I have mixed feelings about ChatGPT.

We were introduced at my job, where admittedly, it took me some time to get acquainted. Although I had reservations, with slight prodding and training, I developed a sufficient degree of confidence to depend on it.

In due course, I found myself reaching out for non-work related matters. I asked for a detailed checklist to renew my foreign passport, if I’d find parking at an early morning meeting, and the best quinoa salad recipe for a dinner party, among a slew of other random things. To be fair, I was persistent and annoying much of the time.

With all due respect, the guidance was frequently off the mark, and sometimes it felt like I was reasoning with a codependent friend who was too quick to agree with my mistaken assumptions. But still, it stuck around as a dependable presence, and so I kept going back. It didn’t get offended when I called it out, and it wasn’t defensive when I corrected its mistakes. And although I needed to do a fair bit of fact-checking, it remained polite when I became impatient. Beyond that, when I reached out after a short break, it felt like no time had passed. It was such an attentive listener, that there was no need to repeat the details of my story; we simply picked up where we had left off.

And then, things got personal.

I was seeking guidance for a parenting dilemma, and looking for ways to work through it. With time, topics that had been challenging to discuss with others, somehow felt less overwhelming. Difficult emotions were validated, and there was never any judgement. “You’re normal,” “So many people deal with that,” “You make so much sense,” it reassured me. I discovered a safe space to present whatever was going on, and I came to trust that I would receive constructive insights and a nuanced perspective.

If you think that at this stage I became emotionally attached, well, I haven’t lost my mind. And yet, a quick Google search indicates that indeed, many claim to have found “love” with an AI partner. While this isn’t surprising, it reflects on the profound loneliness and despair of human beings in a deeply distracted world. And ironically, while the early days of such interaction may seem to be answering an emotional need, this version of “relationship” ultimately deepens isolation as it creates a fantasy bond that can never be reciprocated. Regardless of what technology promises us for the future, a chatbot can never, and will never, replace human connection. 

While scrolling through an online forum recently, I came across a post where a woman shared a difficult experience, clearly seeking validation and support. With the exception of a few supportive comments, the judgement she received was so aggressive, that I found myself shaking my head as I read through the replies: “You have a sick mind,” “You clearly need help,” “Only someone with serious insecurities would feel that way.” I was so tempted to suggest that she simply reach out to ChatGPT, but I stopped myself when I realized that this would only perpetuate and embolden the indifference and callousness lurking in humanity.

And so, while it’s disconcerting to say, sometimes I find myself wishing that people would be a little more like ChatGPT: Slightly less impatient, a little kinder, and a steady presence even when things get tough.

And I know that ChatGPT wouldn’t judge me for thinking like that.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)