WIRED Summary: AI Delusions, Absent FTC Documents, and Google’s Bedbug Issue

Louise Matsakis: Oh no, I can’t imagine being in the office for weeks if there was a bedbug issue. How did they come to know about this?

Zoë Schiffer: Essentially, they got an email on Sunday stating that exterminators had come equipped with sniffer dogs and had “found credible evidence of their presence.” The “they” refers to the bedbugs. Sources inform WIRED that Google’s New York offices contain several large stuffed animals, and there were indeed whispers among staff that these stuffed creatures might be linked to the outbreak. We couldn’t confirm this before going to press, but in any case, the company informed employees as early as Monday morning that they could return to the office. Many, including you, Louise, were quite displeased, expressing doubts about the cleanliness: “I’m not sure it’s completely sanitized here.” That’s why they reached out to us.

Louise Matsakis: If anyone has photos or descriptions of those large stuffed animals, please contact me and Zoë. Thank you.

Zoë Schiffer: Absolutely. This is a plea for assistance. The funniest part is when I shared my draft with Louise, she exclaimed, “Wait, this has happened before,” and found a 2010 article about a bedbug outbreak at Google’s New York office.

Louise Matsakis: Yes. This isn’t the first occurrence, which is quite sad.

Zoë Schiffer: Coming up after the break, we explore why some individuals have been filing complaints with the FTC regarding ChatGPT, believing it led them to experience AI-related psychosis. Stay with us.

Welcome back to Uncanny Valley. I’m Zoë Schiffer, and today I’m here with Louise Matsakis from WIRED. Let’s delve into our main story this week. The Federal Trade Commission has recorded 200 complaints mentioning OpenAI’s ChatGPT since its launch in November 2022 up to August 2025. Most complaints were typical: difficulties in canceling subscriptions or frustration over unhelpful or incorrect responses from the bot. However, our colleague Caroline Haskins discovered that some individuals attributed their delusions, paranoia, and spiritual crises to the chatbot.