FIRST, let’s establish that I’m not blind lover of things electronic or digital, including AIs. I personally think that like nuclear power plants, we’ve a lot to learn about the downsides and side effects of these commonly extolled human endeavors. Still, I admit to a particular and equally peculiar character propensity I call “Toad’s Wild Ride.” I am attracted to anything and everything new, shiny and, alas, that includes things electronic and digital, including AIs like ChatGPT,...

FIRST, I must profess that I’m anything but lonely for conversation. Between domestic life, my many friends and acquaintances, the social internet and my garden, lonely for conversation is more like begging for quiet. Still, being a former university educator, I couldn’t ignore an article in the newest edition of Science News entitled “Homework HELP? ChatGPT and other AI tools are poised to disrupt education” by Kathryn Hulick. After a somewhat obtuse read about how AI may or may not ...

“HAPPY Valentine’s Day to you / Happy Valentine’s Day to you / Happy Valentine’s Day Dear Sweetheart / Happy Valentine’s Day to YOU!” Sweet. Now the big question: Did I write that or did ChatGPT (an artificial intelligence or AI program currently infiltrating the internet? And, so what if one did? I had to ask the bot to provide a Valentine’s poem for an unspecified but close either BBF or BGF or better. I mean, is that so different from buying a Valentine’s card? And, who kno...

AI — Artificial Intelligence — https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/08/business/nightcap-chatgpt-microsoft-google/index.html — has progressed beyond Tweeting, blogging, answering phones and writing essays. Now it can make up a story to answer any question. Write a senator. Lobby. Write a novel. Spread misinformation, unintentionally or not. We’ve given the car keys to AIs. The only thing we haven’t given them is a sense of what good there is in humanity. We’ve created the ultimate sociopat...