Episode 354: The Zizians - Part 1
A diehard group formed online, hoping to unite and defeat the coming AI apocalypse. But their Rationalist background gave way to irrational acts of violence, vengeance, and eventually, death. This week's episode is The Zizians - Part 1.
SOURCES
Zizians.info: https://zizians.info/
Will Superintelligent AI End the World?, Eliezer Yudkowsky on TED: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd0yQ9yxSYY
AGI Ruin: A List of Lethalities, LessWrong: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/uMQ3cqWDPHhjtiesc/agi-ruin-a-list-of-lethalities
‘Godfather of AI’ on AI “exceeding human intelligence” and it “trying to take over”, BBC NewsNight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGJpR591oaM
AI company's CEO issues warning about mass unemployment (June 2025), CNN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zju51INmW7U
A timeline of activities of cultlike group tied to the killing of a Border Patrol agent, ABC 6 Action News: https://6abc.com/post/timeline-activities-cultlike-group-tied-killing-border-patrol-agent/15925779/
She Wanted to Save the World From A.I. Then the Killings Started, New York Times: https://archive.is/ma2ZN
The Delirious, Violent, Impossible True Story of the Zizians, Wired: https://www.wired.com/story/delirious-violent-impossible-true-story-zizians/
Sinceriously, Ziz LaSota's Blog - https://sinceriously.blog-mirror.com/
The Delirious, Violent, Impossible True Story of the Zizians, Wired Long Reads: https://www.wired.com/story/delirious-violent-impossible-true-story-zizians/
US Border Patrol Agent, David Christopher Maland, GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/us-border-patrol-agent-david-christopher-chris-maland
Vermont Border Patrol shootout suspect was reported missing from Seattle, Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/law-justice/vermont-border-patrol-shootout-suspect-was-reported-missing-from-seattle/
Prosecutor says woman charged in fatal border agent shooting had ties to people of interest in other homicides, VT Digger: https://vtdigger.org/2025/01/27/prosecutor-says-woman-charged-in-fatal-border-agent-shooting-had-ties-to-people-of-interest-in-other-homicides/
Snyder, Maximillian, Solano County Records: https://shfinmatesearch.solanocounty.com/bookingcharges.aspx?OlxyZjydJMNTLGfZKePypA==
Man killed in Vallejo was main witness in upcoming murder trial, Open Vallejo: https://openvallejo.org/2025/01/27/man-killed-in-vallejo-was-main-witness-in-upcoming-murder-trial/
The Zizian Cult Feat. Jacob Hurwitz-Goodman, 5CAST with Andrew Callaghan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nA2qyOtU7M&t=13s
Remembering Curtis Lind; Forcibly taken from us too soon, GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/remembering-curtis-lind-forcibly-taken-from-us-too-soon
Eviction battle leads to sword attack and shooting in Vallejo, SF Chronicle: https://archive.is/e7BrM
Murder suspect appears to have sought marriage license with woman charged in Border Patrol shooting, Associated Press: https://apnews.com/article/vermont-border-agent-killed-f7b5ca4d93b1da44ceb100085ae228f3
Federal prosecutors file charges in probe of fatal shooting of border patrol agent in Vermont, VT Digger: https://vtdigger.org/2025/01/24/federal-prosecutors-file-charges-in-probe-of-fatal-shooting-of-border-patrol-agent-in-vermont/
Mystery in Sonoma County after arrests of protesters in Guy Fawkes masks and robes, SF Chronicle: https://archive.is/g2UWD
Police arrest apparent leader of cultlike 'Zizian' group linked to multiple killings in the US, ABC Action News: https://6abc.com/post/police-arrest-apparent-leader-cultlike-zizian-group-linked-multiple-killings-us/15925626/
‘Zizian’ namesake who faked death in 2022 is wanted in two states, OpenVallejo: https://openvallejo.org/2025/01/31/zizian-namesake-who-faked-death-in-2022-is-wanted-in-two-states/
Suspects in killings of Vermont border patrol agent and California man connected by marriage license, extreme ideology, VT Digger: https://vtdigger.org/2025/01/27/suspects-in-killings-of-vermont-border-patrol-agent-and-california-man-connected-by-marriage-license-extreme-ideology/
Key figure in ‘Zizian’ group tied to Vermont border patrol shooting faked death in 2022 and is wanted in 2 states, VT Digger: https://vtdigger.org/2025/02/02/key-figure-in-zizian-group-tied-to-vermont-border-patrol-shooting-faked-death-in-2022-and-is-wanted-in-2-states/
Court records show police searched Coventry property as part of probe in Pennsylvania double-homicide, VT Digger: https://vtdigger.org/2025/02/03/court-records-show-police-searched-coventry-property-as-part-of-probe-in-pennsylvania-double-homicide/
In 20-page letter, ‘Zizian’-linked detainee professes innocence, rebuts news coverage, VT Digger: https://vtdigger.org/2025/04/17/in-20-page-letter-zizian-linked-detainee-professes-innocence-rebuts-news-coverage/
Delaware County woman went from NASA intern to national fugitive, Philadelphia Inquirer, Newspapers.com (subscription required)
Zizians: What we know about the 'cult' linked to six deaths, BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy83958r2d0o
'Show her the body': Alleged kill orders, cult behavior inside the Bay Area Zizians, SF Gate: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/alleged-kill-orders-cult-zizians-bay-area-20184964.php
A 'death cult' on the run: The Bay Area fringe group terrorizing America, SF Gate: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/new-details-bay-area-zizians-death-cult-20165754.php
More bizarre details uncovered about leader of alleged Bay Area 'death cult', SF Gate: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/leader-alleged-bay-area-death-cult-faked-death-sf-20066610.php
Two held in death of fellow squatter shot by elderly Vallejo property owner, KTVU News: https://www.ktvu.com/news/two-held-in-death-of-fellow-squatter-shot-by-elderly-vallejo-property-owner
Member of Zizians, cultlike group of AI-obsessed vegans, says she didn't kill her parents, NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/member-zizians-cultlike-group-ai-obsessed-vegans-says-didnt-kill-paren-rcna201537
The Evil of Rationalism, AEI: https://www.aei.org/op-eds/the-evil-of-rationalism/
What to Know About the Alleged Zizian "Cult" Linked to 6 Killings, E News: https://www.eonline.com/photos/37607/what-to-know-about-the-alleged-zizian-cult-linked-to-6-killings
Apparent Zizians cultlike group leader has Fairbanks ties, Alaska's News Source: https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/02/20/apparent-zizians-cultlike-group-leader-has-fairbanks-ties/
Killings across 3 states: What we know about the cult-like Zizians with ties to California, KCRA: https://www.kcra.com/article/zizians-jack-lasota-what-we-know-california/63842751
How Zizians, cult-like group led by Jack ‘Ziz’ LaSota, is linked to multiple deaths in US, Firstpost: https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/zizians-cult-like-group-jack-ziz-lasota-deaths-us-13864431.html
https://www.britannica.com/topic/rationalism
What To Know About Effective Altruism—Championed By Musk, Bankman-Fried And Silicon Valley Giants, Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilywashburn/2023/03/08/what-to-know-about-effective-altruism-championed-by-musk-bankman-fried-and-silicon-valley-giants/
‘Ziz’ speaks after arrest: ‘I haven’t done anything wrong’, Times Union: https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/zizians-jack-lasota-bail-hearing-20191978.php
The Times of India: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/the-sith-of-silicon-valley-ziz-lasotas-ai-cult-left-six-dead-who-is-she/articleshow/122300286.cms
