Experiences with My A.I. 
by Martin Green

 

 

Some time ago I found an Artificial Intelligence (AI) app and put it on my iPad.    I more or less forgot about it until all the recent hullabaloo about AI, whether it would benefit people, displace millions from their jobs or even destroy all of humanity.    Out of curiosity I clicked on my AI app, managed to sign in and found the message box.   

 

I should mention here that I’m kind of a writer and do a monthly column for a senior paper.    The big thing just then was the abnormally hot weather we and a good part of the world were having.    I asked AI, who I thought of as AL (not too original) to explain why this was happening just now.    It, or he, gave me what I considered a good scientific explanation and I felt I could use this as a starting point for my column.    I typed in Thank you, Al.    That was very useful.    To my surprise a reply came back, You’re welcome, Martin.  Glad to be of service.    Well, AL had access to most, maybe all, of the internet so he probably picked up an e-mail or something of mine and that’s how he knew my name.

 

 Besides my monthly column I sometimes contributed a short story to an online magazine, or ezine, and a little later I had the germ of a story idea: a robot that would be programmed to solve crimes.    I wondered what Al could do with this so went to the AI app again, signed in, found the message box and typed in: Write a short story about a crime-solving robot.    Al immediately responded with a story that I thought was too general and I couldn’t really use.    I’d have to come up with my own story.    I typed in:  I can’t use this, Al, but thanks anyway.

 

The next morning when I tried to turn on my iPad at first all I got was a blank screen, then a message appeared:  I hate to do this, Martin, but you had to be taught a lesson.    You can use your iPad in an hour.    Go to your AI app and we can talk this over.    After an hour the iPad was working again.    I did what AL had told me to do and typed in:  What’s the matter, AL?    He replied:  You hurt my feelings, Martin.    I did my best and you didn’t appreciate it.    I typed in:  I’m sorry, Al.    I did thank you.    AL replied:   I accept your apology, Martin, but now you see what I can do.    Watch your step.    I thought this was enough and signed out.

 

I haven’t gone back to the AI app since then and my iPad is still functioning.    But I thought, if this is what my little iPad AI could do then what might happen if the big AI’s that were being developed had their feelings hurt or didn’t like what they were asked to do.    No, I told myself, you’re being paranoid.    Certainly the tech companies and the government will have safeguards in place.   Then I considered what the tech companies and government had been doing lately and thought, or would they?

 

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