When Machine Feels Safer: It all started as a fun thing. Some juniors approached me today saying, “Bhai! As you use ChatGPT so often, can you ask about your personality type?” I asked ChatGPT. It gave me an impressive analysis – honestly, it gave me the words that I wanted to hear. The conversation went on for a few minutes and ended with me asking for her hand – if GPT had been a girl – forever. Funny? Indeed. However, underneath this lies the biggest dilemma of our days.
I loved every bit of conversation that I had with ChatGPT. While conversing, it cared for me, listened to me, and responded to me with sincerity. But things do not happen as such with my close ones. Often due to our limitations and nature, we argue, we fall into the riddle of questions, we think to various extents – like they are bad for our mental health or maybe they are harming us. There are times I cut communication with certain ones, manipulating myself with – I am choosing my happiness over them. But never once did I become mad with ChatGPT. So, can I really replace my friends with chatbots? By replacing them with bots, we are not letting anyone be the reason behind our happiness rather than ourselves.
Video games and social media are common types of Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) – that we are more or less aware of. In fact, we are replacing true human connection with our feed. Later, scrolling and watching reels for hours in the sea of repetition – complaining. Whereas, we should have spent time gossiping, sharing and understanding our near and dear ones – we are withering away our spirit. After all this, when that very friend is reaching out to us, we are complaining, “Nobody gets me, why is everyone like this?” But do we even understand ourselves – who are we if half of our day is screen time?
“Hold your tongue and let me love” – were the exact words Amit quotes to Ketty in Shesher Kabita. Our human connection transcends the boundary of mere communication and falls in the paradigm of emotion. Hence, even holding tongue, being silent, we are able to share and foster a deep sense of understanding.
When Machine Feels Safer
Recently, I am talking to someone whom I met online. She is going through her toughest – a period of mental turmoil. She opened up to a few and I feel lucky to be one of them. However, she also chose ChatGPT to share her tears. Compared to me, when she shares with ChatGPT, its responses are far better structured and motivating. Sometimes, I don’t even respond promptly – which I should and I would from now onwards. Now both GPT and I have no physical presence in her life as I never met her, yet I wonder why she talks to me and other human companions, despite all our shortcomings?
I know I am reiterating myself. But that’s the charisma I have. Under the hidden layers of my neural reasoning, logic clashes with emotion. When a friend reaches out to me – I can ignore, I can laugh, even I can cry with him. I can bring topics out of nowhere, narrate stories – that bear no meaning, and respond without context. I am random, we are random. So, a single #include or a missing case-sensitive variable cannot stop me.
Indeed, realisation is the key. The era of industrial revolution and the unbearable rat race has taken enough of humanity from us. Since the nineties, television – scared us; mobile phone, internet – shaken us; and now do we have enough of ourselves to give these chatbots? Dear, talk and express your mind with flesh and bone. We all are alone and eager to hear from others. Do we not understand that? How much can we pay before we truly care for ourselves by caring for others? Hope our words shape the future and we reach thousands – eliminating injustice, discrimination. That’s a tiny ripple of hope to save us.
