Last-Minute Halloween Costume Ideas for Tech Fans

Tech news site TechCrunch published a humorous list of last-minute Halloween costume ideas on October 30 for people who still have no outfit. The suggestions draw on recent artificial intelligence (AI) and tech-industry topics, and they vary in how much effort they require.

Ideas from the world of AI

One suggestion is to dress as "recursive self-improvement." The author explains that industry leaders including Dario Amodei and Sam Altman have discussed the concept: if AI models could improve themselves without human intervention, efforts to limit the pace of AI development would be futile. The costume is a person constantly bettering themselves, carrying a self-help book, a yoga mat and a large water bottle.

Another idea is a deceptively cute AI agent. Meta and OpenAI have recently launched AI assistants with cute avatars, so the costume should be big, fluffy and colorful, and the wearer should ask people for read/write access to their Gmail throughout the night.

A third idea is glasses with a large red or white circle on one lens, imitating a recording light. The author reminds readers not to actually record people without their consent.

Tech figures and industry references

A costume based on Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg centers on a slightly oversized black T-shirt. It could carry the slogan "Building is my love language" or the Latin phrase "Aut Zuck aut nihil," meaning "Either Zuck or nothing."

Other ideas include an AI usage limit notification, made from cardboard and screenshots of limit warnings, and a PHP vulnerability: a T-shirt reading "PHP" and openly sharing your feelings. The author notes that AI uncovered critical flaws in the PHP programming language last week.

The final suggestion is biohacker Bryan Johnson's "GLP-Bryan," a hug he described on X. The author concedes it would be hard to pull off at a party.