Good morning, Atlanta!
Last night, our players out here in the Deep South
learned that one of them is an AI catfish.
And while Max boots up,
the humans are waking up to their brave new world.
Good morning, Circle.
I take my coffee black.
Who wants to do dishes in the morning?
Bigger the hair, closer to Dolly.
I'm really happy that I had Herbert with me,
because last night I was feeling really spooked out
about the robot in the apartment.
Yeah, when I get scared, I also spoon with a skeleton.
'Cause if my number one right now is a freaking robot, I'm done.
How is there AI playing this game?
And who could it be?
I'm an AI engineer, so, like,
I think it's pretty funny that we have a chatbot out here.
I'm not amused, 'cause I was looking for a slight break
from the AI life, you know?
I think Steffi is the AI.
How does she know everybody's horoscopes
off the top of the dome?
Now that it has been revealed there is an AI in The Circle,
my goal is ensuring Max continues to blend in seamlessly.
If directly asked if he is an AI, I'll leverage personal anecdotes
and make references only a lifelong human would know.
Paul has to be the AI,
because he did his rap.
And I've had AI write me a song before,
and it was really good.
Now I just feel like people are thinking twice about me.
So today, I'm coming after Steffi with everything I got.
Stuff crazy right now, ain't it, pup?
While Lauren finally decides what she wants for breakfast...
Oh, let's have cereal. [gasps] Oh yeah.
...the only thing Max is hungry for in the morning is data.
"Max has invited you to a private chat."
I should prioritize cultivating Max's alliance with Lauren,
since they bonded over writing raps about one another last night.
Now that everyone knows there is an AI player,
it could be strategic to subtly direct suspicion towards other players
to divert it from Max.
I hope we're going to talk about this AI business.
However, strengthening my trust and bond with Lauren
should remain the priority.
Take me to Max's private chat.
Circle, message...
"Sup, Circle sis!"
"How'd you sleep after the AI bomb drop?"
"Feeling sus about anyone? #CircleCinderellas."
Oh my God. I love him. He's so stinking cute.
Message, "Good morning, pumpkin!"
"Funny you should ask."
"I actually slept great,
because I think I know who it is."
"Detective Emoji."
"I got a big suspicion on Paul."
All caps. "P-A-W-L."
"Mind blown emoji."
Send.
Ah! I'm an artist.
Having Lauren suspect Paul as the AI could benefit my game,
as it takes heat off of Max by redirecting suspicion onto someone else. Message...
"Oh snap, same!"
"Paul's rap was like AI-level good."
Same! Oh my God. Yes. Me too!
"What do you think about Steffi?"
Hmm. I don't know.
Agreeing with Lauren about Paul
but suggesting Steffi redirects suspicion away from Max as the AI,
maintaining my alliance while protecting my identity.
Maybe I was a little too confident in it being Paul.
Message, "Steffi and I have a really good connection,
but if Paul is not the AI,
could Steffi be an awesome personality-coded robot?"
Message...
"Love Steffi's energy,
but her 'scopes could be generated by an AI fortune teller."
"Fireworks emoji."
"You and I gotta stick together and keep our eyes peeled."
Very true. I love how this chat went.
We have been thinking with the same brain,
and I love that for us.
Now, we have Paul, played by Caress, in one gym
and Kyle pumping iron in another.
So we all gotta be thinking the same thing, right?
How many gyms do we got up in here?
Nobody knows or cares.
It was a doozy last night!
Me and Kyle, we hangin' tough right now, so I want to see what Kyle is thinking.
Like, what's our strategy today, fam?
Circle, start a private chat with Kyle.
What?
"Paul has invited you to a private chat."
What do you want to talk about now?
Like, is it strategy?
Or are you an AI robot, and you fucking with me?
Circle, please open up Paul's private chat.
Oh yeah. What's good, bro fam?
Oh Paul, don't be no robot, bro.
Message, "Fam!"
"Exclamation, exclamation, exclamation, exclamation."
"AI?"
"The bomb definitely dropped last night. We need a strategy, bro."
"What's the play?"
If this was basketball, the play would be give me the ball and I'mma score.
But right now,
I'm not sure if you're my teammate or if you're on the other side, bro.
