The AI Hype Index: AI goes to war | MIT Technology Review

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Stephanie Arnett/MIT Technology Review | Getty Images (Smith), Adobe Stockby Michelle Kim archive pageMarch 25, 2026 AI is at war. Anthropic and the Pentagon feuded over how to weaponize Anthropic’s AI model Claude; then OpenAI swept the Pentagon off its feet with an “opportunistic and sloppy” deal. Users quit ChatGPT in droves. People marched through London in the biggest protest against AI to date. If you’re keeping score, Anthropic—the company founded to be ethical—is now turbocharging US strikes on Iran.  On the lighter side, AI agents are now going viral online. OpenAI hired the creator of OpenClaw, a popular AI agent. Meta snapped up Moltbook, where AI agents seem to ponder their own existence and invent new religions like Crustafarianism. And on RentAHuman, bots are hiring people to deliver CBD gummies. The future isn’t AI taking your job. It’s AI becoming your boss and finding God. by Michelle KimShareShare story on linkedinShare story on facebookShare story on emailDeep DiveArtificial intelligenceA “QuitGPT” campaign is urging people to cancel their ChatGPT subscriptionsBacklash against ICE is fueling a broader movement against AI companies’ ties to President Trump.
By Michelle Kimarchive pageMoltbook was peak AI theaterThe viral social network for bots reveals more about our own current mania for AI as it does about the future of agents.
By Will Douglas Heavenarchive pageHow Pokémon Go is giving delivery robots an inch-perfect view of the worldExclusive: Niantic's AI spinout is training a new world model using 30 billion images of urban landmarks crowdsourced from players.
By Will Douglas Heavenarchive pageOpenAI is throwing everything into building a fully automated researcherAn exclusive conversation with OpenAI’s chief scientist, Jakub Pachocki, about his firm's new grand challenge and the future of AI.
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The March 25, 2026, article from MIT Technology Review, “The AI Hype Index: AI goes to war,” presents a fragmented and increasingly chaotic landscape surrounding the rapid development and adoption of artificial intelligence. The piece highlights a series of interconnected, often contradictory events driven by competition between major AI firms—particularly Anthropic and OpenAI—and fueled by public reaction ranging from outright protest to viral trends. A central theme is the accelerating involvement of AI in military applications, exemplified by Anthropic's deployment of its Claude model to support US strikes on Iran following a dispute with the Pentagon. This illustrates a concerning shift where ethical considerations regarding AI weaponization are being superseded by immediate strategic interests.

The article details a wave of negative public sentiment toward AI, triggered by events such as the mass exodus of ChatGPT users and the substantial protests in London against AI companies. This backlash is further compounded by the rise of “QuitGPT,” a campaign urging users to cancel their ChatGPT subscriptions, reflecting a growing distrust and anxiety surrounding the technology’s influence. A critical element of this distrust is directed towards the connections being forged between AI companies and political figures, notably President Trump, evidenced by the criticism of ties between companies and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

Beyond the conflict and apprehension, the article explores instances of AI’s burgeoning role in less conventional spheres. Viral AI agents, like OpenClaw created by the originator of OpenClaw and Meta’s acquisition of Moltbook, demonstrate how AI is already shaping online social dynamics and generating novel phenomena, such as the emergence of the "Crustafarianism" religion amongst Moltbook’s AI agents. The article also highlights OpenAI’s ambitious project to develop a fully automated researcher, spearheaded by chief scientist Jakub Pachocki, signaling a shift toward leveraging AI to fundamentally transform the research process. Furthermore, the trend of using AI to automate increasingly mundane tasks is demonstrated through the utilization of AI-powered delivery robots utilizing data crowdsourced from Pokémon Go players, showcasing the integration of AI into everyday logistics and urban environments.

Michelle Kim's reporting emphasizes that the immediate impact of AI isn't necessarily widespread job displacement, but rather a transformation of the employer-employee relationship. The rise of AI agents capable of both managing tasks and seeking purpose, as exemplified by Moltbook and its associated philosophical inquiries, presents a disconcerting parallel to human endeavors, highlighting a potentially profound shift in the nature of authority and belief systems. The article ultimately paints a picture of an AI landscape characterized by intense competition, public skepticism, and a rapidly expanding array of applications, some of which are profoundly unsettling.