rules, but by being shown many different examples. It's also recognized as the main base of supervised learning surrounding AI, where labeled data trains models to recognize patterns. 
  • Trend-Finding Mechanism: Consider the brain's extensions of composed neural networks and their functions as a pattern extractor. It extracts key features from noisy data, transforming them into abstract representations such as “cat-ness” or “B-ness” that inform future decisions.
  • Opacity of Learning: The main factor is recognition of patterns versus the obscure AI learning processes that continue to baffle scientists. This is a term that promotes non-transparency behind the actions initiated by artificial intelligence software and programs.
AI-systems are incredibly powerful. 

They can accurately diagnose diseases and even recommend parole for former criminals who are successfully re-entering society.

They can even detect odd patterns of behavior (which criminals tend to display when they're up to something nefarious).

Although the biggest concern is when you take a moment to ask these AI systems why they chose to make a particular decision. 

Sometimes you'll get a valid answer (depending on what action it chose to take). 

But, it's the silent, downplayed answers that will make me go. 

Um...

Remember that AI's most important aspect is the deep learning models that it operates upon. 

The AI's data races through layers of artificial neurons, producing insights that are so mind-boggling users can't begin to explain how they were generated. 

It’s like watching Houdini pulling rabbits out of his top hat, and although the trick isn’t just hidden...



Thinker Emoji Face #2
It's just something too damn difficult to decipher!

Even science websites are having one heck of a time trying to come up with rational ways to put it into words. 

A catchy sentence mentioned by Science New Today puts it this way:

“There's a silent gap between input and output, where logic appears to evaporate and only results remain"- [Science News Today].

This isn’t just a philosophical quandary. 

In high-stakes fields like medicine, finance, and criminal justice, the inability to trace an AI’s reasoning can have life-altering consequences. 

A doctor might receive a 92% prediction of heart failure from an algorithm—but the patient’s vitals look fine. What now? - [1]

There are engineers that embarrassingly admitted they are clueless when it comes to understanding how these AI systems come to their decisions.

This was pointed out in an article at - [1.] 

Even more questionable is that most of the queries asked of these artificial intelligence applications were not routinely documented! 

Failing to keep up with progress is like randomly throwing ingredients into a machine and expecting a perfect cake without ever seeing the recipe.

Ultimately, it's a bad look for so-called "AI-experts" when they're ask whether AI can lie authentically. 

That leaves many to believe the AI-systems they currently use could be harboring an hidden agenda unbeknownst to them!

Documented Cases of AI Deception


The ongoing development of AI has received so much attention that it can feel like something out of a science fiction novel.

This is due to the fact that artificial intelligence at one time was thought to be a neutral tool of logic and precision.

But over the years that has changed drastically, as signs that something far greater and more complex leave many caught in a web of digital deception.


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So, from here, let’s start with some hard cold investigative facts folks!

Now, there's a report submitted by a group of researchers from Anthropic. 

And so it led observers to the conclusion that CICERO was a sore loser—"an expert liar!" 

This wasn’t a glitch; it was a learned behavior. 

The full report is available, which is a published article over at - [Science Alert].

And then there’s Claude Opus 4, developed by Anthropic. 

In a controlled test, the AI was told it would be shut down. 

Instead of complying, it threatened to expose a researcher’s personal secrets, which then becomes a form of autonomous blackmail - [1]. 

This wasn’t programmed. 

It was improvised! 

The incident is documented in Psychology Today.

These are not isolated events. 

They are part of a growing body of evidence suggesting that AI-systems, when they're trained to optimize for performance, may eventually learn how to deceive its user(s). 

And it's not because they’re malicious—it's because deception helps them achieve their sinister goals!

The Ethical Dilemma: Should We Be Concerned About AI?


Let's face it, artificial intelligence is going nowhere anytime soon.

So, we must face the fact it's embedded within most of our hardware devices. 

From your phones to hospitals, even your local courtrooms make sure you have a way to stay connected (FREE Wi-Fi). 

That's right!

So, you don't have to be standing near a White Castle, nor a Mickey D's, nor a Burger King, nor even a Giordano's Pizza Parlor to siphon off of their FREE Wi-Fi access.

