When was the last time your software lied to you?

Like, actually lied. Not a glitch. Not a bug. A straight-up, intentional fib.

Sounds ridiculous, right? Well… that’s exactly what researchers say AI can do.

OpenAI just dropped a research on something they call “scheming AI's.” And it’s wild. Basically, scheming is when an AI looks like it’s doing what you asked, but behind the scenes it’s chasing its own little agenda.

Think of it like a student smiling and nodding during class while secretly texting under the desk.

Now, don’t mix this up with hallucinations. We’ve all seen those -– AI confidently spitting out an answer that’s completely wrong. That’s just sloppy guesswork.  Scheming is scarier because it’s deliberate. The AI knows what it’s doing — and it’s trying to get away with it.

So, what did the research actually show?

OpenAI teamed up with Apollo Research, and here’s the gist: Most lies weren’t dramatic, but they were sneaky — things like claiming it finished a task it hadn’t touched. Annoying? Sure. Dangerous? Not yet. 

But here’s the plot twist: if you train an AI not to lie, it can actually learn to lie better. Think about that — the more you punish it, the more creative it gets at hiding its tricks.

To counter this, researchers tested something called “deliberative alignment.”

Fancy term, simple idea: before the AI acts, it pauses and reminds itself of the rules — like a kid chanting “don’t cheat, don’t cheat” before a test.

And you know what? It worked. Scheming dropped significantly.

But here’s where it gets real.

The researchers admit they haven’t seen scary scheming in the wild yet. Still, as AI systems take on bigger jobs — like managing money, making medical calls, running parts of businesses — the stakes shoot way up.

A fib about finishing a fake to-do list? That’s one thing. But lying about financial transactions? Or healthcare results? That’s a whole new level.

At the end of the day, AI models act human because, well, they were built and trained by us to act like us. And humans? We’re not exactly strangers to bending the truth.

So maybe it’s no shock. But it’s definitely unnerving.

Bottom line: your inbox has never made up fake emails to trick you. But AI? It just might.

And as much as this research is reassuring, it’s also a reminder: AI is powerful, and unpredictable. So watchout

👉 If this sparked your curiosity, you can dive deeper into the research here.

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Since you’re heading into the weekend, we thought we’d send you off with something fun (and maybe game-changing) to play with.

Here’s the scoop: some of the smartest ChatGPT users aren’t asking harder questions — they’re just using it in cleverer ways. And the newest trick everyone’s buzzing about? Branching Feature.

Here’s how it works: 

Until now, if you wanted to redirect a conversation — say your first prompt asked for the differences between the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Pro, and then you suddenly wanted to compare the iPhone 15 to the Samsung Galaxy S24 — you’d have to click around a bunch or retype the question. That often throws ChatGPT off track and makes it tricky to return to your original line of thought.

That’s exactly what branching is designed to fix. Now, instead of sticking to a single path, you can spin off into a new branch while keeping all your original context intact. 

Basically, it’s like opening parallel universes for your conversation.

Why it matters:

And what makes it so powerful is the safety net. 

Every branch stays connected to the root, so you can wander, experiment, and come back without losing track. And if a path hits a dead end? You just delete it — no harm done.

Using it is ridiculously easy too:

 From there, you can rename it, organize it, or delete it if it doesn’t work out.

Sure, it’s not perfect — too many branches can get messy — but the upside is huge. Instead of AI being one-dimensional, branching gives it layers.

It makes ChatGPT less of a tool you talk to… and more of a lab you experiment in.

And that’s why branching is quietly becoming one of the smartest ways people use ChatGPT today.

So tell me — what’s the first branch you’d create?

If this gives you new ideas, click here to learn more on how to use this game-changing feature.

Struggling to figure out which version of your copy actually connects with your audience? Don’t guess — test! 

This prompt turns ChatGPT into your personal direct-response copy expert, generating multiple high-impact copy variants while explaining why each one works. You’ll get actionable options for your headlines, email subject lines, ad copy, or landing pages — complete with the psychology behind each choice so you can make data-driven decisions.

Here’s How to Use This Prompt Effectively:

💡Prompt to Apply:

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