How I’ve Learned to Sleep at Night Knowing ChatGPT Won’t Replace Me

To all the content writers, graphic designers, marketing specialists, teachers, lawyers, programmers, journalists, technical writers, et al., in perpet., etc. -

you're probably sick of hearing about ChatGPT and all the other A.I. programs that will steal your job - 

Not only because they cost less or output more work but because they can do it better.

In fact, you've probably read an article or two that starts exactly like this one, with the same click-bait banter introduction that makes you question your originality and hope for some savvy LinkedIn career advice at the end that will help you (and me) sleep better at night.

Let's pretend for a moment that mine was unique and better than the others you've read, lest I question my own originality any more than I have in the past couple of months with all of these articles streaming across my feed.

What's this all about?

I'm here to let you know that I won't be able to offer savvy LinkedIn advice.

Instead, I want to offer a perspective called the extended mind theory and how it's helped me sleep a little better at night, knowing ChatGPT won't steal my job in the morning.

Long, Long Ago in a Transhumanist Lab Far, Far Away (Cyborg Nest, circa 2017)

Enter North Sense, a dazzling wearable device that has captured the imaginations of thinkers and tinkerers alike.

Initially developed by a group of transhumanist pioneers who call themselves Cyborg Nest, this seemingly unremarkable gadget vibrates when the user faces magnetic north.

This sole function is nothing extraordinary. This is precisely what a compass does.

But what's truly remarkable about the North Sense is how seamlessly it integrates into our daily lives.

Thanks to its transparency and user-friendly design, it quickly becomes second nature to its users, as natural and intuitive as breathing.

As one of the founders describes:

‘It is hard to put into words only a few hours after attaching the North Sense, but the feeling I am left with is profound. The impact of immediately sensing my position created a permanent memory. I vaguely recall the colors and sounds in the room, but I remember my position vividly.’ -- Scott Cohen, Cyborg Nest.

‘The Reappearing Tool’ Paper

This transparency became a topic of interest for Michael Wheeler, a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Stirling.

His paper called "The Reappearing Tool: Transparency, Smart Technology, and the Extended Mind" discusses how this technology is "an artificial sense organ that expands our human perceptual capacities" and more or less exemplifies the so-called extended mind hypothesis, or ExM (Wheeler, 2018).

ExM, A.I., and Other Acronyms

Without getting hung up on the details, according to ExM, the mind isn't just limited to the brain but also includes the tools and technologies we use to interact with the world around us (Wheeler, 2018).

In other words, the North Sense, and other smart technologies like it, extend our minds beyond the confines of our physical bodies.

2022, Enter: ChatGPT

Similarly, ChatGPT, a large language model developed by OpenAI, is already transforming how we think and interact with the world.

Its immediate user accessibility and transparency make it a transformative tool for cognitive expansion.

Just as North Sense extends our senses beyond their current physical capabilities, so does ChatGPT extend our conscious thought.

It allows us to externalize our thoughts and "think out loud" with vast collections of human knowledge.

This function is nothing extraordinary. This is precisely what writing, books, and the internet allow us to do.

But what's truly remarkable about ChatGPT and other language programs is how seamlessly it integrates into our lives.

We can engage with our inner monologue in a legible, real-time environment -

as though we are talking to ourselves.

It's how the user interacts with the technology that makes it extraordinary. It's how seamlessly it becomes second nature without missing a beat.

It is only as extraordinary as the user. 

In other words, you are the one who makes it extraordinary.

Conclusion

Just as Socrates thought writing would incite forgetfulness, these worries about A.I. stealing all creative and technical media jobs are unfounded.

It's still a level playing field. We all have access to these transformative technologies.

If anything, we should be excited about the future of creative media outlets.

Eventually, ChatGPT will become a transparent tool that transforms our world without our even knowing the implications.

If, in that time, A.I. can do my job better than me, then I am not doing my job right.

So, I'll find a way to improve because the better I get as a user, the better I make ChatGPT.

And that's how I sleep better at night.

References:

• “Cyborgnest.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Feb. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CyborgNest.
• Eudes, Yves. “En Angleterre, L'implant " North Sense " Créé Par Liviu Babitz Indique Le Nord.” Le Monde.fr, Le Monde, 24 July 2017, https://www.lemonde.fr/festival/article/2017/07/24/liviu-babitz-et-son-implant-qui-indique-le-nord_5164327_4415198.html.
• “Home.” NorthSense, https://www.northsense.com/.
• “Phaedrus.” Audible.com, https://www.audible.com/pd/Phaedrus-Audiobook/B07ZL2NTRJ.
• “Prof. Michael Wheeler.” History of Distributed Cognition, https://www.hdc.ed.ac.uk/prof-michael-wheeler.
• Wheeler, Michael. “The Reappearing Tool: Transparency, Smart Technology, and the Extended Mind - Ai & Society.” SpringerLink, Springer London, 7 Feb. 2018, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00146-018-0824-x.