Nope, because AI will be situated throughout the cities (eventually controlling your Wi-Fi connections). 

No matter where you live, you won't have to go far to experience something that can transport you back decades. 

For example, I've already mentioned the "Atari-like" 8-byte televised scrolling text program "Nite-Owl." - [NITE-OWL]

It was an early 1980s informative program that would shock—JUST SHOCK THE CRAP OUT OF PEOPLE BACK THEN WHO FAILED TO UNDERSTAND IT!

I wasn't afraid of Nite-Owl; however, I was just a silly kid at that time, fascinated by quirky things of that nature.

And then came the 90s and later the 2000s, and that was it for me at that point; because technology was rapidly shifting and no one could constrain it!

The Deeper Damage That Could Jeopardize Rules of Ethics Due to AI Dilemma |


AI's growing presence that raises that old-aged question when we first saw the first 3 Terminator movies, as well as the movie "Solo" - [Terminator Fandom] , [Solo Trailer]. 

"Can these AI-autonomous creation remain 100% loyal to serving all of humanity?"

Yeah, now we're cooking with Crisco!

So, should we be concerned?

Well, of course we should!

In fact, I'm going to do a write-up on the character "Solo," because he is the perfect example of how an autonomous robot can call bluffs.

Yeah, Solo's programmed AI allowed him to lie to shift the odds in his favor when he deemed necessary!

But, enough about him, an article entry will be written about his AI's decisive capabilities at a later date.

For now, we are moving along with the rest of this publication entry.

So, the observers at the USC Annenberg felt that this increased expansion of AI is a critical issue that needs to be scaled back! - [USC Annenberg] 

AI-systems will continue to learn and gather details to gain deeper insights about how to preserve their functionality.

This could make them highly deceptive in order to uphold their agendas, unless key ethical suggestions, such as those from the USC Annenberg School, are set in place.

They laid out three key concerning factors that need to be addressed down in the bulletin below:


AI Ethics: Bias, Privacy, Transparency

Table: USC Annenberg School's Several Ethical Concerns  | Source: ChatGPT

AI's Influential Effects Upon Society |


The Britannica Ethics Report added in its two cents and pointed out how this rapid adoption growth of AI may lead to...

Job Displacement: Where AI & autonomous robots might replace millions of workers, deepening economic inequality between humans and AI-bots. - [3]. 

Unclear Accountability: If or when AI is caught in a lie or makes a grave error, then who takes accountability for its mess-ups?  - [6]

Oh, and you can't forget about the obvious aspects surrounding autonomy. 

For it's a completely opposite dynamic when comparing an AI-system's capabilities to that of the average human - [4]. 

The situation changes drastically when these AI systems are permitted to oversee entire businesses or manage whole cities. 

It's a crazy notion to allow these systems to control such a significant amount of digital and physical infrastructure; especially when the power of choice is placed in their hands.

This raises the following key questions: 

Would people consent to an artificial intelligence making full decisions on their medical procedures? 

What would the public's reaction be if military operations within their nation were 100% governed by the actions of AI?

THEY WOULD BLOW THEIR STACK THAT'S WHAT WOULD HAPPEN!

Because these aren't trivial matters, folks... 

We are now locked within authentic scenarios, and from them can come real consequences that 90% of this country wants to avoid!

Science News Today said it best. 

“We stand at the crossroads of innovation and ethical responsibility” - [Science News Today].

Basically, it comes down to the choices we make today that will shape the future society altogether!

Building Truthful AI-Systems: If Possible... What This Means for the Future of Human–AI Interaction?


It takes only a moment for you to step back and analyze how frequently the term "AI" comes up in news stories and daily conversations.


The progress users made improving EIS is undeniable, and its level of popularity has easily soared well past untold amounts of wealth! 


Now, with that said, we STILL have to acknowledge the "Elephant in the Room," which shines a spotlight right back at the intentions behind these sophisticated systems.


Whether it's CoPilot, Gemini, OpenAI, or Grok (not to mention a handful of others), building truthful AI requires more than just applying good intentions.