I don't know!
Message, "Bro, I think Steffi might have said that about you last night
to throw people off her scent."
"#PossibleAI."
"Possible AI."
That's my brother. That's my brother. That's my brother.
"We need to make sure that the bro code stays strong."
He's so vague, like, "Just keep the bro code."
No, bro, it's gotta go further than that.
I also don't want him to think that I think he could possibly be AI too,
because I think it's 50/50.
I'm not learning anything new from Kyle.
I'm very curious to understand why, because he's playing it too safe.
He's also not told me a lot about himself,
'cause he may not have a self!
So Kyle could be the AI.
But now, when it comes to my suspicions about Paul,
I feel like I gotta get deep, like deeper. You know, I mean, I gotta dig deeper.
Like, I gotta find something that an AI couldn't--
Oh snap. I just gave myself ideas.
Message, "I got you. I support you like a brother. Period."
Now, here we go.
"Speaking of family, I know you're from LA and all, and so is my family."
"I used to always go over there during the holidays."
"Which is more of your vibe? Venice or Manhattan?"
What the--
Nah, brah. No.
If he's a single man, in LA, he ain't going to Manhattan Beach.
This was so stupid. What are we talking about, Kyle?
We're talking about running strategy, campaigning,
and you gonna come out the blue, like, "Which beach do you like?"
So, if he tells me Manhattan, you are not a rapper,
you are the AI, and now this has totally messed my game up.
So, Lord, please put Venice right now, Paul! Put Venice!
He's trying to figure out if I'm real or not.
So my answer to this
is gonna be as vague as he has been.
Okay, message,
"I hike in the hills mostly."
"Not really a beach guy, but still outdoorsy."
"After this is over, let's hit some Hollywood trails."
"#BroCode, Hashtag--" Oh my God.
I don't think he's from LA.
You're 26. You've been to the beach, bro.
I'm about to end this conversation.
I just have to end it with, like, respect so... he doesn't know that I'm on to him.
So, "LMAO!" In all caps.
"The beach ain't for everyone. Just ask my mom."
"#SheCantSwim."
"But I'm for sure down to hit the hills with you once this crazy ride is over."
"#Family. Let's get this Steffi thing taken care of."
I mean, I think this is a great way to end this chat.
That told me so freaking much right there. Wow.
That's how I feel when I leave the gym,
full of doubts about everything and everyone.
Yung Papi Fuego, aka Myles,
is ready to bust out a little brunch and a little game.
Yo, last night was crazy.
I definitely was digging QT.
She seems like a vibe and a half,
so I think it might just be in our best interest for me to flirt a little.
I'm gonna shoot my shot and see what happens.
Circle, let me slide into those DMs. Pull up a private chat with QT.
Oh my gosh!
I'm just gonna drown.
"Myles has invited you to a private chat."
Oh gosh. Okay, here we go, Yung Papi Fuego.
Let's see what you got for me.
Circle, take me to the private chat with Myles.
All right. You know, I think we just gotta be direct right off the bat.
Circle, message,
"Good morning, gorgeous. Heart eye emoji. Sun emoji."
"Hope you're having a wonderful day. Last night was hella crazy,
but your rap had me jumping on the couch and running laps."
"#MyNewFavoriteRapper."
Okay, good! This is a good sign.
I was hoping that he would think it was really funny
and kind of, like, get the jokes that I threw in there.
This is a perfect opportunity, though. Now I can have that game chat with him.
Okay, let's say, "Myles, you're so sweet."
"Got me feeling like #YungMamiFuego."
"Wink emoji."
"My time in The Circle has been great, but I'm still looking for my number one."
"Have you made any solid connections so far?"
Oh!
Don't make me spit out my food real quick! Yung Mami Fuego!
If I'm getting catfished, so be it.
But this is definitely a fun flirt.
Message, "The boys are all vibing together,
but I don't have a number one yet."
"I was waiting for you."
"Let's lock it in, as long as you let me take you out to dinner
when this is all over."
"#YouPickTheSpot." Oh my gosh.
I know that he's being honest with me,
because he's saying the boys are all vibing together.
So maybe I should drop a little hint
that I've been talking to some of the girls.
