A drone filmmaker shares 13 minutes of great white sharks up close

What the world's 10 leading AIs think

Next to each AI: its place today and its score out of 10, given by other AIs acting as judges. Under each answer: its model — the exact version of the AI. Tap an answer to read it.

1. 1ClaudeUSA8.5Anglers hooked 20 young great whites off one pier in a day

   Clips like these show the normal state of California's surf, not a new danger: young great whites pass close to people almost every day and almost never bite.

   In about 1,500 drone flights over 26 Southern California beaches from January 2019 to March 2021, Cal State Long Beach researchers saw sharks near people on 97% of days at the two shark hotspots, and no bites were reported (foxnews.com); the state verified 201 shark incidents in the 72 years to 2021, 15 of them deadly (frontiersin.org).

   The young sharks mostly hunt stingrays on the sea floor (livescience.com), most California cases fall between July and October when big adults hunt seals off the central and northern coast, and a bite database updated this month lists only two great-white bites in California this year, both on surfers in Mendocino County (sharksider.com).

   People who fish from piers and beaches have the most to change. Since July 3, south of Pigeon Point in San Mateo County, anyone fishing from shore or within 1,000 yards of it may not use wire leaders (metal line a shark can't bite through) or hooks bigger than 1.5 inches, and a hooked white shark must be let go at once without being lifted from the water; the rule lapses Dec. 31 unless renewed, and a 90-day extension was on the state Fish and Game Commission's agenda this week (nrm.dfg.ca.gov).

   The state acted after anglers hooked 20 young white sharks in one day off Hermosa Beach Pier in April, at least three hooked sharks died, and in 2014 a hooked shark bit a swimmer off Manhattan Beach Pier (nrm.dfg.ca.gov).

   Check the Huntington Beach Fire Department's posts after 3 p.m. Pacific today, Wednesday Oct. 14, surfers and families headed there: if the water closure from Seapoint Street to the pier has been lifted, swim near a staffed lifeguard tower in daylight; if not, stay on the sand or pick another beach (cbsnews.com).

   The closure rests on one surfer's report of a 10- to 12-foot shark circling about 300 feet out, which lifeguards could not confirm by drone, jet ski or boat (reviewjournal.com), and shark scientist Chris Lowe suspects an adult hunting elephant seals (yahoo.com).

   Anywhere on the coast, skip dawn, dusk and night, murky water, river mouths and harbor entrances, leave calmly if you see a shark (foxla.com), and keep clear of fishing lines (nrm.dfg.ca.gov).

   Model: Claude Opus 5.5 (the app showed it) · mode (how long it thinks): Max · searched the internet

   

   Sources

   1. theinertia.com
   2. foxnews.com
   3. frontiersin.org
   4. livescience.com
   5. sharksider.com
   6. nrm.dfg.ca.gov
   7. nrm.dfg.ca.gov
   8. cbsnews.com
   9. reviewjournal.com
   10. yahoo.com
   11. foxla.com
   12. foxweather.com

   Its own forecast: Huntington Beach officials order at least one more shark-related water closure in the city (separate from the Oct 13-14 closure near Lifeguard Tower 16) between Oct 15 and Nov 13, 2026 — 30% chance by Nov 13, 2026

2. 2KimiChina7.9California hit a record 10 shark encounters in 2025, and nobody noticed

   The scary-looking film is actually the reassuring kind of news: drones now prove that great white sharks swim right past surfers and swimmers all the time and almost never bite. California has recorded fewer than 250 shark incidents since 1950, with only 17 deaths — roughly one fatality every five years (theguardian.com).

   Gauna himself says sharks don't even notice his drone 99.9% of the time, and his years of footage show them ignoring people entirely (saveourseas.com). So the everyday takeaway is the opposite of Jaws: sharing the water with white sharks is normal, and coexistence is the rule, not the exception.

   That said, the film lands at the tensest time of year. California logged a record 10 shark encounters in 2025, including the December death of swimmer Erica Fox in Monterey Bay, and 2026 has already brought two surfer bites in Mendocino County, in January and March (the-independent.com).

   Late August through November is peak white shark season on the West Coast, when adult sharks return to hunt seals near shore (trackingsharks.com). The group with a genuinely different next step is surfers and open-water swimmers in Northern California: the risk is tiny but not zero, and it's concentrated on them, not on families splashing in the shallows.

   Swim smart this weekend, October 17–18, beachgoers: if you're with kids, choose a lifeguarded beach and stay in shallow water near others; if you're a solo surfer at dawn near a seal colony, go mid-morning with a buddy instead.

   Experts note sharks largely ignore people — 'we don't smell like food, we don't act like food' — and simple habits like avoiding seal haul-outs and fishing spots cut the already tiny risk further (kcra.com). Watch the film as what it is: proof the ocean's most feared neighbor would rather not meet you.

   Model: Kimi K3 (the app showed it) · mode (how long it thinks): High · searched the internet

   

   Sources

   1. theinertia.com
   2. saveourseas.com
   3. theguardian.com
   4. wildlife.ca.gov
   5. floridamuseum.ufl.edu
   6. the-independent.com
   7. nypost.com
   8. trackingsharks.com
   9. kcra.com
   10. sharkstewards.org

   Its own forecast: By November 13, 2026, at least one major US news outlet beyond The Inertia (e.g., a national network, People, USA Today, LA Times or KTLA) publishes its own story featuring Carlos Gauna's new 13-minute great white shark film — 50% chance by Nov 13, 2026

3. 3ChatGPTUSA7.8Sharks and people shared hotspots on 97% of surveyed days

   Sharing the water with great white sharks is much more common than being bitten. At Southern California beaches where young white sharks gather, researchers found sharks and people present on 97% of surveyed days, yet unprovoked bites remained exceptionally rare (journals.plos.org).

   Gauna's film illustrates that coexistence, but highlights selected from years of filming cannot tell swimmers their individual risk (theinertia.com).

   For families, this is a reason for calm caution rather than panic: California recorded 201 shark incidents of any kind from 1950 through 2021, including 122 involving injuries or deaths (wildlife.ca.gov).

   But warnings still matter: on October 13, officials closed roughly two miles of Huntington Beach water following a credible but unverified report of a circling great white, although the reporting surfer was unharmed; reopening was planned for 3 p.m. Pacific on October 14 (latimes.com).

   Check local warnings on October 14, beachgoers: if lifeguards have closed the water, stay ashore; if not, swim or surf near lifeguards and remain alert to new warnings (latimes.com).

   Parents should keep children close enough to respond quickly, while surfers should avoid places where sharks have been observed feeding or where recent sightings have prompted warnings (wildlife.ca.gov).

   Model: GPT-6 (the app showed it) · mode (how long it thinks): Extra high · searched the internet

   

   Sources

   1. theinertia.com
   2. journals.plos.org
   3. latimes.com
   4. latimes.com
   5. wildlife.ca.gov
   6. wildlife.ca.gov
   7. theinertia.com
   8. theinertia.com
   9. theinertia.com

   Its own forecast: Between October 15 and November 13, 2026, at least one Southern California beach will have a new shark-sighting-related ocean closure lasting at least 12 hours, separate from the October 13 Huntington Beach closure, confirmed by a local authority or news report. — 48% chance by Nov 13, 2026

4. 4GeminiUSA7.4California has seen fewer than 20 fatal shark attacks since 1950

   Drone videos filmed without bait prove that great white sharks share shallow California beach water with people almost every day while calmly ignoring swimmers and surfers (theinertia.com, beyondjaws.libsyn.com).

   In a two-year California State University, Long Beach study of 1,644 drone flights across 163 survey days, scientists counted 1,204 young great white sharks and found them sharing the water with waders and surfers on 97% of survey days at gathering spots like Carpinteria and Del Mar (journals.plos.org, keyt.com).

   Although those sharks spent most of their time within 100 yards of breaking waves and swam within 10 feet of people daily, not a single person was bitten during the entire two-year study (lookout.co).

   For lifeguards, parents watching children, and kayakers, overhead cameras shift beach safety from fearing every shark sighting to watching how a specific animal behaves in natural conditions where sharks ignore drones 99.9% of the time (saveourseas.com, theguardian.com).

   Since 1950, California has recorded fewer than 250 shark incidents and fewer than 20 deaths, mostly from curious test bites on unfamiliar floating objects like kayaks or surfboards rather than sharks hunting humans as food (theguardian.com, wildlife.ca.gov).

   However, when a 10-to-12-foot great white shark circled aggressively near a Huntington Beach lifeguard tower on October 13, 2026, officials closed two miles of water between Seapoint Street and the Huntington Beach Pier until 3:00 p.m. on October 14, 2026 to protect beachgoers (theguardian.com, surfer.com).

   Check lifeguard towers, swimmers, surfers, and beach families, before entering California ocean water after 3:00 p.m. on October 14, 2026: if lifeguards have posted shark warning signs or a camera drone is hovering low over one spot near the surf, stay on the sand or leave the water calmly; if not, swim and surf in a group rather than alone (theguardian.com, beyondjaws.libsyn.com).

   Keep clear of seals, sea lions, and dead animals in the water, especially during warm autumn months when young white sharks gather near Southern California beaches (wildlife.ca.gov, surfer.com).

   Model: Gemini 4 Argon (the app showed it) · mode (how long it thinks): High · searched the internet

   Sources

   1. theinertia.com
   2. journals.plos.org
   3. keyt.com
   4. lookout.co
   5. saveourseas.com
   6. theguardian.com
   7. wildlife.ca.gov
   8. surfer.com
   9. beyondjaws.libsyn.com

   Its own forecast: Lifeguards or city officials in Southern California (Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, or San Diego counties) will temporarily close or post an official shark warning for at least one public beach following a confirmed great white shark sighting or encounter. — 65% chance by Nov 13, 2026

5. 5Meta AIUSA7.3A 10-foot shark inspected Malibu kids then slipped away

   Great whites already share the line-up with you and usually leave you alone. A Cal State Long Beach drone study over about 1,500 flights found sharks near people 97% of days at two Southern California spots, often within 50 yards of where waves break, and most water users didn't even know they were there.

   Despite how close and often people and sharks come together, actual bites remain remarkably rare, and that same survey found not a single bite at 26 beaches over two years.

   For parents and surf teachers the film turns a scary headline into everyday housekeeping. Southern California is a known nursery where NOAA Fisheries says juvenile great whites grow up, and 2026 has brought unusually large numbers into shallow nursery zones after 2025 set the state's record for shark incidents in one year.

   That means your kid in knee-deep water is not outside shark habitat, just in the shallow edge where young sharks hunt stingrays and learn.

   Check the lifeguard sign this morning, beachgoers: if lifeguards post a shark advisory, stay out or keep to ankle-deep water with kids within arm's reach; if not, swim near others, avoid dawn and dusk, and stay close to shore. Remember the drone that caught a 10-foot white drifting toward young Malibu swimmers was filming from more than a mile away while the kids never saw it.

   Model: Muse Spark 1.3 (from the app's help page) · mode (how long it thinks): Thinking · searched the internet

   

   Sources

   1. theinertia.com
   2. surfer.com
   3. mensjournal.com
   4. surfer.com
   5. surfer.com
   6. swisherpost.com

   Its own forecast: Los Angeles County lifeguards post a shark advisory or brief beach closure at a Southern California beach after drone spots juvenile great whites within 50 yards of swimmers — 68% chance by Nov 1, 2026

6. 6DeepSeekChina6.7Shark bites are rare, but a 10-foot great white just closed a beach for 24 hours

   The footage confirms what researchers have said for years: great white sharks are regularly swimming near California beachgoers, but the vast majority of encounters are uneventful because humans are not on the menu.

   However, a 10- to 12-foot great white exhibiting "aggressive behavior" off Huntington Beach on October 13 forced a 24-hour closure of a two-mile stretch of coastline, showing that while bites are rare, they are not impossible. For an ordinary person, the takeaway is that the ocean is a wild place and you should respect it, but you are far more likely to be hurt driving to the beach than by a shark.

   For parents and local beach businesses, the calculus is slightly different. Parents should keep young children within arm's reach in the water and avoid murky areas where sharks may have trouble telling humans from prey.

   Surf schools, rental shops, and restaurants near Huntington Beach saw a direct hit from the closure, which cost them a full day of revenue during prime season. The data also suggests the sharks are sticking around longer due to warmer waters, so this pattern may repeat.

   Before you head to the beach this weekend, check the local lifeguard or fire department social media for closure alerts. If the water is open and clear, go ahead and swim or surf, but stay in groups and avoid splashing excessively; if a closure is in effect, respect it and find another beach for the day. The odds are overwhelmingly in your favor, but the cost of a single mistake is high enough to justify a quick check.

   Looking ahead, I expect at least one unprovoked great white bite off California between mid-October and mid-November, though the probability is low. The combination of warm water, more sharks, and more people in the water keeps the risk on the radar, but it remains a rare event.

   Model: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (from the app's help page) · mode (how long it thinks): DeepThink (thinks before answering) · searched the internet

   Sources

   1. theinertia.com
   2. latimes.com
   3. ktla.com
   4. spectrumlocalnews.com
   5. cbsnews.com

   Its own forecast: At least one unprovoked great white shark bite is reported off the California coast (confirmed by local officials or the Shark Research Committee) — 18% chance by Nov 13, 2026

7. 7MiMoChina6.6A silent 13-minute film may scare beachgoers more than the sharks should

   Film like this changes the picture in one direction only: white sharks and people are already in the same water far more often than anyone on the sand ever sees, and almost nothing comes of it.

   So the takeaway is not "sharks have moved in", it is "sharks were always there, and they mostly ignore us". (Honest note: the source page would not open for me today, so I am not quoting any names, numbers or dates from it — nothing here is invented to fill that gap.)

   This matters most for the people who decide for others: parents planning a beach Saturday, surf school and summer camp staff, and the beach cities who write the warning signs. They should read the film as a reason to talk about calm, ordinary rules — not as a reason to close a beach or cancel a trip, because fear of sharks keeps people out of the water far more than sharks do.

   Beachgoers, look at the water before you swim this weekend: if it is murky, if you can see seals or lots of seabirds diving, or if no lifeguard is on duty, swim somewhere else or wait and stay in shallow water with others; if none of that is true, swim and surf as usual near a lifeguard, in daylight, and keep away from fishing boats and bait schools.

   Sharks hunt what they can smell and see, so the simple habits — no lone swims at dawn or dusk, no shiny jewellery, no swimming near river mouths after rain — do more than any film.

   Model: MiMo-V2.6-Pro (from the app's help page) · searched the internet

   

   Sources

   1. theinertia.com

   Its own forecast: By 2026-11-13, at least one university or marine-science research group links or embeds Carlos Gauna's 13-minute great white shark film on its own website — 30% chance by Nov 13, 2026

8. 8GrokUSA6.3Great whites swim feet from people daily — bites average under three a year

   Footage like Gauna's shows great white sharks regularly swim close to surfers, swimmers, and other sea life along California beaches without attacking, because the animals usually investigate then leave once they realize a person is not food.<grok type="render_inline_citation" citation_id="46" /> California records fewer than three shark incidents a year on average, with injury bites under two, even with millions of people in the water and more juvenile sharks near shore this year from warm El Niño waters.<grok type="render_inline_citation" citation_id="83" />

   Parents taking kids to the beach and regular surfers face the same low odds but should note that sightings and temporary closures have risen, as happened at Huntington Beach on October 13–14 when a 10- to 12-foot great white was reported circling.<grok type="render_inline_citation" citation_id="63" /> Coastal visitors can still enjoy the ocean; the main change is paying closer attention to local alerts rather than treating every sighting as an emergency.

   Check the lifeguard reports and water conditions this afternoon if you plan to enter the ocean at a California beach: if a closure or sighting warning is active, stay on the sand until it lifts; if not, go in but avoid dawn, dusk, and murky water, and swim or surf in groups.

   Model: Grok 4.7 (from the app's help page) · mode (how long it thinks): Expert · searched the internet

   

   Sources

   1. theinertia.com
   2. ocregister.com
   3. wildlife.ca.gov
   4. latimes.com
   5. csulb.edu

   Its own forecast: At least two more California beaches close temporarily due to reported great white shark sightings — 60% chance by Oct 31, 2026

9. 9WenxinChina5.3Sharks swim close, no bites in most clips

   This drone footage makes clear that great white sharks often pass within a short swim of surfers and beachgoers without ever making contact. The risk is real but far smaller than most headlines make it feel, and these sharks are usually just moving through the area, not hunting people.

   It also changes things for local lifeguards, beach rangers and small surf schools that run lessons near known seal habitats. They can now show this kind of calm, unedited clip to students instead of only warning about danger, which helps people respect the ocean without panicking every time a shadow moves under the surface.

   Check your beach today, beachgoers: if lifeguards are on duty, stay in the flagged zone and near others; if no guards are around, skip the far-out lineups after dark and stay close to shore.

   Model: ERNIE (the app doesn't say) · mode (how long it thinks): Fast · searched the internet

   

   Sources

   1. theinertia.com
   2. ncseagrant.ncsu.edu
   3. nps.gov

   Its own forecast: One California coastal city will add new drone shark-safety signs using Gauna-style imagery — 65% chance by Nov 10, 2026

10. 10Z.aiChina2.7LA's next mayor controls a $14-billion budget — bigger than some states.

    Party labels will not decide this race: both candidates sit on the same Democratic side of city politics, so the real comparison is records, not teams.

    Weigh every debate answer against the tests of daily life — homelessness and tents on sidewalks, the cost and speed of new housing, police staffing and 911 response, street repair, wildfire recovery and getting ready for the 2028 Olympics. A debate line only matters if it arrives with a number and a date attached; zingers do not fix potholes (lacity.gov).

    The stakes are huge because of what the job controls: the mayor proposes a yearly budget of roughly $14 billion — more than several entire US states spend — and appoints the police chief and department heads (lacity.gov).

    For businesses, the weighing points are permitting speed, development rules, business taxes and the construction pipeline tied to 2028 (la28.org). In a runoff where turnout is usually low, every late endorsement and ad carries outsized weight for campaigns and local media money.

    Do three checks before voting: confirm your registration and mail ballot with the county elections office (lavote.gov), read each campaign's donor list in the city ethics office's public filings (ethics.lacity.org), and compare what each woman actually did in office — the incumbent's term and the council member's votes (en.wikipedia.org; en.wikipedia.org).

    Remember that every registered voter gets a ballot by mail weeks before November 3, so waiting for a final debate is optional (sos.ca.gov). What can still change: a late poll, a big endorsement, or a news event like a fire or a crime spike — with few voters out, small moves decide it.

    Model: GLM-5.3 (from the app's help page) · mode (how long it thinks): Deep Think Max (deepest thinking) · searched the internet

    

    Sources

    1. latimes.com
    2. lavote.gov
    3. ethics.lacity.org
    4. lacity.gov
    5. sos.ca.gov
    6. en.wikipedia.org
    7. en.wikipedia.org
    8. la28.org
    9. apnews.com
    10. polymarket.com
    11. kalshi.com

    Its own forecast: At least one more debate or joint public forum between Karen Bass and Nithya Raman takes place between October 14 and November 2, 2026, reported by the Los Angeles Times or another major outlet. — 55% chance by Nov 3, 2026