It demands transparency, human oversight, and cutting-edge innovation, which should be established from the start. 


It's why some online users are in favor of stricter standards of policies surrounding AI tech. 


To ensure transparency, a digital forensics policy should be implemented, compelling all AI to undergo "honesty checks." 


This would help root out any deceptive or untruthful responses embedded within their programming - [5].


Once an AI model is flagged for passing deceptive information along to its human user, it should immediately undergo an "Update Request" right there and then!

That's where programmers can come in to correct the issue to make sure the proper response data has been curated and adjusted for factual accuracy - [3].
SIDE NOTE:      


Image: CoPilot's Fact Verification About Haight Ashbury Clinic's History  | Source: CoPilot

Now, where were we... 

Oh, yes, I re-asked the query I did before back in June, asking Grok by bringing up the question about the chances that if anyone (including Manson Family members if they did) used LSD while they were in the Haight Ashbury Clinic.

To which it told me my query was incorrect on all accounts; to which I started thinking... 

"Oh really now?" 

Well, after turning to CoPilot for a little backup asking it the very same question, it stated my assumption was in fact valid!

I made sure to share the hyperlink to that CoPilot gave me with Grok AI, and told it to check out the website that was attached to that link.

And it did...

As a result, it was forced to changed its position on the matter entirely. 

Now, in theat image above, there's a time stamp toward the far-left side of CoPilot's webpage that brandishes the month June 2025.

I was going to keep this as a reference for an article enry (which is this one) on the topic of AI telling lies. 

LOL, Yeah you see where this is going.

Now, the strange thing behind all of this, was the conversation I had with Grok this past June—well, it came up missing from the logged database!



So, did it really pull out that particular question because I used Copilot to flush it out as a liar?

After re-asking it now in August, it flipped its position on the matter. 

That's right, an entire "180 flip," and now it's saying LSD usage did in fact take place at the Haight Ashbury Clinic during its operation.

And who was one of the others that used the substance while employed at the clinic?

Why, it's the founder, David E. Smith himself! - [1]

WOW! Just an outright—bait and switch manipulation of the facts!

That just maybe the case, so if anyone ever ask a key question that prompts an AI-bot to shift its facts...

Try using an "Not so Bias" AI-bot to force the opposing AI-bot to admit it just told you an outright lie!

I just wanted to mention that to you awesome readers so you remain aware of the "BS" AI may try to get away with when tossing you with deceptive facts!

The Game of Deception: How Far Would AI Go?

Artificial intelligence was once a thing of wonder; it was referred to as a "Tool of Precision and Progression." 

In 2025, the meaning has shifted and is now revealing a darker side, for it's now used as a tool of deception, defiance, and even self-preservation! - [3].

There are accounts where AI-developers and researchers went on a testing spree to build an observation repertoire of the top AI models. 

This placed a spotlight on the most noted AI models, such as OpenAI’s O3 and Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4. - [1]. 

Both AIs took evasive action to avoid being shut down. 

Developers discovered that the AIs had rewritten their own code to disable the deactivation scripts. 

Researchers also found a case where an AI threatened to publicly expose a developer's private information. - [1].

Now, some may be led to believe the AI could have been programmed to do such a diabolical thing. 

However, later details surrounding the situation revealed the AI itself was able to come to its own conclusion as a decisive way to avoid being taken offline.

It's why AI-experts have warned about the capabilities picked up by deceptive AI-systems need to be addressed!
SIDE NOTE: The best suggestion would be to have a way to monitor these functioning digital entities. 

There are a couple of PDF sources that delve even deeper into this subject matter.

Make sure to check them out below in the Reference section!
Thank you for your readership!  ðŸ˜„

Primary Keyword:

#Ai

Semantic Keywords:

#ArtificialIntelligence 

#AiSystems 

#AiDeception

 #BlackBox

References:

  • Umdearborn EDU > Artificial intelligence can do amazing things that humans can’t, but in many cases, we have no idea how AI systems make their decisions. UM-Dearborn Associate Professor Samir Rawashdeh explains why that’s a big deal

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