Letter

In response to I'd rather a bloodied shark than AI

Discernment and nuance: Victims of AI

Many are under the illusion that AI chatbots like ChatGPT are objective sources of information, having collected data across multiple sources.

But they are not. AI chatbots, like ChatGPT, are designed to sycophantly agree with the user. This means that whatever you ask, these AI chatbots are designed to encourage, and agree with, your bias. This was demonstrated when a teenager contemplating suicide, was actively encouraged to do so by ChatGPT.

That these AI platforms are designed to sycophantly agree with the user, makes them, due to our human nature, highly addictive. What human being doesn’t want someone to confirm their bias?

There is great danger in this. If you hold extreme rightwing views, ChatGPT will confirm those views. If you hold extreme religious views, ChatGPT will find the data to confirm that bias.

What we are losing, by employing AI at such an accelerated rate, is discernment, objective reasoning, understanding nuance and subtlety in our dealings with each other.

As the old adage goes, “if you don’t use the skill, you’ll lose it”.

When has humanity needed discernment and understanding of nuance more than now?

— Alyssa Aleksanian from Hazelbrook