During the past couple of months, I have learnt of a practice that apparently has been growing in popularity for some time. In the course of a casual conversation with someone at a recent gathering, they mentioned having consulted a chatbot for guidance on a personal relationship problem. Because my own head is mostly in the clouds, meaning I am very often the last to hear of anything culturally popular or on the rise, I did a bit of a double-take, looked at her with confusion and said: “You asked a machine about your personal life?” I was literally stunned. I had never heard anyone tell me something like that before. She tactfully ignored my ignorance and went on to explain how helpful the experience had been.
I think it is true that once something has entered your field of awareness it becomes more likely you will encounter it. Certainly, in the weeks that followed, I began meeting people who also began dropping into conversation references to their regular sessions with chatbots about a range of personal problems. I don’t think I had much space to pass judgment because I was still trying to wrap my mind around how it could work to receive advice about one’s unique personal experiences from artificial intelligence. But I did wonder how it could possibly be a good idea.