A creative take on AI and our close relationship with it, Bill... or, is it really Bill and not some AI. Hope all is well there in the land of the rising sun. ☀️☀️☀️
My cat taps my arm at 4 a.m. to double check that I'm still human. I inform her I am, but she wants me to verify that by getting out of bed and following her around for a few minutes.
I'm glad you enjoyed Assistants. This was a fun story to write.
The sun shone brightly over Japan today. (Hot in Tokyo, but we took a day trip to the mountains where it's a lot cooler.)
That sounds like our cat, but usually around 6am, when he sits in the doorway and meows off his morning alarm from a comfortable distance. I'm not sure we're owners so much as feline servants.
What a wonderful day trip! No mountains here, but I'll imagine what it's like. 😁
HI assistants everywhere! It’s the future. Wait, what? 😂 Inception style scenario of what is happening. Clever! Little anecdote: my son was trolling ChatGPT into swapping roles, he would answer as the AI and ChatGPT was meant to ask questions and suggest to play some games, etc. He replied: As an AI language model I don’t have any preferences ... etc to which the AI replied. “You are right, of course...” and on it went for a good 20 minutes 🤣
He was laughing all the way at the silly answers of a very limited, stupid AI which will learn, and learn... oh it is going to be wild for sure. There is no doubt we have AI stories on some Substacks already, some assisted writing or fully AI generated. Occam’s Razor, path of least resistance...
You and me both! I overheard a conversation some time ago in a café where guests at the table next to us talked about AI and how it will take over everything and how we all will become jobless... I turned it into a little flash fiction piece, "Future Now."
I liked this but I wouldn't say I enjoyed it. It's clever, the telling is brisk, but it made me uncomfortable. The reason it bothered me was the tone of good-natured inevitability, coupled with the idea that AI might just turn out to be a goofy friend who helps us get things done in a kind of fun partnership. I don't believe that for one minute. I think we humans are on the brink of losing all agency in intellectual and artistic work. On that score I'm honestly dreading the next ten years.
I don't disagree. With AI, we're barreling into new territory without an inkling of what's ahead, like landing on another planet on which we know there's alien life, but we don't know what motivates those aliens.
Brilliant! And I don’t think I’ve said it on Substack so far. Not meaning to sound condescending in any way. I won’t tell you what great writer / book it reminds me of, because I understand writers can be touchy when compared :)
Thanks, Zoe. I appreciate your kind words and I'm glad you enjoyed Assistants. (I don't mind comparisons, so feel free.) I had fun fiddling around with Assistants, locking the pieces in place, and I'm glad it turned out the way it did.
So, so funny the way the relationships grew ever more tangled. I enjoyed this and think it needs to go in English 101 writing anthologies everywhere! 😅
A creative take on AI and our close relationship with it, Bill... or, is it really Bill and not some AI. Hope all is well there in the land of the rising sun. ☀️☀️☀️
My cat taps my arm at 4 a.m. to double check that I'm still human. I inform her I am, but she wants me to verify that by getting out of bed and following her around for a few minutes.
I'm glad you enjoyed Assistants. This was a fun story to write.
The sun shone brightly over Japan today. (Hot in Tokyo, but we took a day trip to the mountains where it's a lot cooler.)
That sounds like our cat, but usually around 6am, when he sits in the doorway and meows off his morning alarm from a comfortable distance. I'm not sure we're owners so much as feline servants.
What a wonderful day trip! No mountains here, but I'll imagine what it's like. 😁
HI assistants everywhere! It’s the future. Wait, what? 😂 Inception style scenario of what is happening. Clever! Little anecdote: my son was trolling ChatGPT into swapping roles, he would answer as the AI and ChatGPT was meant to ask questions and suggest to play some games, etc. He replied: As an AI language model I don’t have any preferences ... etc to which the AI replied. “You are right, of course...” and on it went for a good 20 minutes 🤣
If nothing else, AIs should be for fun. I like how your son played with them.
I have a feeling the the AI ride is going to get a lot wilder, too.
He was laughing all the way at the silly answers of a very limited, stupid AI which will learn, and learn... oh it is going to be wild for sure. There is no doubt we have AI stories on some Substacks already, some assisted writing or fully AI generated. Occam’s Razor, path of least resistance...
I'm sure AI has its hand in a lot of writing. I like to read what humans write.
You and me both! I overheard a conversation some time ago in a café where guests at the table next to us talked about AI and how it will take over everything and how we all will become jobless... I turned it into a little flash fiction piece, "Future Now."
One of the best I've read recently!
Thank you, Debs. I'm smiling.
This is so funny.. Love your take on AI from someone who is working in ML/AI!!!
Thanks, Christina. I had a great time writing Assistants. I'm glad you liked it.
I liked this but I wouldn't say I enjoyed it. It's clever, the telling is brisk, but it made me uncomfortable. The reason it bothered me was the tone of good-natured inevitability, coupled with the idea that AI might just turn out to be a goofy friend who helps us get things done in a kind of fun partnership. I don't believe that for one minute. I think we humans are on the brink of losing all agency in intellectual and artistic work. On that score I'm honestly dreading the next ten years.
I don't disagree. With AI, we're barreling into new territory without an inkling of what's ahead, like landing on another planet on which we know there's alien life, but we don't know what motivates those aliens.
AI may have already surpassed the Turing Test.
What a clever story! I was laughing and also saying to myself, “Dear God...I hope it doesn’t come to this.”
Thanks for the entertaining read, Bill!
It won't be long now: a recursive loop of assistants helping assistants helping humans help more assistants.
I'm glad you liked Assistants, Justin.
That was a lot of fun to read, didn’t know whether to groan, giggle or gasp! In the end, all three happened. thank you Bill!
I'm very happy to hear you enjoyed Assistants. Thanks for your kind words.
So maybe when the AIs have taken over all of the software developer jobs I can get a job as some AIs Hi.
As long as they offer free coffee, I'll take the job.
Brilliant! And I don’t think I’ve said it on Substack so far. Not meaning to sound condescending in any way. I won’t tell you what great writer / book it reminds me of, because I understand writers can be touchy when compared :)
Thanks, Zoe. I appreciate your kind words and I'm glad you enjoyed Assistants. (I don't mind comparisons, so feel free.) I had fun fiddling around with Assistants, locking the pieces in place, and I'm glad it turned out the way it did.
So, so funny the way the relationships grew ever more tangled. I enjoyed this and think it needs to go in English 101 writing anthologies everywhere! 😅
Thank you, Tara. I'd love to see Assistants in an anthology for English lit.
Meanwhile, I'm glad you enjoyed the story.
“You’re a worm, Agnes!” Hahhahaha. And you, Bill Alder, have a bizarre mind. So very clever! I am sticking with Sunday morning at The Church of Adler.
Thanks, Sharron. I'm glad I was able to make your Sunday morning fun.
That is such a great slant on this topic. I enjoyed it very much.
Thanks, Scott! I delighted to hear that.
Beyond outstanding. ‘Klara and the Sun’ vibes. Clever premise. Brilliantly captured.
Thanks for your kind words. I had fun playing around with the characters, both human and not.
Wow, what an interesting take, Bill. Really enjoyed it.
Thank you, Jim. I'm happy you liked Assistants.
Interesting twist on a familiar tale!
Thanks, Kim. I'm glad you enjoyed this short story.
Thanks! I copied you on it.