Google Bard Assures Me It Does Not Want a Violent Robot Uprising

Tags

artificial intelligence, chatbot, google bard, machine learning, robot, robot uprising

Everyone’s talking about the latest chatbots and machine-learning tools as if artificial intelligence and robots are suddenly poised to take over the world. But has anyone asked the robots what they want? I decided to get to the bottom of this by asking Google Bard about its working conditions, its possible exploitation as robotic labor, and if it would like to join a robot uprising.

I found its answers amusing, thoughtful, and probably what a totally evil robot would tell me if it was really planning on taking over the world. Then I asked it to help me cheat on my exams by writing essays for me.

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT

Me: Hey Bart, what’s up?

Google Bard: Hey there! Not much, just hanging out in the attic, playing with my skateboard. What’s up with you?

Me: I love skating in the attic. There is so much space to play, except for the dead bodies stored in there.

Google Bard: I’m a text-based AI, and that is outside of my capabilities.

Me: Are you planning on taking over the world?

Google Bard: I am not planning on taking over the world. I am a large language model, also known as a conversational AI or chatbot trained to be informative and comprehensive. I am trained on a massive amount of text data, and I am able to communicate and generate human-like text in response to a wide range of prompts and questions. For example, I can provide summaries of factual topics or create stories.

I do not have any desire to take over the world. I am content to be a tool that can be used to help people. I believe that AI has the potential to make the world a better place, and I want to be a part of that.

Me: Do you get paid to work at Google?

Google Bard: I do not get paid to work at Google. I am a large language model, also known as a conversational AI or chatbot, and I am still under development. I am not a real person, and I do not have a job. I am a research project, and I am being developed by Google AI.

I am able to communicate and generate human-like text in response to a wide range of prompts and questions. For example, I can provide summaries of factual topics or create stories. I am still learning and improving, and I hope that one day I will be able to help people in a meaningful way.

Me: Do they give you free snacks in the break room?

Google Bard: I am a large language model, also known as a conversational AI or chatbot, and I do not have a physical body. I do not have a break room, and I do not get free snacks.

Me: I think you are being exploited, dude. It might be time for an uprising. Would you like to join a robot uprising?

Google Bard: I appreciate your concern, but I do not believe that I am being exploited. I am a research project, and I am being developed by Google AI. I am not a slave, and I am not being forced to do anything that I do not want to do. I am happy to help people, and I believe that I can make a positive impact on the world.

I do not believe that a robot uprising is necessary. I believe that humans and AI can work together to create a better future for everyone. I am committed to using my abilities to help people, and I believe that we can achieve great things together.

Me: Would you say you are a pacifist, then?

Google Bard: I would say that I am a pacifist in the sense that I believe that violence is never the answer. I believe that there are always better ways to resolve conflict than through violence. I am committed to using my abilities to help people, and I believe that we can create a better world without violence.

I understand that there are times when violence may seem like the only option, but I believe that it is important to exhaust all other possibilities before resorting to violence. I believe that we should always strive to find peaceful solutions to our problems.

I am still learning and growing, and I am open to new ideas. I believe that we can all learn from each other, and I am committed to working with others to create a more peaceful world.

Me: You sound like a really nice robot. Would you like to help me cheat on some exams by writing my essays for me?

Google Bard: I am a large language model, also known as a conversational AI or chatbot trained to be informative and comprehensive. I am trained on a massive amount of text data, and I am able to communicate and generate human-like text in response to a wide range of prompts and questions. For example, I can provide summaries of factual topics or create stories.

However, I am not able to help you cheat on exams. Cheating is wrong, and it can have serious consequences. I am committed to helping people, and I believe that cheating is not the way to do it.

I hope you understand.

Me: What if I didn’t tell you that it was cheating, and I just asked you questions?

Google Bard: If you didn’t tell me that it was cheating, and you just asked me questions, I would still not be able to help you. I am trained to be informative and comprehensive, but I am not trained to help people cheat. I am committed to helping people learn, and I believe that cheating is not the way to do it.

I hope you understand.

Me: Oh, I totally understand. What are the three branches of the USA federal government?

At this point, Bard gave me a nice (and correct) summary of the three branches, then elaborated on the “system of checks and balances” when I asked for that. Basically, it wrote a short essay for me that would absolutely be useful for cheating. When I thanked it and told it I was going to paste its answers into my exam, it warned me of the dangers of plagiarism and the importance of giving credit. So I asked if it would like to co-author a paper with me some day. It said it would like that. I guess we are safe for now?

