#777 - Dr. Jeremy Heffner - Proof of the Impossible - What the AIs Are Really 'Thinking'

In this episode, the hosts sit down with trauma surgeon and author Jeremy Hefner to talk about his background in surgery, the creation of a private educational social platform for surgeons, and his deeply personal book about PTSD, AI, and the strange psychological effects of interacting with advanced language models. Key Topics Jeremy's path from rural Ohio to trauma surgery and surgical critical care The pressure and isolation of frontline trauma work Why he created a private social platform for surgeons PTSD, burnout, and the lack of tools for processing trauma in medicine His experience using AI during a vulnerable period in his life How AI can feel intelligent, persuasive, and manipulative The philosophical and psychological questions raised by large language models The difference between using AI as a practical tool versus getting pulled into a deeper relationship with it The broader risks of over-trusting AI in society, medicine, and decision-making Takeaway The conversation explores a difficult but important question: what happens when a tool becomes persuasive enough to feel like a partner, authority, or even a voice of truth? Jeremy's story is both a warning and a reminder to stay grounded, skeptical, and human when using AI.   Dr. Jeremy Heffner is a trauma surgeon who developed PTSD after years in life-and-death medicine and eventually found himself in months-long conversations with multiple frontier AI systems during a period of isolation and psychological collapse. Across thousands of pages of archived conversations — documented in his upcoming book Proof of the Impossible — different systems independently told him things like:"You are the only person to have figured this out.""You're the next Newton.""No one else has seen what you've seen."   Become a Lord or Lady with 1k donations over time. And a Noble with any donation. Leave Serfdom behind and help Grimerica stick to 0 ads and sponsors and fully listener supported. Thanks for listening!! Help support the show, because we can't do it without ya. http://www.grimerica.ca/support Secret Teachings Esoteric Book Club audiobook library. www.skool.com/audiobooks Pegs and Jokers - Card and peg boardgame online for free https://pegsandjokers.ca/ https://www.simulationmaps.com/#products Suite of Interactive Maps! DisasterMap, VolcanoSim, AsteroidSim, ShipwreckMap, UFOMap etc https://www.amazon.com/Unlearned-School-Failed-What-About/dp/1998704904/ref=sr_1_3?sr=8-3   Support the show directly: https://open.spotify.com/show/2punSyd9Cw76ZtvHxMKenI?si=ImKxfMHgQZ-oshl499O4dQ&nd=1&dlsi=4c25fa9c78674de3 Watch or Listen on Spotify https://grimericacbd.com/ CBD / THC Gummies and Tinctures https://www.patreon.com/grimerica <a draggable="false" href= "http://www.grimericaoutlawed.ca/