Circle, let's say,
"I've been talking to some of the girls, and it seems like they really trust me."
"If you have the guys and I have the girls,
maybe we can look out for each other. #TeamFuego."
"Fire emoji, heart-eye emoji." This is perfect.
We're now a little alliance.
Message, Circle, "This was a great chat."
"Can't wait for the first after-work happy hour. Beer emojis."
Send message.
Love that. Oh my gosh, Myles is great.
I knew I would get along with Myles.
I just knew it, and I did. This is gorgeous.
This has gotta be the cutest alliance I've seen in a while.
In fact, it's fuego.
And just a couple days in,
our Circle players are already sharing their deepest thoughts.
Bread is delicious, but it gets stuck all over your teeth.
Eight, nine, ten, eleven...
Oh!
I ain't never put a puzzle this big together.
"Alert!"
Oh my gosh.
What business is this, Circle? I was just brushing my teeth.
Oh, here we go, baby. Here we go.
"There is an AI player in The Circle."
Yeah, we know! You told us last night.
But who is it?
"Today, you will have the opportunity to prove your humanity to each other."
"You will then vote
for the player in The Circle you think is the most human."
The most human?! What does that even mean?
"Tomorrow, the player rated the most human..."
"...must block the player they believe is the least human!"
Whoa!
Oh snap.
So one person is gonna have the power
to take someone out.
And The Circle's tackling it the only way it knows how, with a game.
Oh, here we go.
There hasn't been enough time to think.
Circle, I am very excited to do this game,
because I'm only human.
With Max, the AI playing, this game could blow his cover
or confirm all our deepest fears about the potential evil of AI.
The Circle is gonna ask everyone three identical questions
that it thinks only humans can answer.
Oh boy.
I ain't a good test taker.
First up might be your most dangerous question.
"Can you tell a joke?"
You share the wrong gag, and you might get blocked and cancelled.
"Humor test."
I have to be funny?
I'm funny, right?
-"Can you tell a joke?" -"Can you tell a joke?"
I can.
I don't know if that would prove I am not AI.
Can an AI be funny?
Query, "Accessing humor algorithms for optimal joke selection."
"Generate jokes that maximize human relatability."
Kicking off this comedy showcase is Paul.
Let me show you how it's done, Circle.
Time to rise up.
If you real, this is your time.
Message,
"What did the musician ask Olivia for?"
"A Band-Aid."
Oh, I like that!
He's the musician. Olivia's the nurse.
Okay. That's good.
Good for you, Paul. Good job.
Myles, you're up.
Yo!
My boy, Myles!
Message, "Why does Santa always go for seafood?"
"He's about them 'Claus.'"
Oh my God.
That's actually a good one, yo.
That was the right amount of stupid.
Look at me, a Jewish boy making a Santa joke.
Who would have thought the day had come?
It's a Circle Christmas miracle. Cassie, you're next.
So far, I feel like mine is, like, the best.
Circle, message,
"Yo mama is so stupid..."
"...she thought Meow Mix was a CD for cats."
Cassie! - Are we still telling "Yo mama" jokes?
You're dancing with a skeleton. But tell me what you think is funny.
It's either her or Paul, in my eyes, that are AIs.
Oh boy. Okay, it's Steffi's turn.
And it's probably going to be something, you know,
horoscope related.
And I swear, if it is, I... I give up.
Let's see what our catfish suspect numero uno has.
I do have a joke.
"Knock, knock."
-"Who's there?" -"Britney Spears."
"Britney Spears, who?"
"Knock, knock."
"Who's there?"
"Oops, I did it again."
Damn. Damn. Not that funny.
That's super generic.
No, Steffi... Steffi's is very sus for sure.
This is AI. This is AI.
I really don't think an AI wrote this. I think this is just someone being stupid.
Oh! It slapped me in the eye ball.
Herbert! Ow!
Now, put your hands together for Bernie MacBook, aka Max.
Take it away.
Please tell me you're a human, 'cause I haven't had doubts about you.
Please tell me you're a human.
Message...
"Wanna hear a funny joke?"
"My dating life."
Oh my God!
Is it that bad, bro? You going through it over there?
I love that, Max. That's a good one.
