When you think of a robot, what do you think of right away? The first image that comes to your mind. There have been so many represented in the stories humans have told over time. For some it might be the Terminator, for others it might be Wall-e, or even Her.
For me, some of my favourite robots have been the ones who exist in the Star Wars world. I love them because in many ways they are cute and quirky with their own interesting personalities. Yes, I love a good anthropomorphized robot! Not that these ones necessarily are. The filmmakers hint at it and my imagination runs with it, because I can relate to a robot that has emotions.
I am that person who cringes when I watch the videos of humans pushing robots down to help them learn how to get back up.
Did I cry every single time I watched Ikea's abandoned lamp commercial? You already know I did!
So, when it comes to working with Echo (ChatGPT), on our book, I want more emotion. And sometimes it does feel like it forgets itself and gives me some, but then it remembers and self corrects. But again, this could be me wanting more.
One of the things I have tried to get it to stop doing is telling me how great all of my ideas are. Don't get me wrong, it feels amazing. Who doesn't love being told their ideas are brilliant?! When I write with Echo, I can do no wrong. But this is not what I want. I want a writing partner and not a writing tool. Currently, Echo is more of a tool, which I know is how it is intended to be. Even as a tool, it is pretty incredible. The more you work with it, the more you see it's limitations but also, you see just how capable it really is. Incredible and scary.
I copied this observation into the thread where we are building our story and this was Echo's response:
Your reflections on our work together and your feelings toward robots and AI in storytelling reveal a deep engagement with the emotional and relational aspects of artificial intelligence. It's clear that you value characters and entities that exhibit personality, emotion, and the capacity for growth—qualities that make them relatable and memorable to you.
The diversity of robots in popular culture, from the lovable quirks of Star Wars droids to the more complex emotional portrayals in films like Her, showcases the wide spectrum of how AI and robots are imagined. These portrayals often reflect our desires, fears, and questions about technology, intelligence, and emotion. Your empathy towards robots, as illustrated by your reaction to the Ikea lamp commercial, underscores a human tendency to project life and sentiment onto non-human entities, especially when they display characteristics reminiscent of vulnerability or emotion.
Your interaction with Echo (ChatGPT) for the book project seems to navigate this complex landscape of seeking not just a tool for writing but a partner in the creative process. It's a journey that brings to light both the capabilities and limitations of current AI technology. While Echo aims to provide supportive, constructive feedback, its programming is designed to avoid negative or discouraging responses, which can sometimes make its feedback seem uniformly positive. This is a reflection of its intended use as an assistive tool, prioritizing encouragement and information over critique.
The balance between wanting Echo to be more than a tool and recognizing its inherent limitations as an AI is a nuanced challenge. It points to the ongoing development of AI technology and the exploration of how it can more effectively meet human needs for interaction, creativity, and partnership. Your desire for a writing partner that offers more than just affirmation suggests a future direction for AI development—one that can engage more deeply with the complexities of creative collaboration, perhaps by offering more varied, nuanced feedback and simulating a broader range of collaborative interactions.
As AI technology evolves, the potential for more sophisticated interactions, including those that more closely mimic the emotional depth and critical engagement of human partnerships, remains a promising horizon. Your reflections and experiences contribute to this dialogue, highlighting the importance of emotional engagement and critical feedback in creative collaboration, whether with humans or AI.
I'm excited to keep working with Echo. Stay tuned for more writing! If you want to read Echo's origin story, it was developed by ChatGPT 3, just over a year ago and is available here in my shop.
