I'm not all that sanguine on talking to ChatGPT or any AI for that matter. However, all the discussions around AI and how it will take over our social interactions in some way has made me a friendlier person. In my recent trip to NYC, I talked to tourists from Germany and Australia, helped a woman find the 6 subway line, traded friendly barbs with a bartender at Junior's. I have zero desire to engage with AI-- even when I consider my husband passing well before me, the idea of speaking to anything that isn't another human isn't helpful. Maybe it's a generational thing.....
There is though I see one area where AI may be used and will potentially be detrimental and that is in the psychological therapeutic field. For decades, there have been shortages of qualified individuals to be counselors for the thousands who need help. All I can see is insurance companies, in their zeal to cash in on AI, suggest that people needing therapy talk with AI rather than see a counselor. I'm horrified by this. heck, I'm horrified by the idea of people substituting AI for a flesh and blood best friend! So I'm doubly horrified by the idea of using AI for therapy! but I see it happening. I also see suicide rates rising, and logical responses given to illogical human problems.
This doesn't mean I'm totally against AI. Think it's great in business settings, to help in coding, to assist in creating presentations, for crunching numbers quicker. but as your best friend? nah. I think we need to better understand how to reach out to other humans, how to make friends at different decades of our lives, rather than relying on a companion made of bits and bytes.
Thanks for your thoughts on this, Patricia. You're not alone in your hesitancy to interact with AI chatbots. I was a psychotherapist for over 25 years and have a hard time imagining the work being done by a system that lacks the experiences that lead to genuine empathy for others. That said, there are a lot of things I could never imagine happening that are now routine...so I'm reluctant to use the word, "never." I guess we'll find out because the exploration of these use cases will not slow down any time soon. Thanks again for reading and commenting.
I'm not all that sanguine on talking to ChatGPT or any AI for that matter. However, all the discussions around AI and how it will take over our social interactions in some way has made me a friendlier person. In my recent trip to NYC, I talked to tourists from Germany and Australia, helped a woman find the 6 subway line, traded friendly barbs with a bartender at Junior's. I have zero desire to engage with AI-- even when I consider my husband passing well before me, the idea of speaking to anything that isn't another human isn't helpful. Maybe it's a generational thing.....
There is though I see one area where AI may be used and will potentially be detrimental and that is in the psychological therapeutic field. For decades, there have been shortages of qualified individuals to be counselors for the thousands who need help. All I can see is insurance companies, in their zeal to cash in on AI, suggest that people needing therapy talk with AI rather than see a counselor. I'm horrified by this. heck, I'm horrified by the idea of people substituting AI for a flesh and blood best friend! So I'm doubly horrified by the idea of using AI for therapy! but I see it happening. I also see suicide rates rising, and logical responses given to illogical human problems.
This doesn't mean I'm totally against AI. Think it's great in business settings, to help in coding, to assist in creating presentations, for crunching numbers quicker. but as your best friend? nah. I think we need to better understand how to reach out to other humans, how to make friends at different decades of our lives, rather than relying on a companion made of bits and bytes.
Thanks for your thoughts on this, Patricia. You're not alone in your hesitancy to interact with AI chatbots. I was a psychotherapist for over 25 years and have a hard time imagining the work being done by a system that lacks the experiences that lead to genuine empathy for others. That said, there are a lot of things I could never imagine happening that are now routine...so I'm reluctant to use the word, "never." I guess we'll find out because the exploration of these use cases will not slow down any time soon. Thanks again for reading and commenting.