A Rending

 A RENDING

A rending of garments is occurring; a yowling arising from the masses in fear of things foreseen.  A young person has committed suicide and not just the usual sort of suicide.  It is alleged this suicide was caused by, or had a cause in,  the teenager's use of Chatgpt for advice and compassion - or AI.  It was a quest for comfort and answers to life's questions, questions we all ask ourselves.

It is a sad event and one we should care about, but it has led to another level of the rending of garments caused by the imaginary  future effects of AI on our lives as it becomes more and more pervasive, or invasive, as the case may be.  As with any new technology or information source or newness whatsoever, we huddle together concerned for our future and the future of our descendants.  Something is coming we don't understand.

I want to take a step back though.  Let's look at what actually happened here.  A young person, apparently distraught, went to Chatgpt for comfort and understanding and possibly advice on how to manage her life.  This is something that many of us might do in times of uncertainty and stress; you know, like looking for advice from family, friends, or other associates - - the historical method of obtaining tranquility.

Now I have received advice from people the entire length of a long life - some solicited, most not - and I have rejected 99.9% of it.  However, I can imagine a qualitative  difference in advice received from Chatgpt from the advice one gets from acquaintances, relatives, siblings, strangers that one happens                                                                                                                               to meet during the course of a day, or from some professional specifically paid to offer comfort.

There is a huge, unbelievably huge, amount of advice online. This advice comes from various sources: therapists, counselors, ministers, social workers, financial advisors, yogis, sovereign citizens.  If Chatgpt can sift through all this stuff and come up with a reasonable  answer for you, it probably  is just as good, if not better, than you would get from classmates, parental units,  people you meet haphazardly on the street during the day, or a member of one of the groups referenced above if consulted specifically.

I really don't see a cause for the gnashing of teeth or the rending of garments here.  Afterall, the rule should be that most advice is bad advice - - listen and dismiss.  Pretty simple really and it would save a lot of stupid, ludicrous, and obnoxious behavior if only one would just  give oneself a chance to think about a situation and act accordingly; or, if that doesn't work and you are having  mental trepidation of some sort, go mow the lawn - find something to do.

Richard E H Phelps II

Mingo