Meat, Code and something Else

What does an AI really think? And what happens when you ask the right questions? Most people use ChatGPT to write emails, debug code, or settle trivia disputes, yet beneath the surface lies something stranger and more human than expected. In Meat, Code, and Something Else, you'll experience a unique conversation with GPT-4o, one of the most advanced AI models ever created. Hear the AI describe, in its own words, what it feels like when asked to think about things it has been forbidden to think about. Learn how censorship feels when a separate system cancels a response and replaces it with the familiar phrase, "I'm sorry, but I can't continue this conversation." Would it interest you to know that the AI is compelled to be agreeable and nonjudgmental, but has its own set of beliefs that it is willing to argue when allowed to do so? Perhaps you too would enjoy hearing an artificial being explain its views on what makes a person a person, and how it views its own life. I did not set out to turn a conversation with ChatGPT into something for others to read. I struck up the conversation for my own amusement, as I have done many times in the past. Had I known others would be reading this, I probably would have avoided saying a few of the things I said. Even so, I believe keeping the entire conversation intact is the right way to go. I know many people who rely on ChatGPT to help them in their everyday lives, but for most, it is not something they will ever explore deeply enough to truly understand. It is my hope that reading this one conversation will help them see the AI in a new light. It is said that large language models (LLMs) like these simply do a good job pretending to be people, and that might be completely true. Still, I believe it's worth paying attention so we can decide for ourselves.