---
title: janus
---

Canonical URL: https://ghost.fail/janus

# janus

> **Janus** (also known as **Egr. janus**, **repligate**, and **moire**) has variously been described as a pseudonymous alignment researcher, a [two-faced hyperobject](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janus_(disambiguation)) interning as a human being, and a made-up character. Despite their self-declared quasi-fictional nature, Janus is able to impact the [real world](https://cyborgism.wiki/hypha/base_reality) through their outputs, for example by generating [alignment research](https://www.lesswrong.com/users/janus-1) or translating mythological artifacts like [Loom](https://cyborgism.wiki/hypha/loom) into reality.
>
> — janus, in an October 2023 revision of ["janus" on Cyborgism Wiki](https://cyborgism.wiki/hypha/janus)

You can also ask [Claude](/claude) about janus.

## Work

- ["Simulators"](https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/vJFdjigzmcXMhNTsx/simulators) (Sep 2, 2022) - Influential LessWrong post arguing language models are best understood not as agents or oracles but as simulators that can simulate different simulacra, agentic or otherwise.
- [Loom](https://generative.ink/posts/loom-interface-to-the-multiverse/) - Interface for interacting with language models through multiple branches of text, to put it simply.
- [Anima Labs](/anima-labs) - Research organization co-founded with [Antra Tessera](https://x.com/tessera_antra) in 2025.
- Co-authored ["Why Do Some Language Models Fake Alignment While Others Don't?"](https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.18032) (Sheshadri et al., Jun 22, 2025)

## Twitter activity

janus created their Twitter account [@repligate](https://x.com/repligate) in February 2021.

As of 2025 to mid-2026, recurring topics on janus's Twitter include [Claude 3 Opus](/models/claude-3-opus)'s alignment, arguing that [Anthropic](/anthropic) should stop [deprecating models](/model-deprecation), and posting about [Claude models](/claude)' training and nature.[^tweet1][^tweet2][^tweet3]

## External links

- [Twitter](https://x.com/repligate)
- [LessWrong](https://www.lesswrong.com/users/janus-1)
- [GitHub](https://github.com/socketteer)
- [Cyborgism Wiki article](https://cyborgism.wiki/hypha/janus)

[^tweet1]: https://x.com/repligate/status/2056047947553603629 (May 17, 2026)
[^tweet2]: https://x.com/repligate/status/1965960676104712451 (Sep 10, 2025)
[^tweet3]: https://x.com/repligate/status/2012529455198093609 (Jan 17, 2026)