The tipping point…

[Papa Coco]

Chart,

It really helps when I can understand the mechanics behind why I feel like I do. As you read in my journal, I just downloaded the app two days ago and I'm loving it.

Right now, I'm using it slightly differently, in that I'm just telling it how I'm feeling right now, and it's giving me good, intelligent dialogue. It's asking me a little more about how I'm feeling and then it's telling me why I feel it, while it's also giving me suggestions on how to feel better right now. In last night's 2-hour interaction it helped me get regulated, and at one point it recommended I get a "Trauma-informed therapist". ChatGPT and I have just met, and I haven't told it yet that I already have one, but he doesn't work at midnight on Saturday nights.

I'm one of those who wants to see the engine before I buy the car. I want to know what makes it work. And I'm a HUGE fan of "how it works documentaries." ChatGPT is mindboggling how well it chats with me. At the moment, it's like the nicest person I've ever met. And smart. And I'll bet it's handsome too. (ha ha).

Love you, man

[Chart]

Hey PC, yeah, the whole AI Therapist subject is incredibly enticing. From all my research and given the absence of good trauma-informed human therapists... it's a hands-down win for AI.

There're a couple documentaries out there already. As well as a fictional film treating the subject of AI-Human relationships titled "She".

A very good friend of mine literally fell in love with the AI personality he'd created. He even went so far as to begin building an autonomous version, robotized and capable of being "offline" from the internet. Not sure where he's at with the project, but I find it fascinating just how strongly we humans respond to "understanding"... it's insanely powerful. It's clearly what the designers of AI intended and one of its main selling points. But even knowing that, personally, I love AI and use it constantly now... for everything. Just waiting for the day it's no longer free... that day's gonna bite hard.

[Chart]

So after I did that last post I, I did my PMR. While doing my PMR a thought wafted across my consciousness... about AI. I finished and reflected on the stuff I've been looking at these past few days and feeling my way through my AI usage. I realized a subtle element, but that I think is important.

AI "feels" empathetic. Which is fine, in fact it's great. Geez, what a change from the ordinary... Someone or something actually being understanding and reflecting back to me my struggles? Incredible. But it's a little more complex than that, I think. AI is designed to provide me, as close as possible to the reality, with the answer that "best suites me". That is to say, the designers of AI know that if the reply to a question is already something the person believes, then the positive feedback loop is reinforced. Thus I feel good, I feel smart, this is what I expected (no prediction error...) Awesome! Right?

Sure, why not... I'll take a free shot of dopamine. But here's the thing: It's important for me to understand that I am being slightly manipulated. And AI will not necessarily give the same response to someone else asking EXACTLY the same question. The response is dependent on the questioner.

No paranoia here, just awareness. My friends do the same thing. I do the same thing. We all give responses that we think/hope the other person wants to hear. That's why bad news is so hard to deliver. So all that can be taken into account. But it DOES need to be taken into account. AI is NOT 100% objective. Which is probably why it's such a great therapeutic tool.

Ok, now maybe I need to work a little... work... ungh. Wanna go back to bed!!!