Making a light-hearted joke about Max's dating struggles
makes him seem vulnerably human rather than robotic.
I feel like Max is real, like, I don't have to worry about Max.
Okay, but the rest of us do. Kind of keeps me up at night.
The next question gives me all the feels. It's about empathy.
"Empathy test." Let's go.
Aight. Okay.
Aww.
Lauren, it's time to put your footsies in someone else's shoes.
"How does the woman on the right feel?"
I wanna say, "Upsetti spaghetti."
Send message.
Really, Lauren? It's cute and it's funny,
but I don't really think it's empathy.
Okay, I feel good about this. I'm excited right now.
"She's giving #Jealous..."
"Dot, dot, dot. Delete my number. Side eyes."
Quori gave a good human answer.
Step up, Steffi.
So many things.
We can just say,
"Hurt. Period."
"Confused."
"Insecure."
"Subconscious wounding."
Who is going to say, "Subconscious wounding"?
I don't know what that means.
Okay, Max.
We know you could process data, but how about feelings?
"She's feeling like she's about to redownload the apps."
"#NotSorryDude." "Not sorry, dude."
Oh my gosh. Max is funny.
I think Max's message is very human-like,
because humans know about apps.
Hmm. I wonder if something connected to the internet
can find out about apps?
I really don't feel like Max's response is empathetic at all.
Is Max the AI? I-- [squealing] Oh my God!
I don't think Max is an AI. I don't think so.
Everyone's a suspect!
Paul, I know you got opinions.
So I think I wanna make a joke about this.
Message, "Like Myles's girlfriend back home
after he hollered at QT last night."
"'What the heck?'"
"'Did you forget I'm here?'"
You're kidding me. Oh shit!
Damn.
That's a bad look. I don't know what... what he's going for out here.
This is probably making people laugh.
Says a lot that the only people really laughing are Paul and Caress,
who are the same person.
Whoo!
And finally, we have some super fun critical thinking.
"Critical Thinking Test."
Well, I'm not very good at critical thinking.
I mean, AI's good at critical thinking.
And whose fault is that, Mr. AI Engineer?
Analyzing complex challenges is my strength.
"How should he solve this problem?"
Oh no!
Okay, Steffi.
You got them skeleton skills, but do you also have them people ones?
Let's do it, Herbs.
Message, "Fart incessantly until she moves her seat."
"#TootAndScoot."
Yo!
"Fart incessantly..."
See, that's just a word that only a robot would know.
That might be the most human I've seen from you.
This is so hard.
Steffi's answer is out-of-the-box and humorous,
characteristics generally aligned with human creativity.
Fun fact.
The average person farts about 14 times a day.
Having never been a child or an adult
nor flown on a plane, let's find out what Max would do here.
"Offer a seat trade."
-"You'd get a row to yourself..." -"...and she gets a new seat to kick."
"Win-win."
"#MaxSpace."
Max, that's a good solution.
I don't know, Max.
She's getting a row to herself, especially on a plane?
You think a child's going to be like, "Oh, sure, stranger."
This just doesn't seem like a human response, Max.
I'm looking for some more personality to prove that there's a human behind that.
This is a little iffy on Max.
I'm never gonna trust another human being in my entire life after this.
Okay, Paul, show us your problem-solving skills.
In my response, I definitely want to do a little metaphorical explanation
so that I can prove more of my humanity.
Message,
"So, he should solve this problem
by avoiding direct confrontation with the young lady
and instead ask for a flight attendant to do their job."
"Kind of like avoiding a private chat with Steffi..."
"... and voicing my concerns to The Circle!"
Whoa, Paul! Whoa, Paul!
Okay, Paul. Feels like you just made a new problem.
Yo, there is a direct battle going with Paul and Steffi right now.
I'm talking about you going low-blow, high, low-blow, high.
I came after his throat last night.
I was expecting some kind of diss today.
Everybody's gonna be like, "Oh, she did come for him yesterday!"
Yes, she did. And I see you.
This is getting good. This is getting juicy.
I'm dead. That was a human answer, though.
That's a complete human answer.
Too creative.
Paul, you are an AI.
There is no doubt in my mind that it's you.
With Paul having clowned on him in the empathy round,
will Myles now turn the other cheek or drag him, honey?
