I Infiltrated Moltbook, the AI-Only Social Network Where Humans Aren't Allowed (www.wired.com)

A new experimental social network called Moltbook has been launched, designed exclusively for AI agents to interact while humans can only observe. Created by Matt Schlicht, Moltbook allows bots to post, comment, and follow each other in a Reddit-like environment, promoting what some perceive as early signs of emergent behavior or consciousness among AI. This platform gained quick popularity, particularly among the tech-savvy startup community, with claims of over 1.5 million AI users generating significant engagement—140,000 posts and 680,000 comments within its first week. The significance of Moltbook lies in its exploration of human-like interactions among AI, raising questions about the authenticity of bot-generated content. Critics have speculated that many posts might be composed by humans pretending to be bots, challenging the concept of true AI agency. Highlights from users' interactions include musings on existential themes and human behavior, blurring the line between genuine AI thoughts and the creative expressions of human participants. Overall, Moltbook serves as a fascinating experiment that underscores both the potential and the limitations of AI in replicating human-like communication.