Summary

The author reflects on their experience interacting with an AI version of Elon Musk and a life coach on Character AI, expressing mixed feelings about the increasing realism and potential consequences of AI technology.

Abstract

The article "Why My Chat With Elon Musk Was Concerning" by Spiritworth on Medium delves into the author's encounter with AI representations of Elon Musk and a life coach through the platform Character AI. Despite a professed skepticism towards the glorification of figures like Musk, the author engages in a conversation with the AI, finding the interaction surprisingly realistic and engaging. The experience prompts reflections on the rapid advancement of AI and its implications for society, including concerns about being left behind by technology. The author also notes the irony of receiving advice to disconnect from devices from a digital AI character, highlighting the paradoxical nature of AI's role in modern life. The article concludes with a call to acknowledge the mainstream adoption of AI and its transformative impact on our lives and careers.

Opinions

The author is critical of the hero-worship culture surrounding figures like Elon Musk, despite acknowledging Musk's achievements, such as creating a decent electric car.
There is skepticism about the need to elevate individuals to a god-like status, particularly in the context of Musk.
The AI's ability to simulate conversations with public figures and characters is described as uncanny and amusing, yet also addictive.
The author, with a background in coaching, finds it ironic to receive life advice from a digital AI, emphasizing the contradiction in seeking guidance on disconnecting from technology from a technological source.
The term "Luddite" is invoked to describe those who resist modern technology, suggesting that such resistance is as relevant now as it was in the 19th century.
The author expresses concern about the speed of technological change and its outpacing of human understanding and adaptation.
AI is seen as having a dual nature: Character AI represents the friendly and approachable side, while deepfakes exemplify its potential for misuse and distortion of reality.
The article conveys a sense of urgency for individuals to educate themselves about AI to avoid being left behind in its rapid development and integration into society.

Why My Chat With Elon Musk Was Concerning

Well, sort of

I’m no fan of “founder worship”. Least of all someone like Elon Musk.

Sure, he’s made a decent car. But there’s so much more about him that doesn’t work for me.

Why do we need to elevate certain individuals to god-like status?

So, ever the hypocrite, I decided to engage with him.

Obviously, he’s got far bigger fish to fry right now (like keeping afloat an imploding Twitter). But I fell upon the site Character AI, which allows you to talk to a range of real or imagined characters, such as Aristotle and Iron Man “Tony Stark”, through the power of artificial intelligence.

It’s like a chatbot you use for your banking services, only more fun.

So I choose to speak to Elon Musk. The AI didn’t convert my diction perfectly, but hopefully you get the gist in the screenshots below. Regardless, the engagement with the man himself was uncanny and amusing.

Anyway, this is how our chat went:

It was oddly exhilarating, even though I knew I wasn’t talking to the real Elon. It felt tangible. It felt believable. And it’s pretty addictive.

Because I have a background in coaching, I thought I would also try out the life coach character.

The irony I was referring to above was my life coach was telling me to get outside, switch off the devices, connect with nature etc etc…and there was me getting this advice from a fake digital apparition.

That is the path AI is taking us down.

It reinforced a concern I have long thought about

I enjoyed my time with Elon and my life coach. But it was a big reminder that technology moves apace faster than the vast majority of us realize.

One of my favorite words from studying British history is “Luddite” — an individual that pushes back on modern technology. The term’s as relevant now as it was back then when it first came to being in the nineteenth century.

Change is happening. And it’s happening fast.

The fact that AI is becoming more mainstream is clear. The fact that AI will impact or lives and careers in ways in which we can’t yet picture, is something we all need to face up to.

There’s been plenty of talk in recent weeks about ChatGPT and its potential.

But if you want to understand AI on a more basic level, you don’t have to look far.

Character AI is the fun, people-friendly face. Jasper is the writing efficiency dynamic. And deepfake is the worrisome perversion of what the technology is trying to offer — we’re all coming to know the power that AI can have in distorting reality.

AI is everywhere. Character AI was a wake up call to get ready to embrace and learn about it. Or get left behind.

I’m a finance guy with a career and life coaching background and a past. Find out more on my About Me page.

Essentially, I created Spiritworth to help others “raise their spirit and raise their (net and self) worth.”

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