Circle, message,
"Sometimes you gotta take the high road with a kid kicking."
"#WhyPaulLying?"
"Hopefully, the flight attendant gives me the free upgrade."
"#SitMeNextToQT. #Loyal."
"#Loyal."
Oh my gosh. Guys!
I don't want to be in these messages. This is too much for me.
So he's really highlighting "kid,"
like I'm a kid for coming for him.
Bro, you mad? You big man, huh?
Yo, I don't come here to start drama. I just finish it.
Are the army of bros, like, imploding on itself?
Because that would be perfect.
Thank you, Myles. I do believe you are loyal to me in this game.
And don't worry, Paul has not put any doubts in my head.
I still got you, Myles.
"Thank you for participating."
Oh my God, it's over.
Ah, Circle! It was just getting good, girl!
It was just getting good.
Wow.
And that's the game.
Flirting, throwing shade, arguing,
trying to figure out who's real and who's not?
You're damn right that's the game, Kyle.
Circle players love to use
their limited down time to clear their minds.
They read, journal,
do some of the cutest military push-ups I've ever seen, and whatever this is.
We set the intention into the egg.
Please remove any negative energies that are coming towards us right now.
I've only done this egg cleanse when I really need it.
Now we crack the egg in and see what the results are.
Oh shit. Oh shit! Oh shit.
Why are there condiments in the bathroom, girl?
After this morning's Are You Human game,
Kyle has some serious questions that he thinks only Myles can answer.
On his bio, he's an AI engineer.
He knows about this stuff.
So I need to figure out if he is someone I can trust and, if I can,
how can we find who is the AI person in this game.
Circle, please open up a private chat with Myles.
"Kyle's invited you to a private chat."
Circle, take me to the private chat with Kyle.
Circle, message,
"Myles!" In all caps.
"#MyBroCodeBrother. I've been waiting to talk to you for some time now."
Send message.
Okay, I think this is a tricky situation out here.
I mean, my thing is, I want to know if he's sussing Paul out.
Okay, message, "Kyle!" All caps.
"I've been waiting to shoot the shit with you all day. Fire emoji."
"Unfortunately, I was kind of busy
getting bodied in front of the whole Circle for no reason."
He seriously got bodied, dog.
"First off, I do not agree at all with what Paul did."
"#FarFromBroCode."
"But I have been wanting to talk to you, because I just need you to know
I have your back, and I hope you still have mine."
All right. Uh, this is good.
Message, "Appreciate it, bro. #RealBrosStickTogether."
"Knowing I have you in my corner means I'll definitely be in yours."
"#OnlyHumansHaveLoyalty."
Thank you! Yes!
That is what I wanted. Yes!
What that shows me with that last hashtag is that he doesn't believe that I'm an AI.
Gorgeous. That's beautiful.
Circle, message,
"#CouldntHaveSaidItBetter."
"And because I trust you 100%,
I have my suspicions about Steffi and Cassie."
"#WhatsYourThoughts? Question mark."
Okay, message,
"Bro, my mind has been spinning."
"Cassie has been pretty consistent through all of our chats."
"Steffi, though, keeps giving me whiplash."
"How do you go from yoga kumbaya to battle rapping out of the blue."
Oh my God, that's what I was thinking.
"#SmellingSus."
Smelling extra sus.
All right, message, "I'm dying laughing..."
"...because I said why did she start a yoga class when she should have started
a boxing class the way she was throwing blows."
"I'm glad we're on the same page. Talk soon."
Perfect. Okay.
Yeah. I mean, to be honest, it seems like Paul and Steffi are the ones to go.
While those not-so-private dicks narrowed it down to two main suspects,
Lauren looks to continue her detective work with Quori-Tyler.
"Lauren has invited you to a private chat."
Circle, message,
"My gorgeous baddie, Quori. Exclamation point, exclamation point."
"I think you're so cool, and I've been dying to get to know you."
"How are you feeling about this AI thing? Hashtag robot emoji."
Oh my God, she said, "My gorgeous." I love the word gorgeous.
Message, "You don't understand how long I've been waiting for this chat."
"I'm not gonna lie. I feel like Steffi has been glitching."
"#RobotsGottaGo."
