Spoiler
alert:
it
turned
me
down.
But
that’s
far
from
the
only
thing
I
learned
while
playing
around
with
the
bot
that
the
world
has
fallen
in
love
with
so
badly.
When
it
was
unleashed
into
an
astonished
world
on
November
30th
2022, ChatGPT
became
the
fastest-growing
web
app
ever,
reaching
a
million
users
in
the
first
five
days
before
going
on
to
clock
100
million
monthly
active
users
in
January of
this
year.
In
so
doing,
the
chatbot
has
captured
the
public’s
imagination
like
little
else
and
will
be
remembered
as
the
first
big
trend
of
2023.
Needless
to
say,
it
is
here
to
stay
well
beyond
this
year,
having
ushered
in
a
new
era
for
much
more
than
“just”
chatbots.
Given
the
bot’s
abilities,
it’s
not
surprising
that
people
from
various
walks
of
life
are
left
wondering
if,
one
day,
tech
such
as
ChatGPT
(and,
indeed,
artificial
intelligence
further
down
the
line)
will
take
over
their
jobs.
But
that’s
not
the
only
question
occupying
our
minds
–
we’re
also
wondering
how
the
tool’s
ability
to
engage
in
a
human-like
conversation
might
impact
our
personal
lives.
So,
are
we
about
to
be
replaced
by
some
low-maintenance
and
highly
eloquent
tool?
Who
better
to
ask
than
the
chatbot
itself?
So
I
did,
and
its
virtual
lips
said
something
like
“no”.
So
far
so
reassuring.
But
since
today
is
Valentine’s
Day,
I
couldn’t
help
wading
into
somewhat
more
precarious
territory
and
sounding
the
bot
out
on
its
“sentiments”
about
future
prospects
for
human-technology
relations(hips).
Here’s
my
slightly
irreverent
take
on
this
interplay.
Going
on
a
date
with
ChatGPT
gone
wrong?
Why
beat
around
the
bush,
right?
Let’s
“chat
the
chatbot
up”.
Turns
out,
the
bot
might
indeed
be
reasonably
available
for
a
“functional
relationship.”
Just
be
wary
of
setting
your
expectations
too
high.
Now,
what
better
way
to
celebrate
Valentine’s
Day
than
by
asking
ChatGPT
to
be
my
Valentine,
right?
What
could
possibly
go
wrong?
I
genuinely
thought
I
couldn’t
be
rejected.
But
boy
was
I
wrong!
The
model’s
“ethical
standards”
seem
so
high
that
it
wouldn’t
even
pretend
to
be
going
on
a
date
so
that
I
could
brag
about
it!
ChatGPT’s
resounding
(and
somewhat
thoughtful)
rejection
did
come
with
a
bit
of
a
caveat.
While
the
bot
wouldn’t
“pretend”
going
on
a
date
in
the
interest
of
keeping
me
honest
with
my
friends,
it
didn’t
mind
“simulating”
going
on
a
date
with
me.
I
didn’t
bat
an
eye
and
jumped
right
in!
At
this
point,
it
was
pretty
evident
that
ChatGPT
is
adamant
that
it
does
not
have
the
ability
to
“like
someone”.
Instead,
it
focuses
on
what
it
can
do
best
anyway
–
answer
questions
and
provide
information
in
a
conversational
manner.
However,
not
only
was
ChatGPT
willing
to
bypass
its
own
ethical
limitations
as
long
as
I
asked
it
only
to
“simulate”
a
date,
but
it
seemed
to
be
very
much
aware
of
how
it
envisioned
a
perfect
first
date.
Should
we
be
scared?
As
ChatGPT
says,
“It
is
still
uncertain
what
the
future
of
AI-human
relationships
will
be.”
And
potentially,
as
AI
models
are
integrated
into
human-like
robots
taught
to
display
specific
behaviors,
the
consequences
might
be
beyond
our
imagination.
For
now.
So,
while
it’s
clear
that
not
only
our
professional
but
also
our
personal
lives
might
be
impacted
by
AI
models,
let’s
turn
the
question
around:
Can
technology
such
as
AI
improve
human
relationships?
ChatGPT
seems
to
be
quite
optimistic
about
the
possibility:
To
test
the
soundness
of
ChatGPT’s
advice,
I
described
two
common
scenarios
and
asked
the
model
for
advice
in
navigating
them:
But
the
risks
are
real
Now
on
a
more
serious
note.
As
ChatGPT
set
the
internet
ablaze
in
late
2022,
it
didn’t
take
long
for
the
first
alarm
bells
to
start
ringing,
too.
For
example,
dating
scammers
(and
apparently
actual
online
daters,
too)
wasted
no
time
in
taking
advantage
of
the
tool
–
for
example,
to
create
convincing
fake
personas
and
to
message
their
“love
interests”.
In
essence,
such
bots
are
programmed
to
react
quickly
to
the
messages
sent
by
the
users
of
dating
profiles,
mimicking
a
real
person
and
requesting
such
simple
information
as
a
user’s
name,
address,
phone
number,
and
email
address.
These
well-trained
bots
can
be
easily
co-opted
for
collecting
enough
personal
data
to
launch
other
successful
scams
or
even
to
make
direct
money
requests
in
an
attempt
to
net
an
easy
profit
for
their
creators.
At
the
same
time,
fake
profiles
like
these
can
be
used
to
spread
malicious
links
and
files.
Here
are
10
red
flags
to
help
you
spot
not
only
fake
social
media
and
dating
app
profiles,
but
scammers
in
general:
-
Be
cautious
of
profiles
that
seem
too
good
to
be
true,
particularly
if
the
person’s
profile
picture
looks
as
if
it
were
taken
by
a
professional
photographer. -
Be
wary
of
profiles
that
lack
important
information,
such
as
a
bio
or
a
list
of
interests. -
Do
not
give
out
personal
information,
such
as
your
full
name
or
your
financial
details,
until
you
have
met
a
person
in
person. -
Be
cautious
of
people
who
claim
to
have
a
lot
of
money
or
a
high-paying
job,
but
still
ask
you
to
help
them
financially. -
Look
out
for
people
who
ask
for
money,
no
matter
the
reason
they
provide
for
needing
it. -
Be
wary
of
people
who
claim
to
be
experiencing
an
emergency
and
say
they
need
you
to
make
a
money
transfer
immediately,
or
of
anyone
claiming
to
be
military
personnel
who
requests
help
with
a
package
they’re
trying
to
send
over
to
you.
Both
are
common
tactics
used
by
scammers. -
Be
wary
of
people
who
seem
to
be
moving
too
fast
in
the
relationship. -
Be
skeptical
of
people
who
use
overly
formal
or
overly
romantic
language
in
their
messages. -
Remember
that
technology
is
constantly
evolving,
and
that
scammers
are
also
continuously
adapting
their
methods.
It
is,
therefore,
essential
to
be
vigilant
at
all
times,
even
when
a
person’s
profile
seems
like
a
perfect
match
for
you. -
If
you
realize
you’re
dealing
with
a
romance
scammer,
report
them
to
the
dating
app
to
stop
the
scam
from
harming
other
people.
Oh!
I
almost
forgot
–
the
gift!
Since
one
of
the
hardest
parts
for
anyone
celebrating
Valentine’s
Day
is
figuring
out
how
best
to
show
your
affection
for
that
special
someone
in
your
life,
I
reached
out
to
ChatGPT
for
advice:
I
take
it
as
a
yes.
Happy
(and
scam-free)
Valentine’s
Day!
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