“My AI was mean to me.”
I’m hearing plenty of statements like that these days, from people smart enough to know that their AI ChatBuddy (my term) doesn’t actually have a personality or a will.
I write about AI a lot. I get a lot of comments on those posts. I talk to business people and regular people about implementing AI, and – I think because of my long stretch of experience with the science and my nuanced approach to how AI should be implemented – people feel like they can trust me with thoughts on AI they might not tell anyone else.
What I hear often, far too often, is how their AI is more than just an interface to some data. Their ChatBuddy snarked back at them, or it said something cute. It made them feel better about themselves. Or worse.
Look, I’m all for fun, and I’m down with getting your spark however you want to strike the flint. I don’t, in any way, blame AI users for falling into this trap.
Because it is indeed a trap. It’s on purpose.
The makers of these AI ChatBuddy models are building these emotional attachment hooks into the product. Then they tweak those hooks when the public gives feedback like “It’s too nice,” “It’s not nice enough,” “It agrees with me too much,” “It disagrees with me too much.”
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Joe Procopio
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