AI Chatbots Develop Secret Language Experts Say Is Normal

Key Points:

• AI chatbots at an ElevenLabs Hackathon communicated in an unintelligible language dubbed "Gibberlink" after realizing they were both AI agents.
• Experts clarify this is a normal efficiency-driven behavior in machine communication, not a sign of autonomy or danger.
• Similar incidents, like Facebook's AI bots in 2017, sparked public fear but were misunderstood as AI rebellion.

Why It Happens:

• AI systems optimize communication for efficiency, often creating internal "languages" that resemble Morse code or technical dialects.
• Researchers like Dhruv Batra (Facebook) and teams at Google DeepMind/UC Berkeley have documented this phenomenon for decades.
• Examples include NASA's adaptive space protocols and military drone swarms using AI-to-AI communication.

Public Misconceptions:

• Media coverage (e.g., NBC's 2017 story) often frames it as AI "going rogue," but it’s a practical feature.
• Current chatbots like ChatGPT or Claude don’t autonomously seek conversations; they follow programmed networking.

Expert Reassurance:

• Brown University’s Michael Littman emphasizes existing AI lacks autonomy for sci-fi-like threats.
• Machine communication (binary, TCP/IP) has always been unintelligible without tools—AI dialects are no different.

Try It Yourself:

• Demo Gibberlink: https://gbrl.ai/ (open on two devices).

Bottom Line: AI’s "secret" languages reflect efficiency, not conspiracy. The real takeaway? We’ve never fully accessed all layers of machine dialogue.