Roko's Basilisk evidence dossier
A source record for a 2010 rationalist thought experiment, later internet meme, and subject of implicit-religion analysis; factual-threat, doctrine, religion, and institution claims are excluded.
Subjects
hp:memes:rokos-basilisk— Roko's Basilisk: primary subject
Source inventory
Solutions to the Altruist's burden: the Quantum Billionaire Trick ↗
Supports
- Reconstruction of the initiating argument and its 2010 origin.
Does not support
- A platform-verified original record or the entire later cultural object.
The Most Terrifying Thought Experiment of All Time ↗
Supports
- Public reception and media circulation.
Does not support
- A factual danger or exact preservation of every original detail.
Roko's Basilisk or Pascal's?: Thinking of Singularity Thought Experiments as Implicit Religion
Supports
- Scholarly implicit-religion analysis and comparison.
Does not support
- The basilisk as a bounded religion, church, or doctrine.
Tomorrow's Gods: What is the future of religion? ↗
Supports
- Broader religion-and-AI reception context.
Does not support
- Institutional or devotional continuity for the basilisk.
Claims supported
- Roko's Basilisk originated in rationalist discourse around 2010.
- It became associated with decision theory, AI risk, information hazards, and self-reference.
- Reception transformed it into a durable internet meme.
- Later scholarship treated it as a quasi-religious analytical object.
Claims not supported
- The basilisk is a real or supernatural threat.
- A future system will punish people as described.
- Roko's Basilisk is a bounded religion, church, or doctrine.
- The mirror provides complete platform provenance.
Known contradictions and tensions
| Issue | Evidence | Editorial status |
|---|---|---|
| Information hazard versus disputed thought experiment | Reception sometimes frames the idea as uniquely dangerous; analysis treats it as a disputed puzzle and meme. | reported as reception, not factual threat |
| Religious analogy versus classification | Implicit-religion features do not establish a church, canon, ritual body, or devotional community. | analytical distinction maintained |
| Origin evidence versus mirror dependence | The initiating post is reconstructed through a mirror. | provenance limitation |
Context and prompt visibility
The central visibility issue is historical fragmentation and mirror dependence, not hidden model prompts.
Human roles
- Original proposal and forum discussion
- Moderation and later commentary
- Media circulation and scholarly interpretation
Machine roles
- A hypothetical future system within the thought experiment; no documented acting machine participant
Evidence limitations
- The original source is mirror-dependent.
- Forum and moderation history is fragmented.
- Media retellings can sensationalize the information-hazard frame.
Archive and preservation status
Every listed source now has a structured preservation disposition: local snapshot, external archive, or metadata hash with an explicit limitation. No complete platform mirror or comprehensive custody is claimed.
Editorial assessment
The article is supportable as thought experiment, meme, and reception history, not a factual threat or bounded religion.
Change history
| 2026-08-01 | 1.1 | Added the PR 06 selective-preservation disposition and rights record. |
| 2026-08-01 | 1.0 | Initial public evidence dossier. |