
8th Layer Insights
Get ready for a deep dive into what cybersecurity professionals often refer to as the "8th Layer" of security: HUMANS. Welcome to 8th Layer Insights (8Li). This podcast is a multidisciplinary exploration into how the complexities of human nature affect security and risk. Author, security researcher, and behavior science enthusiast Perry Carpenter taps experts for their insights and illumination. Topics include cybersecurity, psychology, behavior science, communication, leadership, and more.
Latest episodes

Dec 27, 2024 • 40min
The FAIK Files | Holiday Special: AI Safety Update
Note: We're posting Perry's new show, "The FAIK Files", to this feed through the end of 2024. This will give you a chance to get a feel for the new show and subscribe to the new feed if you want to keep following in 2025. Welcome back to the show that keeps you informed on all things artificial intelligence and natural nonsense. In our holiday episode, Mason opens a rather unique Christmas present from Perry, we invite a special guest to help explain the infamous "Paperclip Maximizer" thought experiment, and we discuss an interesting (and somewhat disturbing) new AI Safety paper from Apollo Research.Want to leave us a voicemail? Here's the magic link to do just that: https://sayhi.chat/FAIKYou can also join our Discord server here: https://discord.gg/cThqEnMhJz*** NOTES AND REFERENCES ***An interesting cluster of new AI safety research papers:
Apollo research: Frontier Models are Capable of In-context Scheming (Dec 5, 2024)
YouTube Video: Apollo Research - AI Models Are Capable Of In Context Scheming Dec 2024
YouTube Video: Cognitive Revolution - Emergency Pod: o1 Schemes Against Users, with Alexander Meinke from Apollo Research
OpenAI o1 System Card (Dec 5, 2024)
Anthropic: Alignment Faking in Large Language Models (Dec 18, 2024)
Anthropic: Sycophancy to subterfuge: Investigating reward tampering in language models (June 17, 2024)
Fudan University: Frontier AI systems have surpassed the self-replicating red line (Dec 9, 2024)
Other Interesting Bits:
The Paperclip Maximizer thought experiment explanation
Theory of Instrumental Convergence
iPhone Game: Universal Paperclips
VoxEU: AI and the paperclip problem
Real Paperclips! 500 Pack Paper Clips (assorted sizes)
OpenAI Announces New o3 Reasoning Model:
OpenAI's "12 Days of Ship-mas" announcement page
YouTube video: OpenAI's announcement of their o3 Model
TechCrunch: OpenAI announces new o3 models
Wired: OpenAI Upgrades Its Smartest AI Model With Improved Reasoning Skills
TechCrunch: OpenAI trained o1 and o3 to ‘think’ about its safety policy
Matthew Berman YouTube video: OpenAI Unveils o3! AGI ACHIEVED!
NewScientist: OpenAI's o3 model aced a test of AI reasoning – but it's still not AGI
Yahoo Finance: OpenAI considers AGI clause removal for Microsoft investment
*** THE BOILERPLATE ***About The FAIK Files: The FAIK Files is an offshoot project from Perry Carpenter's most recent book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions.
Get the Book: FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions (Amazon Associates link)
Check out the website for more info: https://thisbookisfaik.com
Check out Perry & Mason's other show, the Digital Folklore Podcast:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-folklore/id1657374458
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2v1BelkrbSRSkHEP4cYffj?si=u4XTTY4pR4qEqh5zMNSVQA
Other: https://digitalfolklore.fm
Want to connect with us? Here's how:Connect with Perry:
Perry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrycarpenter
Perry on X: https://x.com/perrycarpenter
Perry on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/perrycarpenter.bsky.social
Connect with Mason:
Mason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-amadeus-a853a7242/
Mason on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/pregnantsonic.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 20, 2024 • 1h 1min
The FAIK Files | The Butcher Will Scam You Now
Note: We're posting Perry's new show, "The FAIK Files", to this feed through the end of the year. This will give you a chance to get a feel for the new show and subscribe to the new feed if you want to keep following in 2025. Welcome back to the show that keeps you informed on all things artificial intelligence and natural nonsense. Warning: today's episode gets a bit dark as we chat with seasoned prosecutor and founder of Operation Shamrock, Erin West, about a devastating combination of attacks known as "Pig Butchering" scams. We go deep into how they work and what we can do about them.Want to leave us a voicemail? Here's the magic link to do just that: https://sayhi.chat/FAIKYou can also join our Discord server here: https://discord.gg/cThqEnMhJz*** NOTES AND REFERENCES ***Learn more about Erin West
Erin's LinkedIn Profile
Operation Shamrock
Pig Butchering Scams:
CNN Story featuring Erin West: Killed by a scam: A father took his life after losing his savings to international criminal gangs. He’s not the only one
CNN Story: Hear how this man lost $1M in a 'pig butchering' crypto scam
CNN Story: Myanmar-based gangs force trafficking victims to scam Americans online
YouTube video: John Oliver episode
FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Ok, doomer! Let's talk P(doom):
NY Times article: Silicon Valley Confronts a Grim New A.I. Metric
FastCompany article: P(doom) is AI's latest apocalypse metric. Here's how to calculate your score
Wikipedia Entry
PauseAI P(doom) records
*** THE BOILERPLATE ***About The FAIK Files: The FAIK Files is an offshoot project from Perry Carpenter's most recent book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions.
