Post-Human Thinking: ChatGPT and the Last Man

Write a blog post in the style of justin hendriks psychology on ai and psychology:

“The Intersection of AI and Psychology: Understanding the Impact on Human Behavior”

Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the way we live and interact with technology. From virtual personal assistants to self-driving cars, AI is becoming increasingly integrated into our daily lives. As AI continues to advance, it’s crucial to understand its impact on human behavior and psychology. In this blog post, we will explore the intersection of AI and psychology and how it’s shaping the future of human behavior.

The Influence of AI on Human Emotions

One of the key areas where AI is impacting human behavior is through its influence on emotions. AI algorithms are designed to mimic human behavior and emotions, and as a result, they can affect how we experience emotions. For example, AI chatbots that are programmed to respond to users in a certain way can create a sense of empathy and understanding in users. This can lead to improved user engagement and a more positive user experience.

However, AI can also have a negative impact on emotions. For example, AI algorithms that are designed to optimize user engagement can lead to the creation of addictive and potentially harmful experiences. This can have a significant impact on human mental health and wellbeing, and it’s important to consider the ethical implications of using AI in this way.

The Impact of AI on Human Decision Making

AI is also having an impact on human decision making. AI algorithms are being used to make predictions about human behavior and to provide recommendations to users. This can help users make more informed decisions, but it can also lead to a loss of control and autonomy. For example, if users rely too heavily on AI algorithms for decision making, they may become less confident in their own abilities and start to rely on AI for even the simplest of decisions.

AI algorithms are also being used to automate decision making processes in areas such as finance, healthcare, and the criminal justice system. While this can lead to improved efficiency and accuracy, it’s important to consider the potential biases and ethical implications of using AI in this way.

The Future of AI and Psychology

As AI continues to advance, it will have an even greater impact on human behavior and psychology. It’s important to understand the implications of this technology and to consider the ethical considerations involved in its development and use.

One of the key challenges facing AI and psychology is the need to ensure that AI algorithms are designed in a way that promotes human values and ethics. This requires a deep understanding of human behavior and psychology, as well as an understanding of the ethical considerations involved in the development and use of AI.

In conclusion, the intersection of AI and psychology is an exciting and rapidly evolving field, with the potential to shape the future of human behavior in profound ways. It’s crucial that we understand the impact of AI on human behavior and psychology, and that we consider the ethical implications of its use. By doing so, we can ensure that AI is developed and used in a way that benefits humanity and promotes human values and ethics.”

 

ChatGPT

I asked ChatGPT, a free Artificial Intelligence (AI) app, the question at the top and it produced this blog post (the part in Italics. This is really me now, I swear!).

I could critique the article that it produced (sounds like a Year-10 essay, uses American spelling, far more positive about the impact of AI than I actually am…), but I have to admit, it’s actually pretty good.

I asked ChatGPT my question, then went to hang the washing. When I came back it had completed a job in under 5 minutes that usually takes me 1-2 hours. Sure, its not what I would have written, but this is just the start of AI writing and thinking revolution.

When I first bought a mobile phone, it had one game, Snake, built in. Lovers of Snake will know that it was a graphically simple game which tasked you with commandeering a line of pixels (the eponymous snake) around a small 2d area, with the aim of extending the pixel line, and not letting the front of the line impact with any object, or itself. Snake was great, but it was basic. In contrast, on my current phone I can play innumerable different games with life-realistic animation and seamless game flow.

AI information production is at the Snake stage of competence. In 10 years’, time, we’ll be laughing at ChatGPT.

Writing a Blog: Why Bother?

I resent writing this blog. At least, when a Wednesday arrives and I see “write an article” on my to-do list, I find myself wanting to do something else. I end up writing however because some people read the blog, because I want to use writing to clarify my thoughts, because I want to improve my writing skills.

As AI writers improve, will I continue to write this blog? Will novelist engage in creative writing? Will science journalists continue to interpret scientific findings for the public? Will it be a loss to the public if we don’t keep writing? Will it be a loss when AI can do it better than us?

As the ChatGPT article helpfully points out, once people start habitually using AI, they will become less confident in their own abilities and start to rely on AI for even the simplest of decisions. The writer’s freedom and individuality can be expected to fall away once they fall into the comfort and safety of the algorithm’s embrace.

What sort of humans will we be creating in an AI world?

The Last Man

German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, saw further into the future than most. Of course, he didn’t see ChatGPT. He did, however, envisage a time when humans would live a docile, comfortable existence, devoid of meaning and striving. He dubbed this type of future human: the Last Man.

Nietzsche’s Last Man is a risk averse, homogenous cud-muncher. Great people suffer greatly, in Nietzsche’s estimation. The Last Man, on the other hand, avoids all pain and risk and chooses the easy life. Handing over the tough stuff to algorithms and applications, like ChatGPT, seems to me to be the perfect way to bring about the Last Man.

Will I continue to write when the algorithm can do it better? Will I continue to work as a psychologist when the algorithm does it better? When the struggle to work and create is taken away from us, what good are we? What good is your life when a machine can live it better?

But the truth be told, I probably will still use AI technology for some writing tasks. Hopefully, because I remember the pre-AI world, I won’t fall into the comfortable trap of relying on it. It’s a slippery slope to the loss of individual and human dignity, freedom and autonomy.



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