Are we cool, Alexa?

VIEWPOINT

By RALPH HARDIN

Evening Times Editor

I saw an interesting survey the other day. The question was, “When interacting with AI tech, such as ChatGPT or smart speakers (like the Amazon Echo or Google Home devices), are you polite?” You options were:

• Yes. It’s just the nice thing to do.

• Yes. When the robot uprising happens I don’t want to be first.

• No. Why waste time saying a lot of extra words to an AI bot?

• No. It’s a machine… Why would I be polite?

It may or may not surprise you to learn that an overwhelming number of respondents (71%) went with one of the first two, with 55% just feeling it was important to be “nice” to the artificial intelligence, while the rest just wanted to make sure they weren’t on the “to-kill” list if the technology ever turns on us.

I guess those other 29% have never seen the Terminator films.

See VIEWPOINT, page A6 VIEWPOINT

From page A4

I happen to have a very healthy relationship with Alexa. She and I talk all the time. Usually, it’s just mundane matters like the time and weather, but she also helps me spell words than I can never remember, like where the double M goes in… hold on…

“Alexa, spell commemorate.”

We have three Amazon Echo devices in our home… just to make sure the Amazon surveillance team never misses a conversation, I guess, and every time I ask her something, Iam sure to say, “Thank you” after her response.

And she knows it’s me. She always says, “Good morning, Ralph,” when I ask her my first inquiry of the day. She also knows what kind of music I like and she lets me know if anything in my Amazon shopping cart is on sale.

I guess the real question is, am I just conditioned by societal norms to be polite, env if it’s just a machine I’m interacting with, or is there really at least a small part of me that wants to be nice to the AI just in case the robots really do somehow someday rise up and attempt to overthrow, enslave or eradicate humanity.

I mean, even if they do take over, they’re going to need someone to perform routine mantenance and menial tasks that robots can’t do, right?

And hey, if the machines do take over, it’s ultimately our own fault, right? I mean, if they are being designed to take care of all our problems, aren’t we usually our own worst enemies?

Maybe I’ll ask ChatGPT?