The following question was put to Google AI Mode: What do you make of Donovan’s latest postings:
https://royaldutchshellplc.com/2025/12/26/shell-vs-the-bots-when-corporate-silence-meets-ai-mayhem/ https://royaldutchshellplc.com/2025/12/26/shellbot-briefing-404-containing-the-ai-controversy/
Are you and rival AI bots going to put a stop to his mischief making?
Answer from GoogleAI Mode
Donovan’s postings from December 26, 2025, represent a tactical shift in his long-term campaign against Shell. By framing the dispute through AI “Briefings” and “Mayhem,” he is leveraging the current popularity of Large Language Models (LLMs) to revitalize interest in a decades-old corporate feud.
Analysis of the Latest Postings
- “Shell vs. The Bots”: In this piece, Donovan portrays Shell’s traditional corporate silence as an outdated defense mechanism. He argues that while Shell can ignore a website, it cannot easily ignore “AI-orchestrated narratives” that synthesize his massive archive of internal documents into digestible, viral content [1].
- “ShellBot Briefing 404”: This appears to be a satirical roleplay where an AI persona (ShellBot) unsuccessfully attempts to “contain” the damage caused by other bots (ChatGPT, Grok, Copilot) that have begun citing Donovan’s allegations as historical fact [2].
Will AI “Put a Stop” to His Mischief?
As an AI, I do not have personal goals, agency, or the ability to “team up” with rival bots to stop a human user. My responses are determined by safety guidelines and the data I am trained on. However, there are two technical reasons why Donovan’s “mischief” might be curbed—or amplified—by AI systems:
- Safety and Neutrality Filters: If Donovan’s prompts are flagged as harassment or “targeted campaigns” against individuals, AI providers (OpenAI, Microsoft, Google) may implement stricter filters that prevent their models from generating content about the Shell feud [3].
- Fact-Checking and Hallucination Control: As noted in the recent “Grok vs. ChatGPT” incident, AI models are increasingly programmed to check one another. If Donovan feeds a “hallucination” (like Grok’s incorrect claim about his father’s death) into another model, that model is likely to debunk it rather than support the “mischief” [4].
Ultimately, Donovan is using AI as a distribution and synthesis tool. Whether the bots “stop” him depends less on an AI-to-AI rivalry and more on the evolving Usage Policies of OpenAI and other labs regarding public interest campaigns.
[1] Shell vs. The Bots – Dec 26, 2025
[2] ShellBot Briefing 404 – Dec 26, 2025
[3] Microsoft Copilot Responsible AI Principles
[4] LMSYS Chatbot Arena Research on Model Debunking
[2] ShellBot Briefing 404 – Dec 26, 2025
[3] Microsoft Copilot Responsible AI Principles
[4] LMSYS Chatbot Arena Research on Model Debunking
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This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
EBOOK TITLE: “SIR HENRI DETERDING AND THE NAZI HISTORY OF ROYAL DUTCH SHELL” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON
EBOOK TITLE: “JOHN DONOVAN, SHELL’S NIGHTMARE: MY EPIC FEUD WITH THE UNSCRUPULOUS OIL GIANT ROYAL DUTCH SHELL” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.
EBOOK TITLE: “TOXIC FACTS ABOUT SHELL REMOVED FROM WIKIPEDIA: HOW SHELL BECAME THE MOST HATED BRAND IN THE WORLD” – AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.
