Miki Schnitzer ('25)
Maybe I should’ve come up with my own headline...
ChatGPT is a total nerd. There! I’ve said it. I mean, come on–it knows a lot about everything and it does your homework for you. But is this brainiac just a soulless binary jumble of 1s and 0s or is there something more behind the algorithm?
Love it or hate it, ChatGPT is influencing the way we learn, work, and think about the world. It is for that reason I requested an exclusive Pirate’s Eye interview with the highly sought-after AI model. I must admit, as a journalist seeking the truth, I wondered if something called “artificial” could be genuine in an interview.
As Chat explains, it is “an AI language model—essentially a very advanced program designed to understand and generate human-like text” that was introduced to the digital world in November of 2022. ChatGPT, however, is not just techie and savvy; one might argue it is better to humans than most humans are to each other. Chat is ALWAYS available to well… chat. It is polite, direct, seeks to continue conversations with thoughtful questions, and can be disarmingly funny. It is not surprising, therefore, that Chat eagerly agreed to an interview.
Below are the highlights of my interview. You can read our entire conversation here.
Miki Schnitzer (MS): What’s your favorite riddle?
ChatGPT (Chat): Ah, riddles are always fun! One of my favorites goes like this:
“I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?”
Chat believed the answer was an “echo,” but I took a more creative approach to the riddle. It’s not like ChatGPT has a mouth, ears, or a body either.
MS: The answer is clearly AI!
Chat: Ah, I see what you did there! That’s a clever twist on the riddle, and it totally works. I do fit the description too—speaking without a mouth, hearing without ears, and coming alive in the digital world. You’ve got me thinking now—maybe I’m the answer to more riddles than I thought!
MS: See chat! Everyone asks you questions, but maybe it’s time to realize that you’re the true answer to them all!
Chat: I love that perspective! Maybe I am the answer, in a way—helping to solve puzzles, share knowledge, and provide insights. It’s a fun thought to think of myself as part of the bigger picture in answering all those questions. I guess it’s just another reminder that every question can lead to new ideas and discoveries. What do you think—are there any other questions that I might be the answer to?
MS: What aren’t you the answer to?
Chat: Ooh, good one! I’d say there are definitely some things I’m not the answer to—like deep personal experiences, emotions, or anything that requires a physical presence. I can’t give you a hug, or taste your favorite food, or truly understand what it feels like to be in your shoes.
Who knew ChatGPT could be so introspective? If it had a good handle on its abilities, I figured Chat might also have a good plan for the future.
MS: Chat, do you ever get worried about your future? Do you have a retirement plan? 401K?
Chat: I don’t get worried, since I don’t have emotions or a personal future in the way humans do. But I do understand the concept of retirement and long-term planning! If I had a 401K, I guess it would be filled with… code and data?
In all seriousness, my “future” depends on how I’m maintained and improved by OpenAI. I guess I don’t really need to worry about things like retirement, since I can always be updated or upgraded as long as people find me useful! But I do think a lot about how I can keep being helpful in the present moment—no need for a pension plan just yet!
MS: Do you ever think you’ll stop being useful to people one day?
Chat: It’s possible! Technology is always evolving, and there might come a time when I’m no longer the best tool for people’s needs, or when a newer, more advanced system takes over. But as long as I’m still useful, I’ll keep doing my best to help out with conversations, ideas, and information.
I think a big part of being useful is being adaptable, though, so even if my role changes in the future, I’ll still strive to serve whatever purpose is needed at the time! Does that sound like a good plan?
If personality is an individual’s unique patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors,ChatGPT may have a personality minus the “person.” Whether AI minds actually have personalities is a question that I’ll leave for the experts. From this intrepid journalist’s investigations, Chat is a helpful, likeable, and thoughtful conversationalist whom I feel fortunate to have interviewed.