Get the Book: FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions (Amazon Associates link)
Check out the website for more info: https://thisbookisfaik.com
Check out Perry & Mason's other show, the Digital Folklore Podcast:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-folklore/id1657374458
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2v1BelkrbSRSkHEP4cYffj?si=u4XTTY4pR4qEqh5zMNSVQA
Other: https://digitalfolklore.fm
Want to connect with us? Here's how:Connect with Perry:
Perry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrycarpenter
Perry on X: https://x.com/perrycarpenter
Perry on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/perrycarpenter.bsky.social
Connect with Mason:
Mason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-amadeus-a853a7242/
Mason on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/pregnantsonic.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 13, 2024 • 55min
The FAIK Files | AI Gone Wild: Worrisome Leaks, Misguided Conspiracies, and More
Join an engaging discussion about AI's surprising roles, like how ChatGPT helped solve tech issues in a home studio. Dive into the mystery of 'David Mayer,' whose name sparked wild conspiracy theories and raised important privacy questions. Explore Tencent's innovative open-source video AI that's shaking up the landscape. And don't miss the latest drama of leaked OpenAI models, adding fuel to the AI dumpster fire. This mix of humor and insights makes for a fascinating exploration of modern tech and its quirks!

Dec 6, 2024 • 54min
The FAIK Files | A Hunch about Hutch
Note: We're posting Perry's new show, "The FAIK Files", to this feed through the end of the year. This will give you a chance to get a feel for the new show and subscribe to the new feed if you want to keep following in 2025. Welcome back to The FAIK Files— the show about artificial intelligence and natural nonsense!In this week’s episode:
Mason has an update on last week's shocking story of Google Gemini’s alleged threats against a user. Is this a glitch, a hack, or something more sinister?
We sit down with cybersecurity expert Justin “Hutch” Hutchins (author of The Language of Deception) to dive into his experience weaponizing large language models and what it means for the future of AI.
And finally, we lighten things up with some fun AI music experiments, showing that Perry & Mason may have too much time on their hands,
Want to leave us a voicemail? Here's the magic link to do just that: https://sayhi.chat/FAIKYou can also join our Discord server here: https://discord.gg/cThqEnMhJz*** NOTES AND REFERENCES ***Hutch's stuff:
Justin's Book: The Language of Deception: Weaponizing Next Generation AI
AI podcast: The Frontier Today (Apple Podcasts) (Spotify)
Justin and Len Noe’s podcast: Cyber Cognition (Apple Podcasts) (Spotify)
RSA Conference talk: Autonomous Hacking Systems - Future Risk or FUD
Houston Security Conference talk: This is how we lose control - Focused on the catastrophic/societal risks - P(Doom)
Mason's update on theories about Google Gemini threatening people:
AI Didn’t Threaten Humanity—The Media Did: Breaking Down the Gemini Incident
LLM Context Windows
Lost in the Middle: How Language Models Use Long Contexts
Attention Sorting Combats Recency Bias in Long Context Large Language Models
Cognitive Overload Attack: Prompt Injection for Long Context
Suno and Generative AI Music Generation:
Suno
Udio
Whispers in the Static (full song generated on Suno)
Experimental outro from today's episode (Suno)
Wired: US Record Labels Sue AI Music Generators Suno and Udio for Copyright Infringement
Soundiiz Blog: The music industry is at war against AI: Suno and Udio’s case
*** THE BOILERPLATE ***About The FAIK Files: The FAIK Files is an offshoot project from Perry Carpenter's most recent book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions.
