The cast list for season 6 of The Circle is here, and one of these catfish is not like the others.
For the first time in the Netflix show’s history, an artificial intelligence bot will play the game while pretending to be a human named Max.
“This season, we’re adding a bit more intelligence to the chat,” host Michelle Buteau teases in the official season 6 trailer. “An A.I. bot is playing the game as the ultimate catfish.”
A November 2023 Tudum article revealed that the chatbot has studied past seasons of the show and drew inspiration from past players when creating a profile. Max will be presented to competitors as a 26-year-old veterinary intern, and the A.I. bot will receive no assistance from producers while navigating the game.
The chatbot is not the only first for season 6, which premieres on Wednesday, April 17. One contestant named Kyle is playing as himself, but he’s also getting some help from a furry friend. The 31-year-old “proud dog dad” will enter the game with his canine companion, Deuce, per Tudum.
Despite the new twists and a new location — season 6 will take place in Atlanta, Georgia, while past installments were filmed in the U.K. — the teaser’s description promises the “same game” of “catfish, connections and chaos.”
Since The Circle premiered in 2020, the reality competition series has featured a mix of contestants playing as their authentic selves and contestants pretending to be someone they’re not. Season 2 champion DeLeesa St. Agathe, for example, posed as her husband, Trevor St. Agathe, during the game.
Players interact with each other via the Circle chat and periodically rank each other based on their level of connection. The highest ranked players become influencers and have the power to kick other competitors out of the circle. During the final stage of the game, the player with the highest ranking wins the $100,000 grand prize.
Keep scrolling to meet The Circle’s unique season 6 cast:
