The parallels with the Ghost in the Shell Stand Alone Complex series are eerie. Inspired by the works of J.D. Salinger about how impressionable children are. And in that vein are robots and AIs so impressionable that an idea can spread without a central leader
A Reddit user summised as such:
> Stand alone complex is a phenomenon when several unconnected people come with the same idea and think it's unique. For example: by the end of the 19 century people had enough knowledge to create a radio and so several inventors all across the world came up with the same invention almost at the same time.