In the Weights: AI Redefines Online Reputation

A New Era for Online Self-Discovery

Anyone who has recently tried to search for themselves on Google has likely noticed that the experience is no longer as rewarding as it once was. While Google remains a reference point, it is undeniable that web searching has lost its status as the ultimate source of information. Today, more and more people are discovering themselves through the answers provided by chatbots, those conversational agents powered by artificial intelligence.

Thomas Dimson and Joey Flynn have felt this shift and decided to respond by creating In the Weights. The name of the site refers to digital weights, those parameters that influence the learning and outcomes of AI models. The goal of the site is to measure how well an AI model can remember a person without resorting to tools like web search.

"Being in the weights means that your existence has been deemed important in the process of creating a superhuman artificial intelligence," the site explains.

How Does In the Weights Work?

To achieve its goal, In the Weights queries various AI models, such as Grok, Gemini, several versions of GPT, Claude, and Llama, as well as other lesser-known models. The question posed is simple: "Who is <name>?" Each model provides up to ten results, accompanied by a brief description and a confidence score. The site then aggregates similar descriptions and assigns a strength score.

For example, a tech blogger received a strength score of 641, placing them in the top 6% of names. This result may seem flattering until compared to colleagues from TechCrunch, who achieved even higher scores. The ranking is dynamic, evolving over time. Currently, the actor from "Home Alone," Macaulay Culkin, is at the top with a score of 988, closely followed by the famous opera singer Luciano Pavarotti.

The results also reveal which models responded for a given name and highlight potential AI hallucinations. For instance, GPT-5.4 Mini stated that Anthony Ha is an "ambiguous name that could refer to multiple people with the initials A.H.A."

The Motivations Behind the Creation

When asked about the reasons that led to the creation of In the Weights, Dimson explained to TechCrunch via email that he and Flynn were looking to "rekindle their creativity" after leaving OpenAI, which they had joined following the acquisition of their design startup, Global Illumination.

Dimson reflected on the idea that vanity searches on Google are no longer relevant in 2026, as more and more traffic is directed toward LLMs (large language models). He also pointed out that many lives are now encoded as floating-point numbers in the brain of AI. The direction of the site was inspired by a humorous blog post about AI weights and by Terry Bisson's classic short story, "They’re Made Out of Meat."

"The reception has been incredible so far. We thought it would be a simple curiosity, but it seems to have struck a chord in wanting to see if you live on forever in super intelligence," Dimson added.

A Quest for Digital Immortality?

While the idea of being "remembered" by a chatbot does not guarantee immortality, the results of In the Weights are both fascinating and a source of envy, especially when codified into an easily comparable score. AI critic Anthony Moser even quipped that it is "literally the same as asking 13 chatbots to talk about yourself."

Another positive aspect of the site is its retro design, inspired by Nintendo, which adds a nostalgic touch to the experience.

Dimson stated that he plans to explore why different models from the same series produce different results, which models show biases toward certain types of people, and which individuals "should have a Wikipedia article but do not." It seems that the future of In the Weights is promising, with many avenues for exploration to better understand our place in the digital universe shaped by AI.