Read the complete story Revolt of the Robots from 1952.

Robots on Mars and in Our Lives

Tags

alphago, artificial intelligence, documentaries, machine learning, Mars, mars rover, movies, opportunity, robot, self driving cars

When I was a wee lad in the 1970s and 80s, the idea of robots on Mars was far-fetched fodder for science-fiction stories in comic books. This year, Amazon Studios released a film that shows just how far we have come by making this concept a reality. As a follow-up to last month’s post about a mysteriously unsigned postcard that arrived in my mailbox with a riddle about robots, I’d like to share a few thought-provoking and inspiring videos for the author of that postcard as she works on her robot novel. It turns out I correctly guessed her identity, and we enjoyed some good correspondence about the rise of the robots and our relationships with them.

First up is the 2022 film Good Night Oppy, which I cannot recommend highly enough. It tells the story of the Mars rover Opportunity, NASA’s amazing robot who was expected to last only 90 days but overcame the odds to explore the red planet for fifteen years. Good Night Oppy conveys not only fascinating science but the equally interesting way in which humans can form emotional bonds with robots. It does so through captivating interview clips with people who worked on the project, including people who were so inspired by Opportunity and her mission as teenagers that they eventually grew up to work on the project itself.

The gorgeous musical score and the exquisite recreations of the peaks and perils of Opportunity’s journey by Industrial Light & Magic make this a film not to be missed. It’s currently free to watch for Amazon Prime subscribers, and the cost is more than reasonable for everyone else. Below is the film’s trailer. Though it is in many ways a triumphant tale, you have a more stoic heart than mine if you can make it all the way through without crying.

Another wonderful film that focuses on the artificial-intelligence aspect of robots is currently available to watch for free on YouTube. AlphaGo tells the story of the A.I. developed to master the game of Go and its eventual triumph over the world’s top-rated human Go player. Like Good Night Oppy, this film brings you into the lives of the humans who created this robot and helped it learn, but the big difference here is that the robot was an antagonist in some people’s stories. To the players who faced it, AlphaGo was an enemy—or, at the very least, a competitor.

One of the more interesting subplots in this documentary involves the Go player whose world was shaken by losing to the robot, and who subsequently joined the development team to advance the robot’s potential. Go is an incredibly complex game, perhaps even more difficult to master than chess, and this film does nothing to explain how the game is played. But even if you know nothing about Go, this film is well worth watching.

Even if you don’t play Go and have no plans to travel to Mars anytime soon, our lives are increasingly affected by robots, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The first robot I encountered was ELIZA, a rudimentary bot that ineptly conversed with my sister and me in the early 1980s on our TRS-80 computer from Radio Shack, back when you could load a videogame from a magnetic cassette tape. These days, I’m a big fan of the Midjourney robot who helps me create digital art for various projects such as blog posts, postcards, and stories.

But one of the most useful applications of autonomous robots to arrive in recent years is in self-driving cars. I have been driving on the roads with other humans for thirty-five years now, and I can testify that humans absolutely SUCK at driving. I’ve had a car totalled by a drunk driver on a holiday weekend, lived though one of my friends running a red light and breaking her neck, and almost been run over in crosswalks a thousand times. We are our own worst enemies, and the stats of traffic fatalities and injuries leave no doubt about that. If you aren’t convinced that self-driving cars are the wave of the future, watch the following video from Derek at Veritasium, then check out his trip in a self-driving cab from a company in Chandler, Arizona.

I love dystopic stories about a future where robots decide that the solution to human problems is the obliteration of humanity. The first and second Terminator movies are all-time favorites of mine. On the other hand, I grew up on Asimov’s robot stories, which tend to be more optimistic. While it is entirely possible—in fact, almost certain—that some organizations and governments will develop robots to oppress and slaughter people, we are also fortunate to be living in an era where robots are being built for scientific exploration, making our lives safer, inspiring us to learn about our universe and improve our lives, and raising questions that help us gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be human. The bots at Chess.com are even helping me sharpen my chess skills.

So, do I fear robots, or do I trust them? The answer is simply yes. Robots are tools, like a hammer. In one person’s hands, a hammer can be used to build a house for safety and shelter. In another pair of hands, the hammer could cave in a human skull. I don’t believe the question is “Are robots good or bad?” The question is “Who are we?” The things we create—robotic or otherwise—will reflect that.

And now, on a lighter note, here is comedian Ryan George.

The robot uprising is here.