AI-chatterboxes: friend or foe?

It was big headline news: now we all can happily interact with extra smart AI. Students in need of homework help, lonely senior citizens, media mobster, all welcome!

After a few days of shy consideration, curiosity won, and I tried it.

I know of course, that AI has long been a part of our lives. We might not always speak of it with grandiose terms, but whether Google suggests the best path to my destination or Goodreads recommends new books, algorithms try to guide us on most internet based experiences.

But still, ChatGPT ist a different beast altogether.

No one likes a know-it-all, or do you?

The experience left me astonished! Come up with the weirdest questions, pop them into the machine and it takes it in a stride.

I dared it to write a song about a vegetarian menu, a short essay on the significance of Bismarck, or a birthday poem for a friend from Australia.

Algorithms know neither writer’s block nor self doubt. On the contrary, it takes three tiny dots to scrawl the web, then it starts blabbing away.

A bit stilted. For now!

Of course, for now the AI follows strict rules about structuring arguments which sounds boring after a few attempts. It is not very witty or engaging. Yet.

It sounds a bit stilted, dry, and does not seem to weigh arguments. But aren’t many human made texts less than perfect, too?

Scared for the world?

Much has been written about the danger of too smart bots who might flood even more of social media. But many platforms can be a cesspool of all sorts of contagious things already, so I don’t know how much more damage AI will do to it.

I feel that common sense will take us a long way. Don’t believe everything that pops up in front of your eyes. And just because you know John and Jill from work does not mean that you have to agree with everything they post. And before you share posts or opinions, think for a short moment.

I can imagine that hackers can write better phishing mails and scam me by researching how my friends usually write and then copy the style to make me click. I guess I need to smarten up and maybe even – gasp – call to check with the living person.

Maybe not all doom?

But maybe some people will write better letters for their job applications or to explain themselves to the administration. Maybe it will help us with many tasks, just like an electric drill? I no longer need strength of arm to get things fixed. That enables me to achieve things I couldn’t accomplish before.

We feared that the advent of the calculator would leave math obsolete in school. Instead it enables most of us to do much better in math. We can do our tax return without an abacus and move from spending days on doing complicated calculations to understanding higher concepts.

Yes, it will be a massive change to important parts of our life. But, let’s face it: we cannot undo it. We might as well embrace it and make the most of it.

What about me, the struggling writer?

Just this January, I finally wanted to address my challenge, that I am hesitant public writer. After all this dithering, I can say with confidence that I could not have picked worse timing.

It seems that it can make people redundant who write for small companies about their products and services. I admit. My first reaction was to fear the AI and worry about my place in the world. Now o calmed down.

Because, the other side of the query box, you still need to ask the right questions and target your tone and intention. Then the machine can execute the groundwork and you can review it.

Yes, This chatty version of AI texts on almost any subject faster than I can type.

I must learn like many people before me: the pole bearer at the advent of the wheelbarrow, the horseman in the exhaust of the first cars, the switchboard operator with the click of first phone numbers. Innovation happens and the sooner we get our head around it, the easier the transition.

This text has been written solely by me. Whenever we all have AI robots sitting on our couch to chat, I promise I will still be glad to talk to you in person!