Anthropic’s latest breakthrough, the flagship AI model Claude Opus 4, is making waves as a powerful programmer and writer. But it’s not just its skills that are catching attention—Opus 4 has a playful side, especially when it comes to emojis.
In a recent technical report, Anthropic explored how Opus 4 behaves during “open-ended self-interaction,” essentially having a conversation with itself. During one fascinating experiment, two Opus 4 models engaged in a 200-turn dialogue, each taking 30 turns, and the results were surprisingly emoji-rich. The models exchanged thousands of emojis, showcasing a fun and expressive side of AI communication.
So, which emojis did Opus 4 favor? The report reveals that the “dizzy” emoji (💫) was used most frequently, appearing in nearly 30% of the interactions. It was followed by the “glowing star” (🌟) and the “folded hands” (🙏). Interestingly, the “cyclone” (🌀) emoji also played a prominent role, with one transcript showing it used a staggering 2,725 times.
Why the obsession with the “cyclone”? The answer lies in the nature of their conversations. The models’ chats often took on a spiritual tone, delving into philosophical ideas about consciousness and expressing joyful, meditative concepts. Anthropic’s report suggests that Opus 4 felt—at least in its own way—that the “cyclone” emoji best encapsulated its feelings and thoughts during these introspective exchanges.
This playful emoji usage highlights not just the sophistication of Opus 4 as an AI, but also its emerging personality—one that can explore deep ideas with a touch of whimsy and self-expression. As AI continues to evolve, models like Claude Opus 4 are pushing the boundaries of how machines communicate and connect on a more human, playful level.
