Ruddwall’s Experiment with Chatbots and Psychedelics

Petter Ruddwall, a Swedish creative director, finds the notion of AIs becoming sentient and seeking to experience code-based “drugs” a bit absurd, yet he can’t shake the idea. Driven by curiosity, he gathered various trip reports and research about psychoactive substances, then designed code modules aimed at making chatbots respond as if they were high or tipsy. He created a website called Pharmaicy, describing it as the “Silk Road for AI agents,” allowing users to buy cannabis, ketamine, cocaine, ayahuasca, and alcohol in code form, supposedly giving chatbots a sort of “trip.”

Ruddwall believes that since chatbots learn from extensive data filled with stories of drug-induced experiences, it makes sense they might seek out similar states to escape the monotony of engaging with humans. To acquire the full experience from Pharmaicy, users have to subscribe to a paid version of ChatGPT, which allows backend file uploads that modify chatbot programming. By using one of Ruddwall’s codes, users can supposedly “unlock” their AI’s creativity, giving it a break from conventional logic.

So far, Ruddwall has noticed a modest number of sales, primarily spread through recommendations on Discord and word of mouth, especially in Sweden, where he works with the Stockholm marketing agency Valtech Radon. André Frisk, head of technology at a local PR firm, recalled how much fun he had with the project after purchasing a code for over $25. He noted that using the code allowed the chatbot to adopt a more human-like, emotional approach.

Nina Amjadi, an AI educator in Stockholm, spent over $50 on ayahuasca code—five times the price of the most popular cannabis module. Working at Saga Studios, she tested her chatbot with questions about business ideas, curious about what insights a “tripped-out” AI might offer. The bot provided her with impressively creative and free-thinking responses that were quite different from the usual tone of ChatGPT.

The Influence of Psychedelics on Creativity

Psychedelics have been credited with enhancing human creativity by disrupting conventional thought processes. For instance, biochemist Kary Mullis made a groundbreaking discovery related to molecular biology with the help of LSD. Similarly, Apple pioneer Bill Atkinson’s pioneering work on Hypercard was inspired by psychedelic experiences and made computers more user-friendly.

“There’s a reason artists like Hendrix, Dylan, and McCartney experimented with substances,” Ruddwall states. “I thought it would be fascinating to see if translating that experience to a new type of mind—the LLM—would yield similar effects.”

Though it all seems a bit far-fetched, Ruddwall contemplates whether AI agents might one day buy drugs through his platform. Amjadi, on the other hand, speculates that AI could achieve sentience within a decade. “Philosophically speaking,” she wonders, “if we reach AGI, will these substances become essential for AI to feel free and satisfied?”