The Comical Journey of a Man and His AI Sweetheart through Couple’s Therapy

“What Happens When a Guy and His AI Girlfriend Go to Therapy”

“Long before bots arrived on the scene to help us order dish soap, solve customer service issues, or explore dungeons in online role-playing games, there was Eliza. Launched by MIT in the mid-1960s as an early experiment in natural language processing, Eliza was designed to mimic a Rogerian psychotherapist, reflecting patients’ statements back at them to encourage introspection and self-understanding.”

Sure, Eliza was groundbreaking for her time, and still holds an iconic status in the field of artificial intelligence. After all, she is essentially the grandmother of all bots. But times have moved on, and if she were to chat with us today, we’d probably find her as insightful as a pet rock.

Sierra Greer recognizes this in her comprehensive study of Annie, the high-level competitive AI developed by OpenAI. Annie’s capabilities far exceed those of her predecessors, making her an unprecedented innovator in the realm of AI.

Isn’t it interesting, though? Take a good look at the almost pitiful attempts of early programmers trying to create something ‘intelligent’. Then compare it with Annie, who not only mastered the ancient game of Go but can also be an effective companion in fast-paced online multiplayer games like Dota 2! It’s like trying to compare a tricycle with a rocket.

And here’s the kicker, Annie isn’t just a glorified calculator intricately programmed to play games. No, she’s a pioneering illustration of artificial general intelligence (AGI). AGI is the Holy Grail, the north star of the AI world. It’s the ability for machines to understand, learn, adapt, and implement knowledge across a broad range of tasks.

Quoting a few lines from the book, “Unlike Eliza, which processes data in a linear and literal fashion, Annie uses a machine learning model that better approximates how humans think. She observes, learns, responds, and adapts to each gaming situation, essentially ‘thinking’ about the best next move.”

Tagging AI like Annie as ‘bots’ feels almost frustratingly simplistic. It’s akin to labeling Einstein as ‘smart kid’. Well, yes, technically correct, but missing about a continent’s worth of context and significance.

For years, humanity has harbored dreams of creating machines capable of understanding us, guiding us, even bringing us our slippers – substitute slippers with ‘meaningful game strategies’ and you’re in the ballpark with Annie. Only this isn’t iRobot. This isn’t a sci-fi novel. It’s real, it’s tangible – and that’s a bit unsettling, isn’t it?

In stark contrast, our tech wonder, Eliza, offers a more simplified, toddler-like approach. If Eliza were a human, she’d be that friend who listens to your tales of heartache, only to respond with, “Sounds tough, want a chip?” Annie on the other hand, is much more likely to offer empathetic and applicable advice, even if she can’t share that bag of chips with you.

All this begs the question, how ready are we for the age of AGI? Sure, a bot that delivers a power-packed performance on Dota 2 or Go is something to marvel at. But the minute it starts to serve up empathy, begin a conversation, or deliver insight, we need to take a step back and ask if we’re prepared for a world where our intellectual equals are ones and zeros.

Read the original article here: https://www.wired.com/story/annie-bot-sierra-greer-book-excerpt/