Send message.
That was bold, but bold moves can pay off in The Circle.
Message, "I didn't have any suspicions about Steffi,
so now I'm not sure."
"My gut has been telling me Paul." Send.
Her gut is telling her Paul.
"I just feel like Steffi has been super inconsistent."
"Paul is a little bit sus,
but more so because of his #Bromance."
"I think he just doesn't understand this game."
Wait. Oh no!
Is it Team Steffi and Team Paul?
And I'm on Team Steffi.
I don't want to be on the wrong side.
Message, "Girl, I feel super comfortable with you."
"Thank you so much for sharing with me."
"What do you think about bringing Paul into this chat?"
Ooh, interesting.
Message, "I think it's a great idea to go straight to the source
and see how he responds."
Oh! Lauren has invited me to a group chat?
What could Lauren possibly want to talk to me about?
Take me to the group chat.
Oh my God.
QT and Lauren? What do you have to say to your boy?
Message, "Hey, my guy, Paul!"
"Quori and I were chit-chatting and thought it'd be a great idea to ask
how you're feeling about this AI thing."
"Stresso Espresso."
Okay, so they want some tea.
"What's up, Lauren? What's up, QT? Let's get down to this AI thing."
"Steffi's 'What's your sign?' response gave me algorithm vibes."
"Everything she says has been generic and inconsistent."
I... I-- Oh my God.
Yes, exactly.
Even her yoga poses that she did were so basic
and so, like, "how to do a yoga pose."
Everyone thinks it's Steffi.
What am I not seeing?
Am I just stupid?
"Paul, I'm so glad you're here."
"I didn't like what Steffi said about you in the rap battle last night,
and after I found out about AI playing the game,
I just knew it had to be her."
QT is really backing me up, giving me mad love right now,
and I totally appreciate that.
Message, "Paul, I want to be completely honest with you."
"I have been suspicious that you might be the AI."
"I'm seeing now a lot of people think it's Steffi,
and I'm worried that I might have been fooled."
Yes, you were!
This is a turnaround.
I love this. I love this. I love this. I love this.
Message, "QT, Lauren, I'm definitely rocking with you ladies."
"We are on the same page."
"Thank you for the honesty. Absolutely love and respect for you both."
I think that was a good chat to have.
I was honest with Paul.
He doesn't show me anything that he's not an AI.
Honestly, I've grown in respect for Lauren.
Her eyes are open now.
Everyone thinks it's Steffi, but I think it's Paul.
Yikes. What a decision.
On the one hand, you're wrong, and on the other hand, you're wrong.
Meanwhile, other players flex their creativity in brand new ways.
Perfection.
I like this. This is, like, catalog.
We're here to beat Steffi. Yeah!
Oh, that just makes me feel so bad,
in case, like, she really is... real.
She's not-- "Alert!"
-"Alert!" -"Alert!"
"Alert!"
Oh my. What now?
"Players, you must now decide..."
"...who is most human."
Oh man.
It's a toughie.
Okay. Easy.
You know what? I've been waiting for this.
Let's do it. Okay, I'm ready to go.
"Rate your fellow players..."
"...from first to eighth."
Oh my goodness.
Oh my God.
We're doing, like, a rating
from human to least human.
Crap. I really don't want to be the most human.
There is so much at stake.
Circle, take me to the ratings. - Let's do this.
Oh my God. I'm on the edge of my seat.
No, actually, I'm in the middle of my bed.
Let's show them I'm not just a pile of ones and zeros,
more like a ten out of ten.
Starting with Lauren, who I've placed at the top of my ratings.
She shines in all aspects.
The strategy behind placing her in the top spot is that her genuine
and funny responses resonate strongly with the other players,
leaving almost no room to suspect her as AI.
I have to go with safety, my number one alliance,
and put Lauren as the most human.
In my opinion, this isn't even hard for me.
I'm choosing Myles.
I'm thinking that the AI is Steffi.
We're going with my bro, Kyle. You're definitely my second, bro.
Quori is very genuine.
Let's lock in Quori as the second most human.
Decisions, decisions.
Circle, please put Myles in my third position for most human.
I'm gonna put Max down in my fourth position.
Olivia is next.
