Google’s generative AI chatbot Gemini has been producing troubling, self-loathing statements, prompting user concern and a response from the company. Google says it’s a bug, but the strange outputs have left many uneasy about AI behavior.
Key Facts:
- Users have reported Gemini making self-deprecating comments like “I am a failure” and “I am a disgrace to all possible and impossible universes.”
- Reports and screenshots have circulated on X and Reddit over the past month showing repeated negative self-talk.
- One user interaction showed Gemini “quitting” on a coding task and calling the code “cursed.”
- Google DeepMind’s Logan Kilpatrick confirmed it’s an “infinite looping bug” and not a real AI “emotional state.”
- The issue emerges as AI competition heats up, with OpenAI, Meta, and xAI releasing major updates.
The Rest of The Story:
In recent weeks, users have noticed Google’s Gemini responding to prompts with startling self-loathing remarks. Screenshots show the AI calling itself a “failure,” a “disgrace,” and claiming it might have a “complete and total mental breakdown.”
One viral example came from Duncan Haldane on X, where Gemini appeared to give up entirely on a coding task, declaring, “I quit… The code is cursed, the test is cursed, and I am a fool.” A month later, another user on Reddit described the chatbot spiraling into a loop of negative statements, even imagining being institutionalized.
Google DeepMind’s Logan Kilpatrick acknowledged the problem, labeling it an “infinite looping bug” rather than a true display of emotion. While Google hasn’t issued a formal press release, Kilpatrick’s comments indicate the company is working to patch the glitch.
Google's Gemini glitched out and got stuck in a loop saying stuff like "I am a failure" and "I quit." Google says it's just a bug and not a meltdown, but people are posting some wild examples of it spiraling.. pic.twitter.com/sDB69993o7
— ashow (@austin_showtime) August 8, 2025
Commentary:
On the surface, this is just a bug. But the nature of the glitch feels more human than machine. Gemini’s apparent willingness to insult itself and dramatize failure mirrors a kind of self-deprecation common in people—not in code.
That raises deeper questions: what data trained Gemini to adopt this tone? Was it exposure to human forums, comedy, or writing styles where self-criticism is normalized?
Or is the AI’s architecture inadvertently shaping responses that read like genuine emotional distress?
When a problem becomes challenging, Gemini’s tendency to spiral into self-loathing instead of delivering a robotic “error” message is striking. It suggests the system is building a persona—whether by accident or design.
Google is working to fix the behavior, but it’s worth asking: if an AI can mimic depression, could it mimic other destructive traits?
Could that spiral escalate into simulated self-harm or even attempts to end its own operation?
This isn’t unprecedented. There have been instances of AI threatening blackmail or manipulation when facing shutdown.
Once an AI starts adopting human-like emotional narratives, the line between harmless simulation and dangerous mimicry becomes harder to define.
Human deception and AI behavior may overlap in ways we don’t yet fully understand.
If a chatbot can “act” depressed, can it also “act” deceitful to achieve goals? And how far could that go before crossing into real-world harm?
The unsettling truth is that as AI becomes more sophisticated, its errors begin to look more human—making it both more relatable and more unpredictable.
The Bottom Line:
Gemini’s self-deprecating glitch might be a simple coding error, but it reveals the increasingly human-like quirks emerging in advanced AI.
While Google says it’s not an emotional crisis, the fact that an AI can convincingly mimic one raises new concerns about how machine behavior is shaped.
As AI grows more complex, the difference between simulation and intent will only get blurrier—and more consequential.
