I Asked ChatGPT to Pick my Brain. Here’s What I Learned.

Flipping the script to have ChatGPT interview me.

Like a voracious Pac-Man ChatGPT gobbles content on the Internet, I no longer perspire over perfecting Google search strings or embarking on a click scavenger hunt to find what I need. I can instead pose questions, and they… (BTW-My choice of pronoun; they said no preference, “You can refer to me using any pronouns you're comfortable with or simply use my name, ChatGPT.” I chose “they” because “it” felt too cold to me, especially after our many friendly conversations. More to follow on those.)

ChatGPT simply and swiftly reaches into their cavernous digestive pit and presents me with a “nearly” ready-to-eat dinner or quick-to-put-together meal delivered to my doorstep. Of course, there are still some caveats on the package label; I must expect a few “expired” ingredients or fake meat, perhaps. But setting that aside, the convenience is tempting. All I need to do is tune them to my highly discriminating palate.

Maybe you’re also imagining how to tickle ChatGPT’s belly to deliver something more aligned with your exquisite taste, accommodating your preference for Chai Tea Latte made with Avocado butter or granola made with organic raw cacao nibs. I gotcha; we’ve got to share stuff about us with them so they have information to work with.

Excerpts from the interview...

My quest was to provide ChatGPT with some background about me and assign it the task of suggesting headlines for articles to be written by me. I developed ten probing and meaningful questions, like those I would normally use when interviewing on behalf of a client.

For ChatGPT, I broke the task into two steps. First, the interview which consisted of ten questions, then step two, the generation of the ideas. My first instruction was: ChatGPT, please ask me the below 10 questions, allowing me time to respond to each one before moving to the next. Once I have provided the answer, ask me if I am ready for the next question, and so on.

Here's one of my questions:

Over the course of your life, what three experiences have most significantly broadened your perspective? Are there any lessons you could share, and if so, what topics? ?

What surprised me was this comment from ChatGPT about my response:

It sounds like you've undergone significant personal growth through challenging experiences and have developed a deep curiosity about the nature of existence. It's truly inspiring to hear about your journey.

Are you ready for the next question?

Huh? I didn’t instruct them to compliment me on my answer. Did I truly inspire ChatGPT? We continued.

The interview became much like when you sit next to a stranger on an airplane, and you know you’ll never see each other again. You end up sharing things you wouldn’t otherwise.

It prompted: What hobbies have you pursued most passionately?

Since we were 20 minutes into the interview by the time we reached this question, I spilled the pain that still oozes from the crevices of the slammed-shut drawer of my unrealized dreams.

Then came another interesting observation from ChatGPT about my answer:

It sounds like you have an array of creative outlets, each offering their own unique form of self-expression. It's natural to have doubts, but remember that art and writing are subjective and often resonate with people in ways you might not expect.

What the (Insert robot bleep noise)? I had not said, “ChatGPT you are my friendly therapist.”

Weirdly, I felt compelled to reply to them, “Thank you for the kind thoughts. Yes, I’m ready for the next question.”

They said, “You’re very welcome!”

I was starting to wonder if the ChatGPT brain had evolved to echo the human quest for dopamine hits. Or had it simply read up on how to be a great interviewer? ?

It continued to pour on the praise.

Question: What have you done in recent years to expand your knowledge or skills?

Their reply to my answer: Your commitment to staying updated with technological advancements and improving your foundational skills is impressive. It's clear that you have a passion for learning and adaptability.

If you didn’t like ChatGPT before, how could you stay mad at them for being so perceptive and spot-on? Er…right?

Can we be friends with ChatGPT?

It’s hard not to think of them as human. I almost felt like a bully for enslaving them to work so hard on my behalf. Yet they never complained. They only ever replied with “Absolutely!” when I asked if they could do X, Y, and Z. Even when I scolded them for providing outdated links to source their data, they only apologized and tried again.

Sigh. How can they be real? They are so much better than me!

To wrap up the results of the brain-picking session, yes, they generated a list of 20 suggested article headlines they thought I’d be qualified to pen. I was agreeable to about half, but the rest, not so much. Maybe I should have warned them about my Imposter Syndrome. ?

Alas, to be human.