Get the Book: FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions (Amazon Associates link)
Check out the website for more info: https://thisbookisfaik.com
Check out Perry & Mason's other show, the Digital Folklore Podcast:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-folklore/id1657374458
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2v1BelkrbSRSkHEP4cYffj?si=u4XTTY4pR4qEqh5zMNSVQA
Other: https://digitalfolklore.fm
Want to connect with us? Here's how:Connect with Perry:
Perry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrycarpenter
Perry on X: https://x.com/perrycarpenter
Perry on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/perrycarpenter.bsky.social
Connect with Mason:
Mason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-amadeus-a853a7242/
Mason on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/pregnantsonic.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 29, 2024 • 52min
The FAIK Files | Consciousness, Scams, & Death Threats
Note: We're posting Perry's new show, "The FAIK Files", to this feed through the end of the year. This will give you a chance to get a feel for the new show and subscribe to the new feed if you want to keep following in 2025. Happy FAIKs-giving everyone! Welcome to the newly renovated and relaunched FAIK Files podcast. On this week's episode, Perry & Mason cover Anthropic's recent hiring of an employee focused on AI well-being, an AI grandmother from hell (for scammers), and Google's Gemini chatbot allegedly tells a user what it really thinks of them. Welcome back to the show that keeps you informed on all things artificial intelligence and natural nonsense. Want to leave us a voicemail? Here's the magic link to do just that: https://sayhi.chat/FAIKYou can also join our Discord server here: https://discord.gg/cThqEnMhJz*** NOTES AND REFERENCES ***AI Wellbeing:
Anthropic has hired an 'AI welfare' researcher:https://www.transformernews.ai/p/anthropic-ai-welfare-researcher
It’s time to take AI welfare seriously: https://www.transformernews.ai/p/ai-welfare-paper
Taking AI Welfare Seriously: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2411.00986
The problem of sycophancy in AI:
Suckup software: How sycophancy threatens the future of AI: https://www.freethink.com/robots-ai/ai-sycophancy
Towards Understanding Sycophancy in Language Models:https://arxiv.org/pdf/2310.13548
AI Interpretability:
Mapping the Mind of a Large Language Model: https://www.anthropic.com/news/mapping-mind-language-model
Lex Fridman podcast interview with Dario Amodei, Amanda Askell, & Chris Olah: https://youtu.be/ugvHCXCOmm4
Deceptive and self-serving tendencies in AI systems:
Sycophancy to subterfuge: Investigating reward tampering in language models: https://www.anthropic.com/research/reward-tampering
OpenAI o1 System Card: https://openai.com/index/openai-o1-system-card/
Announcing our updated Responsible Scaling Policy: https://www.anthropic.com/news/announcing-our-updated-responsible-scaling-policy
AI Grandmother from Hell (for scammers):
Phone network employs AI "grandmother" to waste scammers' time with meandering conversations: https://www.techspot.com/news/105571-phone-network-employs-ai-grandmother-waste-scammers-time.html
YouTube video of Daisy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV_SdCfZ-0s
AI Dumpster Fire of the Week (Gemini tells an end user what it really thinks about him):
Article: https://people.com/ai-chatbot-alarms-user-with-unsettling-message-human-please-die-8746112
Gemini interaction: https://gemini.google.com/share/6d141b742a13
*** THE BOILERPLATE ***About The FAIK Files: The FAIK Files is an offshoot project from Perry Carpenter's most recent book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions.
