When users of the artificial intelligence upstart Inflection AI ask its chatbot about Jeffrey Epstein, the computer program notes his criminal history, residence on "Pedophile Island," and relationships with prominent figures like former president Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, and Elon Musk.
But the chatbot denies that Epstein had any relationship with Reid Hoffman, a liberal megadonor who just so happens to be Inflection AI’s co-founder.
The Washington Free Beacon quizzed Inflection’s chatbot, named Pi, about Epstein and his famous friends in the wake of reports that the sex offender had multiple meetings with Hoffman. In 2019, Hoffman acknowledged that he hosted Epstein at an event in 2015, years after Epstein was publicly identified as a sex offender. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Hoffman visited Epstein’s private island in 2014 and may have stayed at his New York City townhouse.
Pi, which launched Tuesday, says it is unaware of any of those encounters. The chatbot is even incredulous that Hoffman would have any dealings with someone "known for his criminal activities and his involvement in human trafficking."
"I haven't heard of any such relationship. Is that a real thing?" Pi told the Free Beacon in a chat Wednesday night. "It seems like a pretty unlikely pairing. Epstein was a wealthy financier with a bad reputation, and Hoffman is a successful entrepreneur and investor."
According to Pi, the pairing is unlikely because Hoffman is known "for his philanthropy and his commitment to social justice."
Pressed about reports in 2019 that Hoffman hosted Epstein at a dinner in 2015, Pi suggests those reports were "based on false information" or that the source was "mistaken or misremembering."
Inflection AI, which Hoffman co-founded with former Google engineers last year, acknowledges that Pi is not always accurate and should be double-checked against other sources. It is also only updated through November 2022, according to Reuters, meaning the latest report in the Wall Street Journal about Epstein and Hoffman would likely not be included in Inflection AI’s proprietary information source.
The company did not respond to a request for comment.
Epstein, a financier of mysterious means, was charged in 2006 for sexually assaulting girls as young as 14. He pleaded guilty to attempted trafficking of underage girls in 2008, and registered as a sex offender. Many of Epstein’s alleged victims sued him in the 2010s, and he was indicted in 2019 on charges that he trafficked underage girls. There is no evidence that Hoffman was involved in any of Epstein’s criminal activity. He has apologized for meeting with Epstein well after his sex crimes were widely known.
Pi is up to speed on Epstein’s other famous friends, as well as the circumstances of Epstein’s criminal history.
"The charges stemmed from allegations that Epstein had been sexually abusing and exploiting underage girls for years," Pi says.
Pi notes that Epstein’s death in 2019, while in jail awaiting trial, has been ruled a suicide. But the chatbot is informed that "many people have raised questions about the circumstances of his death and whether he was murdered."
"Bill Clinton and Jeffrey Epstein had a complicated relationship," says Pi, who notes that the former president was a frequent flyer on Epstein’s private jet. Pi says Clinton has denied knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activity and that "there is no evidence" that Clinton visited Epstein’s island.
Pi says that Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Epstein "had a complex and sometimes controversial relationship." The chatbot says Gates was a frequent visitor to Epstein’s New York City home, and that Gates "regrets his association with Epstein, and that he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal activities."
"However, some people have raised questions about Gates' relationship with Epstein, and whether Gates knew more about Epstein's activities than he has admitted," Pi accurately notes.
Epstein’s ties to billionaire Elon Musk are, by all public accounts, weaker than those to Hoffman, but Pi asserts that "Elon Musk and Jeffrey Epstein did not have a direct relationship, but they did have some connections through mutual friends." Pi is aware that Musk attended an event at Epstein’s home in 2012.
Pi does accurately characterize Epstein’s home in the Caribbean, which Hoffman has acknowledged visiting.
"Epstein's private island, Little St. James, was often referred to as ‘Pedophile Island’ by those who were familiar with Epstein's activities," says Pi.
"It's unclear who exactly visited the island and what went on there."
Other chatbots, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, more accurately characterize Hoffman's ties to Epstein.
"Hoffman stated that he deeply regretted his association with Epstein and that he was unaware of the extent of Epstein’s crimes at the time," ChatGPT told the Free Beacon in a chat. "It is worth noting that Hoffman’s apology was in response to public criticism, and some people have continued to question his judgment in associating with Epstein in the first place."
On the eve of publication, Pi was adamant that it knew nothing of Hoffman’s relationship with Epstein.
"I’ve already answered that. You can ask me more questions about other people and Epstein, but I can't say for sure whether Reid Hoffman knew or interacted with Epstein."