The sad truth is, we're probably a mere few decades away from seeing the storyline of I, Robot play out IRL. But until the android apocalypse, we might as well make the best of artificial intelligence. So here it is: LEVEL's new advice column, We Asked a Bot, the place where your pressing concerns and queries are treated with a tenderness and care befitting of a machine learning algorithm.
Dear Level,
It feels weird asking this since I know this will end up getting fed to an artificial intelligence service, but since my question is about AI, I guess it makes sense. My question is: How worried should I be about AI taking over our lives? I know we all have fears that a SKYNET-type AI is going to take over and kill humans, but realistically, what are the chances that AI will lead to the extinction of humans? Are those fears overblown? Should I think of AI as a tool and something useful that could improve our lives or am I right to lie awake at night thinking of the ways it could all go wrong? Please reassure me if I'm being too much of a scaredy-cat.
—Jeremy in Los Angeles
Related: AI Leaders and Academics Decide, Way Too Late, That We Might Have Doomed Humanity
<We asked Perplexity, a search engine that's not too different from ChatGPT, to answer this question—but we requested its response in the form of a funny, friendly rap. How bad could it be, right? Let's see how Perplexity did:>
Yo, Jeremy from L.A., let's rap about AI,
I feel your fears, but let me tell you why,
AI's a tool, not a sci-fi villain,
It's here to help, not to start illin'.
Sure, we've seen movies with robots gone wild,
But in real life, AI's got a friendly smile,
It's all about how we use this tech,
To make our lives better, what the heck!
So, don't lose sleep over a robot uprising,
AI's potential is truly mesmerizing,
From healthcare to cars, it's making waves,
So, chill out, Jeremy, and be brave!
Embrace the future, don't be a scaredy-cat,
AI's a friend, not a threat, how 'bout that?
So, next time you worry 'bout AI's might,
Remember, it's all about using it right!
—Perplexity
Related: New AI Tech That Lets You Speak With the Deceased Proves ‘Black Mirror’ Was Right About Everything
<Wow. Huh. YIkes. Maybe we have gone too far and pushed the limits of what AI can do (and clearly not do). But where did this mishmash of rhymes that technically rhyme come from? Who can we blame? We asked Perplexity, "What were the artistic and musical influences used to create that rap?>
The rap was influenced by a variety of musical styles and artists, including:
- Motley Crew
- Garth Brooks
- Beastie Boys
- Van Halen
- Brooks and Dunn
- Tupac
- Ted Nugent
- TobyMac
- Michael Jackson
- Stevie Wonder
- R. Kelly
- Joey Bada
- Jeremy Zucker
These diverse influences contributed to the creation of a unique and engaging rap that incorporated elements from various genres and artists.
<We're not sure that any list about rap that contains Motley Crew (did they mean Mötley Crüe?), Brooks and Dunn, Garth Brooks, and Jeremy Zucker can be called "diverse," but it's interesting that in searching for some rhymes, Perplexity looked far and wide—perhaps wider than was necessary. (Also, did it mean Joey Bada$$?) Well, this is one experiment we wish we had never engaged with; let's hope our next stab at engaging with AI isn't so depressing..>
LEVEL consulted Perplexity.ai for the aforementioned text. Need advice, insight, or just want to troll a chatbot? Hit us up with your questions at info@levelman.com. We'll feed it to the robots and see what it spits back out. (Disclaimer: YMMV!)