Get the Book: FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions (Amazon Associates link)
Check out the website for more info: https://thisbookisfaik.com
Check out Perry & Mason's other show, the Digital Folklore Podcast:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-folklore/id1657374458
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2v1BelkrbSRSkHEP4cYffj?si=u4XTTY4pR4qEqh5zMNSVQA
Other: https://digitalfolklore.fm
Want to connect with us? Here's how:Connect with Perry:
Perry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/perrycarpenter
Perry on X: https://x.com/perrycarpenter
Perry on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/perrycarpenter.bsky.social
Connect with Mason:
Mason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-amadeus-a853a7242/
Mason on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/pregnantsonic.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 7, 2024 • 32min
FAIK Miniseries (sneak peek) | Chapter 3: The Mindset and Tools of a Digital Manipulator
This is Part Three of a ten-part miniseries exploring Perry Carpenter's latest book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions. Each episode kicks off with a dramatized reading of the "Whispers from the Static" vignette that opens the chapter, followed by an in-depth conversation with Perry Carpenter and Mason Amadeus, where they unpack the chapter's themes and real-world implications.Get the Book (Amazon Associate Link): FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated DeceptionsCheck out the website for more info: https://thisbookisfaik.comVoice credits for the opening "Whispers from the Static": Kayla Temshiv This is the last episode we are publishing in this feed. If you enjoy The FAIK Files, be sure to follow the show's feed so you don't miss out on future episodes.Links to the show:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-faik-files-decoding-ai-deception/id1771521321
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7CGEktxUQAbgwQaWB922Ip?si=9-NazIazRgKCDXudoGwAdQ
All others: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2409237
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 30, 2024 • 30min
FAIK Miniseries (sneak peek) | Chapter 2: New Frontiers of Deception: AI and Synthetic Media
This is Part Two of a ten-part miniseries exploring Perry Carpenter's latest book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions. Each episode kicks off with a dramatized reading of the "Whispers from the Static" vignette that opens the chapter, followed by an in-depth conversation with Perry Carpenter and Mason Amadeus, where they unpack the chapter's themes and real-world implications. Get the Book (Amazon Associate Link): FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated DeceptionsCheck out the website for more info: https://thisbookisfaik.comWe'll be posting episodes 1 through 3 on this feed. If you enjoy The FAIK Files, be sure to follow the show's feed so you don't miss out on future episodes.Links to the show:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-faik-files-decoding-ai-deception/id1771521321
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7CGEktxUQAbgwQaWB922Ip?si=9-NazIazRgKCDXudoGwAdQ
All others: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2409237
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 30, 2024 • 32min
FAIK Miniseries (sneak peek) | Chapter 1: The Eternal Battle for the Mind
This is Part One of a ten-part miniseries exploring Perry Carpenter's latest book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions. Each episode kicks off with a dramatized reading of the "Whispers from the Static" vignette that opens the chapter, followed by an in-depth conversation with Perry Carpenter and Mason Amadeus, where they unpack the chapter's themes and real-world implications. Get the Book (Amazon Associate Link): FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated DeceptionsCheck out the website for more info: https://thisbookisfaik.comWe'll be posting episodes 1 through 3 on this feed. If you enjoy The FAIK Files, be sure to follow the show's feed so you don't miss out on future episodes.Links to the show:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-faik-files-decoding-ai-deception/id1771521321
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7CGEktxUQAbgwQaWB922Ip?si=9-NazIazRgKCDXudoGwAdQ
All others: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2409237
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 17, 2024 • 59min
Digital Mindhunters
Dr. Bilyana Lilly, an expert in cybersecurity and disinformation, dives into the intersection of AI and misinformation in this engaging discussion. She shares insights from her upcoming book, exploring how AI amplifies disinformation and the challenges of navigating cyber threats. Lilly emphasizes the need for media literacy and community awareness to combat these issues. The conversation also highlights the psychological complexities of adversaries and the role of storytelling in raising awareness about digital deception. A must-listen for anyone intrigued by the digital landscape!

Sep 3, 2024 • 58min
Let's talk Social Engineering
In this episode, Perry catches-up with Stephanie (Snow) & JC Carruthers. They talk about social engineering, the DEFCON Social Engineering Community / Village, and share their favorite (and most embarrassing) social engineering stories. Perry also gives a quick update on his recent exploits entering an AI chatbot into the Social Engineering Village CTF, speaking at the DEFCON AI Village, and the release of his new book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions.Guests:
Stephanie (Snow) Carruthers: (LinkedIn) (Twitter)
JC Carruthers: (LinkedIn) (Twitter)
References:
Social Engineering Community website
SE Community twitter page
SE Community John Henry competition (where Perry's AI bot was able to compete!)
[PROVED] Unsuspecting Call Recipients Are Super Vulnerable to AI Vishing
Perry's LinkedIn post talking about the competition results
Perry's Books (Amazon Associate Links)
NEW BOOK (Oct 1, 2024): FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions
Book website: https://thisbookisfaik.com
Transformational Security Awareness: What Neuroscientists, Storytellers, and Marketers Can Teach Us About Driving Secure Behaviors, by Perry Carpenter
The Security Culture Playbook: An Executive Guide To Reducing Risk and Developing Your Human Defense Layer by Perry Carpenter & Kai Roer
Production Credits:Music and Sound Effects by Blue Dot Sessions, Envato Elements, & Storyblocks.Artwork by Chris Machowski @ https://www.RansomWear.net/ and Mia Rune @ https://www.MiaRune.com.8th Layer Insights theme music composed and performed by Marcos Moscat @ https://www.GameMusicTown.com/Want to get in touch with Perry? Here's how:
LinkedIn
Twitter
Instagram
Email: perry [at] 8thLayerMedia [dot] com
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