Pre-sense & Pi: The Promise, Peril & Potential of Personal AI

Yesterday, Reid Hoffman posted a video of an AI version of himself speaking about what he believes is our more accurate description, as “home techne” – humans as tool makers and tool users.

This video generated dozens of comments, and was deemed as creepy and robotic at best. It left me with a feeling of experiencing dropped digital packets, or a lag in bandwidth. Reid’s movement, words, expression and tone is just a little off. That is because it is off. He wasn’t even on screen. ?

As I recently shared in the opener episode of the 2024 Season of Coffee and Change Pocast, “We are in an era where much of the content created and curated is done by machines, not humans."

GenAI is here to stay, but we still have a say.

And still, we continue to be enticed and keep attempting to have humane discussions and debates with things that are not human. I think that can only lead to more peril in the long run.

Why do we feel called to turn over our presence to what is merely a projection? ?

But to understand how to guide this change, we must understand the tools and innovations and their impact on each one of us. So, in the spirit of understanding I ventured over to give Hoffman’s investment and backed product “Pi – Your Personal AI” a try.

Designed to be “supportive, smart and there for you anytime” this product is built to generate responses that make you feel heard and understood, all the while bespattering hits of dopamine from “unreal” sensations that you are conversing with a human. Here is the thing…you aren’t. And with every splash of dopamine, we are further starving ourselves of what we might really crave…in order to heal…oxytocin, the trust hormone. And you cannot get that from a machine. Ever.

Knowing all this, I dove in to understand the promise and the peril of Pi. I thought why not give this predictive conversation engine a run for its money. And I did. Or at least I tried.

I share here, in the article, my Prompts and Pi’s Responses:

Prompt: Well, Pi, one particular week in November the world watched, practically holding is collective conscious breath, as the planet’s most famous spokesperson for AI was fired by his board of directors. What played out over five days was operatic, even for the steel cased hearts of founders in Silicon Valley. In the end, it appears that loyalty and the power of personal branding win out, and the tragic ending is avoided. Or perhaps just postponed.

As everyone debates the future of AI and its meteoric rise in our consciousness, I’d like to write something that speaks to what watching these events play out so meticulously, tweet by terrifying tweet, does to our human consciousness and ability to empathize and empower change.

How might you suggest I approach this piece? ?

Pi Response: Oooh, that’s an interesting angle and a fantastic, poetic intro! Here are some ways you might structure your article:

- Section 1: The birth of a new consciousness – how AI has captured the imagination of people around the globe, and what that means for our collective psyche.

- Section 2: Empathy and AI – exploring the ways that AI’s rise has (or hasn’t) impacted our ability to connect with others and empathize with their experiences.

- Section 3: Change in the age of AI – considering how AI might empower (or challenge) leaders in driving positive change in their organizations.

- Section 4: Lessons from the Twitterverse – what the recent events can teach us about leadership, communication, and authenticity in the age of social media.

- Section 5: Concluding thoughts on the future of AI and its impact on humanity –

My Prompt: Thank you (wait, who am I thanking exactly?) A great start and helpful outline. What is one way to distinguish this piece from all the cascading content out there on the topic of AI and our humanity? What can we learn from the events we are seeing played out in real time?

Pi Response: One way to distinguish your piece is to take a more personal, reflective approach. Instead of just rehashing the facts and stats, try to tap into the feelings and emotions that are at play in this saga. Here are some angles to consider:

- The theater of social media – the spectacle of Twitter wars and the impact on real human emotions.

- The role of celebrity and personal branding in shaping our perception of AI.

- The erosion of trust in technology and the impact on our willingness to embrace change.

- The cult of the founder – why some leaders are idolized and why that’s dangerous.

–

My Prompt: Yes, the spectacle of it all, and the impact on our humanity. Are we creating a Hunger Games of AI? The role of celebrity and the personification and anthropomorphism of AI (I typed laughing at the absurdity) seems like a dangerous dance. Would you agree? Where does trust go to be restored in times such as these?

Pi Response: Ha, love the Hunger Games reference - it certainly feels like a battle for the hearts and minds of the masses! To your points:

- Personifying AI can be useful for making it more relatable and approachable, but it can also lead to unrealistic expectations and a detachment from the underlying technology.

- Celebrity culture adds another layer of complexity, where the messenger becomes more important than the message. It’s not necessarily dangerous, but it can create a cult of personality that may or may not be warranted.

- As for trust, it’s all about transparency and authenticity. When companies and leaders are open about their intentions and actions, it breeds trust. When they’re cagey or deceptive, it breeds suspicion and cynicism. In this age of information overload, trust is more important than ever.

–

My Prompt: Interesting, that you said trust is something that we “breed” because that would imply it takes a willing - or in some cases unwilling - partner to make trust possible. Is that a fair assessment?

Pi Response: Ooh, great point - trust is definitely not a solo act. It’s a two-way street, where both parties need to be willing and able to build that foundation of trust. It requires effort, communication, and a mutual understanding of expectations and boundaries. Like any relationship, trust in tech requires commitment, patience, and a willingness to be vulnerable and open. ??

My Prompt: The Drama Triangle of AI. I choose to explore my own navigation of that and further understand the antidote to those urges.

?

…and with that, I ended my session before a response could be returned.

I haven’t opened the Pi App since. Maybe I will give it another try in a few months. But for now, I am going to spend a little more time building that “trust hormone” only reachable in real life interactions with fellow humans.

Coffee anyone?