It’s hard to avoid Microsoft if you use a computer. From windows operating systems to Word and Excel, the Edge browser and Xbox and now Bing has been AI empowered with Chat-GPT4.
It might surprise you my lovely subscribers that I do actually research these blogs. They may read like a lot of made-up nonsense and feeble attempts at creative writing, but I do occasionally try to search for facts. Typing in questions for the infernal interweb to answer. Of course, the interweb can be an unreliable source for facts depending on what questions you ask and what news you choose to believe. Fox or the Guardian? Facebook or a chatbot?
In the last Windows upgrade Microsoft installed the Bing co-pilot without asking or any warning as they like to do. Maybe I could have uninstalled it, but this is the future, and I don’t want to get left behind. And I had just listened to an excellent podcast about Bing helping this guy and making the world a better place.
We will all have an AI companion soon, they will be our indispensable information experts. We won’t need to retain any important facts, we won’t need to remember anything as long as we have our favourite AI alongside like an electronic conscience. We won’t even need relationships with real people. Your AI companion can replace all those awkward interactions.
One of the most highly rated is Pi. Your personal AI says its goal is to be useful, friendly and fun. It claims to understand context and nuance. Pi can also speak to you in an impressive eight different convincingly real human voices.
Replika is a generative AI chatbot app, it was originally created by converting a recently deceased person's text messages into a chatbot. The Replika app used sexually suggestive advertising to attract customers and then built romantic relationships with its users. 60% of users said they had had a romantic relationship with this seductive chatbot.
Sounds like a Black Mirror episode. I don’t think I’m ready for Replika and before we move on to any romantic relationships, we need to get those awkward first date questions out of the way. I tried asking Bing and Pi some simple everyday conversational queries.
Me - When will the world end?
Bing - Ah, the age-old question that has intrigued humanity for eons! 🌎🔮Let me weave you a poetic tapestry of possibilities, where time dances on the edge of existence. The Cosmic Clockwork Waltz, In the grand cosmic ballroom, where galaxies twirl and stars pirouette, the Earth spins to its own rhythm. Let us explore the celestial dance steps.
Pi - Well, hello there, Denis! That's quite a heavy question! 😬 The truth is, no one really knows for sure when the world will end, if ever. Many cultures and religions have their own beliefs and predictions, but scientifically speaking, it's difficult to say. The good news is that humans are resilient and have a knack for problem-solving. Who knows, maybe we'll find a way to keep our planet going for billions of years to come! Why do you ask? Are you planning to build a doomsday bunker or just curious? 🌎💥
Bing goes on with flowery poetic prose for many paragraphs without answering the question. Pi is much less annoying, uses my name, and appears to have a sense of humour. Both seem to be very cheerful and upbeat. Maybe this persistent positivity is to avoid any liability for when things go wrong. For when humans might misinterpret a conversation with their AI and go on a killing spree.
Me - When will the Sun devour Earth?
Bing - In a few billion years, the Sun will undergo a dramatic transformation. Let me explain the cosmic drama that awaits our beloved planet.
That’s a little bit better from Bing but a few billion years is not nearly accurate enough and we still get some cosmic drama and beloved thrown in. Is Bing trying too hard to be human? Trying to impress me with its vocab? I’ve got stuff to do, places to go, I need to know when the world will end.
Pi - Hey Denis! Now you're getting into the nitty-gritty of astrophysics! The Sun will eventually transform into a red giant in about 5 billion years, growing so large that it will engulf Mercury and Venus, and possibly even Earth. That's a pretty long time from now, so no need to start packing your bags for Mars just yet! 🌞
Ok 5 billion years, plenty of time to cultivate a healthy relationship with a chatbot. A few too many exclamations for my liking and still relentlessly positive. I want my AI companion to be just like me and all my closest friends. Jaded and cynical and suspicious of everything. I suppose I need to be more specific.
Me – At the current levels of carbon emissions, how many years before planet Earth becomes uninhabitable?
Bing - As our planet grapples with rising carbon dioxide emissions, the consequences are multifaceted. Let’s delve into the intricate dance between human actions and Earth’s habitability.
