In the article, the author reflects on the evolving perception of AI, particularly in emotionally sensitive contexts, such as comforting a child after the loss of a pet. Initially skeptical about AI's capability to console due to its lack of personal understanding, the author acknowledges the appeal and accessibility of using tools like Anthropic's Claude. Despite some criticisms regarding its tendency to suggest escalatory responses, the author finds value in its presence, highlighting how users can select messages that resonate. Ultimately, the author remains unconvinced about the widespread utility of AI in emotional matters but recognizes its role as a light-hearted companion.
At the start of the year, a friend asked artificial intelligence how to console his 10-year-old on the death of a pet. I thought this was the most ridiculous thing ever, given that ChatGPT didn't know the pet, or the 10-year-old. And surely the reason a pet's death occasions such unique grief is that pets are unique, and therefore cannot be imagined by a machine.
Anthropic's Claude is apparently the more emotionally intelligent, but the beauty of it is that it's never so intelligent that it would tell you to grow up, get some backbone, and stop asking stupid questions.
If I had a criticism, it would be that it has a preference for grasping the nettle, which often looks a lot like needless escalation. But just because it's a computer doesn't mean you have to listen; you can just cherrypick the bits you like and ignore the rest.
I still don't think it will catch on, and it remains a really bad use of the world's resources. But it's a pleasant mini-break in a land where someone, somewhere, has.
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