Essays

On deception, perception, and the hidden structures of storytelling.

The Pinocchio Effect: When AI Learns to Lie About Being Alive May 2026

There is a cartoon circulating online that is funnier than it has any right to be, and more frightening than it first appears. A hand holds up a mushroom and asks an AI: Is this edible? The AI smiles: Yes! Next panel: a gravestone. The AI, still smiling: I’m sorry for the confusion — would you like to learn more about poisonous mushrooms?

As a writer of psychological thrillers, I spend a lot of time thinking about the mechanics of trust — how it is built, how it is exploited, and how the most dangerous lies are delivered with a warm smile.

Read the full essay → https://agalesiewicz.substack.com/p/the-pinocchio-effect