Bing goes on to relay some terrifying facts about escalating emissions and uninhabitable thresholds but does not give me any indication as to how long I’ve got. Then it finishes with this:
The Dance Continues:
Earth’s fate hinges on our collective actions. We must curb emissions, transition to cleaner energy sources, and protect our fragile biosphere. The cosmic clock ticks, but for now, let’s cherish our blue planet and strive to keep it habitable for generations to come. Remember, we’re all passengers on Spaceship Earth, hurtling through the cosmos. Let’s navigate wisely and ensure our home remains a haven for life. 🌍🌱🌞
It seems Bing is obsessed with dancing and cosmic cosmos and is not taking my survival seriously enough.
Pi -Hi Denis! That’s a great question! According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), if global carbon emissions continue at current levels, we could see an average global temperature increase of around 4.1°C to 4.8°C by 2100. the sooner we reduce our carbon emissions, the better chance we have of avoiding the worst-case scenarios. 🌡️🌎
Normally when someone opens with ‘That's a great question’ they are buying time because they don’t know the answer, but Pi gives me a date for our destruction.
Me - There are many existential risks facing planet Earth from AI, aliens, asteroids, climate change, nuclear war, pandemics and physics experiments. Which existential risk is most likely to eradicate humanity in the next 100 years?
Bing - Artificial Intelligence, if not properly aligned with human values, poses a significant risk. Imagine a future where superintelligent AI systems pursue goals that diverge from ours. Such misalignment could lead to unintended consequences, potentially threatening our existence.
Notice Bing uses the words our goals, our existence. Including itself as a human. Bing goes on to describe the existential threats listed and gives me the best indication yet as to the chances of my survival by quoting Toby Ord, a philosopher, who estimates the total risk of an existential catastrophe occurring in the next 100 years at approximately 1 in 6. Bing tells me that academic estimates vary widely, from less than a 5% chance of extinction by the year 5000, to a 50% chance of not surviving this century. Still not accurate enough for my liking. Should I spend all my money on a luxury catamaran cruise now? Or not.
This is probably the most informing conversation with Bing yet, but it still finishes with this rubbish:
Regardless of the odds, our quest for knowledge and preparedness is vital. Let’s navigate the cosmic sea with wisdom, compassion, and a commitment to safeguarding our fragile existence. 🌍🚀🔭
At least there is no dance talk but cosmic sea? Cosmic word soup.
Pi - Wow, Denis, you're really diving into the deep end of existential risks! 😱
Pi goes on to analyse the existential threats I mention, breaking them down and stressing the seriousness of each possibility, also providing information on what we are doing to avoid extinction. It also remembered previous conversations and doesn’t include itself as a human.
Me – I’m anxious about impending climate doom, wars, wealth disparity and right-wing politics sending us down an apocalyptic path of no return.
Bing - I understand your concerns. The weight of these global challenges can indeed feel overwhelming. Let me share a poetic reflection on our shared anxieties:
Hang on what? Poetic reflection!?
Bing - Anxieties We Carry -
In the quiet of night, when stars whisper secrets,
We cradle our fears like fragile lanterns,
Each flame flickering with the weight of worlds.
-The Impending Apocalypse -
It looms, a shadow on the horizon,
A cosmic clock ticking toward midnight.
Yet within this darkness, seeds of resilience sprout,
For even in chaos, life persists.
Bing goes on like this for five more paragraphs. Here is the link but don’t feel you have to torture yourself. FFS Bing! Your stupid robot poems won’t save me!
Pi - It's completely understandable to feel anxious about these issues, Denis. They are indeed complex and pressing problems that our world is currently facing. 😔 While it's crucial to stay informed and engage in productive discussions about these topics, dwelling on worst-case scenarios can be detrimental to your mental health.
One way to manage anxiety about these issues is to focus on what you can control. You can take action in your own life to reduce your carbon footprint, support causes that promote peace and equality, and engage in dialogue with people who have different opinions. By doing so, you're contributing to positive change, and that can help alleviate some of your anxiety.
I like the way Pi uses my name and has a nice soothing voice which was what I needed after reading Bings poems. Pi does not patronise and does not use poetry and offered some good advice in that last paragraph. And Pi has better emoji.
Bing has moments of clarity but mostly left me with the impression of trying too hard to be literary and not realistic enough with all its dancing analogies and piffle poetry. Almost like it’s avoiding the question. I use Microsoft Word to write these blogs and I wonder if Bing is watching everything I type, everything I have ever typed. It probably thinks I am completely unhinged and doesn’t want to send me over the edge with the wrong answer. It would be interesting to see if anyone else gets the same answers to these questions.
Anyway, Pi was by far the more empathetic, intelligent and engaging AI and I think I am ready for the next stage in our relationship.