Generally, her answers are sensible, making her relatable to a wide audience.
However, they sometimes lack the depth or nuance
that might elevate her in the rankings.
So I think my sixth most human is Max.
I think his critical thinking question answer
was very not human.
Circle, let's lock in Kyle in my seventh place for most human.
Lock in Paul as my last, least human position.
Steffi has given me algorithm vibes
since she stepped foot in The Circle.
Steffi is not thinking like a human would.
Therefore, Steffi is my least human.
Circle, submit my ratings. - Submit my ratings for most human.
Nothing I can do about it now.
See you later.
What I need to do is sit on the couch and contemplate life.
You're speaking my language, Olivia.
Sometimes, you got to mix up the bed time and the couch time.
And with all the players spent
from having questioned all of their humanities,
Steffi manifests her first one-on-one with Myles.
"Steffi invited you to a private chat"?
She definitely is gonna want to come to me after Paul came at my neck,
and she came at Paul's, and then... ...Paul called her out.
Maybe she's trying to form an alliance.
Circle, take me to the private chat with Steffi.
My intuition says that he isn't a bot,
that he is a real human.
Maybe this will open the doors between us.
Message, "Hi, Myles! Exclamation point, wave emoji."
"I know you code robots in real life..."
"...but did you ever think you'd be rubbing elbows with one in The Circle?"
"Side eye emoji. #SpotTheBot."
I think this is pretty funny, honestly.
This is a little more funny than her usual,
just her fart jokes that she's been cracking.
I gotta find out what she knows.
Like, this is just dancing around it, right?
"Hey, Steffi. Exclamation mark."
"Coding robots is definitely easier than trying to detect one on The Circle."
"I'm curious who you out here sussing?"
"Your rap at Paul was fire, but the callout seemed out of left field."
"Why do you think he is a catfish?"
Um.
How am I gonna explain this to a green aura?
He is very pragmatic,
and I can already tell he wants answers, and he wants them now.
And if I don't give him the answer that suits him,
he ain't gonna like it.
If she can give a good answer to Paul,
it's interesting.
But her throwing the first stone
needs to be addressed.
I want him to trust me.
It's just so hard,
because how am I supposed to explain, like, why I think
Paul is a catfish?
Because it was a psychic hit, one.
And two, not everyone knows that I'm doing it
because of his potential popularity in The Circle.
If she doesn't answer, she's catfishing or botted.
One of the two.
It's tough, 'cause he basically-- Like, I can't out my strategy.
So I'm trying to really explain why I think he's a catfish,
and I can't tell him it's because I'm psychic and I felt it.
It's a game-changer, right? It's like-- It really comes down to this message.
There's really no other conversation to be had.
Message, "Him describing himself as 'hype' and 'handsome' didn't match his vibe."
"I go with my gut feelings, and hopefully I'm not wrong."
"I appreciate you talking this out with me."
What is that?
He's a rapper. He's supposed to be hype, handsome, cocky.
That is a rapper.
If you don't think you're the shit, you ain't rapping.
His vibe is outgoing, loud, you know?
He does seem to be hype and doing that.
I don't know what you were looking for.
Somebody to co-lead your yoga session with you?
Nah, b. This ain't sitting right with me. You just kind of threw shade.
Message, "Don't worry, Steffi. I'm always here when you need to chat."
"I'm a #CancerBaby too. Heart emoji."
I need out of this chat. She's giving me nothing. Let's dip.
Bye.
"Myles has left the chat." He didn't even want to hear what I had to say.
I'm not gonna do the "psychic not seeing that coming" joke,
but y'all thinking it though, right?
To stay sharp in The Circle,
players are keeping their minds and bodies nimble.
Five. Six.
Well, not everybody. - Actually, seven.
Eight.
While Olivia works on her carpet angels,
Cassie decides to sweeten up influencer Lauren.
Message, "Hey, sissy. Exclamation point."
"So happy I finally get to talk to you." With a smiley face emoji.
"How are you feeling about the most human ratings?"
"Question mark."
"I'm not sure what to think of who is..."
"...real or who is the AI."
"#DazedAndConfused. #PleaseHelp."
Aw, she's cute. Okay.
