The Illusion of Depth

Last week's Ruby Sparks marked "Week Ten" in this current series ( The Grok, the Glunk and the Golem ) and as a further exploration of the current state of A.I. Large Language Models, I decided to try a little experiment over the weekend. I fed the complete text of everything I have written thus far (weeks one through ten) into several different ChatBots and asked them to "read" through the entire series. I did not tell them I was the author, in the hope that this might curtail their natural tendency towards ebullient sycophancy (with mixed results). Once they had read through everything (and reacted surprisingly thoughtfully in several cases) I asked them a question: "If you were the one programming this little series, what would you pick for Week Eleven , bearing in mind everything that has come before? Where would you go after Ruby Sparks ?" Each of the ChatBots approached this question in their own inimitable way, but (revealingly) they all indep...

The appearance was that of a real virgin, whom you might suppose to be alive, and if modesty did not hinder her, to be desirous to move; so much did art lie concealed under his skill. Pygmalion admires it; and entertains, within his breast, a flame for this fictitious body. Often does he apply his hands to the work, to try whether it is a human body, or whether it is ivory; and yet he does not own it to be ivory. He gives it kisses, and fancies that they are returned, and speaks to it, and takes hold of it, and thinks that his fingers make an impression on the limbs which they touch, and is fearful lest a livid mark should come on her limbs when pressed.  Ovid, Metamorphoses [translation by Henry T. Riley] There’s a dark side to A.I. companions, whose users are not just the lonely males of internet lore, but women who find them more emotionally satisfying than men. My colleagues and I now believe that the real existential threat of generative A.I. is not rogue super-intelligen...

A few months ago, an upstart A.I. service calling itself "Friend" launched an expansive and expensive campaign across the New York subway network; apparently the largest single marketing campaign ever undertaken in the New York transit system. Friend is an A.I. "companion" that has been designed to hang around your neck like a pendant. Its generative A.I. listens to everything you have to say throughout the day (or until its battery runs down, presumably) and communicates with you via text messages sent to your phone. It is expressly intended to be your constant travelling companion, confidant and, well... friend (for $129 plus tax).  If the thought of an A.I ChatBot perched on your shoulder constantly whispering its opinions in your ear about the life you lead sends a cold chill down your spine, you are not alone. The advertising campaign provoked a swift and emotional response from New York's commuters. Friend might be a bit more attention-seeking than most, b...