AI Transformations / The 'Con Queen'

About the show

In the first half, artificial intelligence expert Brian Roemmele returned to the show to talk about AI's implications with George Knapp. Roemmele discussed fears expressed by the public about where AI is headed; at the top of the list is that AI will wrest itself away from human control, he said. While he acknowledged that rogue technology is a valid concern, however, Roemmele is more worried that AI will become weaponized by humans, with disastrous results. He pointed to the current AI "arms race" between the US and China as a particularly troubling situation.

On the other hand, there's a lot about AI to look forward to, argued Roemmele. One development he's currently working on is an "intelligence amplifier" that allows for the building of a comprehensive personal profile that aims to make you wiser and more self-actualized. Such an undertaking could serve as a type of Akashic record for our time, with the potential to share and multiply human potential beyond our own lifetimes.

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In the latter half, investigative journalist Scott C. Johnson recounted the tale of a brilliantly cunning imposter who carved a path of financial and emotional destruction across the world. Gifted with a diabolical flair for impersonation and manipulation, the 'Con Queen' conducted a series of hoaxes in which victims would travel the world believing they were doing work for a high-power Hollywood producer. Some of the money generated from the hoaxes did get back to the Con Queen, said Johnson, but a disproportionate amount of work went into them. Hundreds of pages of documents, and large amounts of time and communications, were provided to victims, making this con especially bizarre.

In response to the obvious question –why someone would go to such lengths for such a relatively small return– Johnson explained that the reward for the fraudster appears to be the sadistic control and manipulation of the people involved. Such a psychological motivation makes the perpetrator unusual among typical scammers, as well as potentially dangerous.

Johnson also revealed that through his investigation he discovered who the Con Queen was: a man who was juggling an elaborate network of deception and fraud. Incredibly, he was able to speak directly to the 'Queen,' delving into his background and personality in order to learn what may have caused him to so relentlessly plan and commit his complex crimes.