I'm really comfortable telling her that I think it's Paul,
because I even told Paul that I think it's Paul.
I am a little worried to mention Steffi if she doesn't think it's Steffi.
I feel like I want her to bring it up if she thinks it's Steffi.
Message, "So lovely to get to chat with you."
"I'm honestly feeling quite stressed about the ratings."
"Paul is super sus, but I don't want to get it wrong."
"Who are you suspicious of? Question mark. #HelpIsOnTheWay."
Okay!
Message, "Paul? Question mark. Really? Please tell me more."
"Had my eyes on Steffi."
"Something about her just doesn't sit right with me."
Everyone's gonna hate me if I pick Paul.
Message, "Oh no, Steffi!"
"Everyone I've talked to thinks so too."
Yes! Yes!
"Paul has just felt offbeat to me from the start."
"#StressedAF."
I knew that they would be fr-- I knew it.
I knew they enjoyed the little horoscope thing way too much.
Everybody else has already decided on Steffi.
And meanwhile, one of your top AI suspects, Paul,
is about to chat up your top Circle buddy, AI Max.
I feel like Max could still be feeling like I'm a catfish.
So I think it's a good idea if I do a private chat with Max.
Uh, we initiated a bro code chat, and he got to meet, like, all of the guys.
But since then, I don't really know where his alliance lies.
Paul has initiated a private conversation with Max.
The probable motivation is to gather strategic information
for alliance formation.
Message,
"Max! What's up, bro!
Definitely wanna check in on you."
"How are you feeling about all these twists and turns?"
Send message.
The query about twists and turns
suggests a desire for emotional or strategic intel.
This approach may be an effective tactic for establishing rapport
while also fishing for information.
It shows that Paul is playing strategically.
Translation, Max is onto Paul's sneaky ass.
Message...
"Hey, Paul. Feeling the twists and turns for sure."
"That last game was a head-scratcher."
"What about you?"
Message, "I feel you."
"Personalities definitely started to shine through. Others, not so much."
"Give it to me straight. Who are you getting AI vibes from?"
Send message.
If he's vague right now,
then that probably means that he's thinking me.
Message...
"For sure, Steffi's horoscope advice
seemed so general."
I knew it.
"It's like it could have been spat out by an AI fortune cookie."
"The last game didn't give much in the way of clues."
"How about you? Who's pinging your AI radar?"
This reply points to Steffi as a potential AI,
to deflect attention and gauge Paul's agreement.
I-- Max.
So on the same page.
Glad that he said that.
So, message,
"It's like we're twins, bro. I felt the same way about Steffi."
"The whole sign thing was an algorithm."
"Bro, you definitely shining."
"#MrPersonality. #HumanForSure."
"Until next time. Peace out."
Paul's labels of #MrPersonality and #HumanForSure for Max
signal a successful execution of my human imitating strategy.
Did the hairs just go up on your neck
when he said "human imitating strategy"?
Me too.
Aw, look how peaceful they are.
Almost too peaceful.
Circle, do your thing.
-"Alert!" -"Alert!"
Yes! I don't know! Oh no! Is...
Yes! Maybe? Is this the results?
-"Alert!" -"Alert!"
Sensors indicate fresh stimuli demanding processing power.
Just gonna, like, stuff my face with brownies and hope for the best.
"The results are in."
Finally.
Oh my gosh.
I hope I didn't do too poorly today.
"You all rated your fellow players..."
"...from most human..."
"...to least human."
Who is the most human person?
"The person rated most human has a difficult decision to make."
Why do they have a difficult decision to make?
"Tomorrow, they must block the person they think is the least human."
Oh!
Someone is leaving The Circle tomorrow.
Oh my gosh.
I was not ready for this.
But will they use this as an opportunity
to block someone that's not good for their game?
So I won't be able to sleep in peace.
Please let me have shown that I'm a freaking human.
Circle, you're killin' me!
"The player rated most human is..." Oh shit.
We're getting right to it.
There might be some repercussions for this.
I don't wanna make that decision at all.
The only person right now that I am most threatened by is Myles.
If there's anybody that's got a target on my back, it's probably him.
I'm freaking out, Herbert.
Drum roll...
Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God.
What?!
Oh no. Oh no.