[ExI] chatbot convinces man to end it

[spike at rainier66.com]

-----Original Message-----
From: extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org> On Behalf Of BillK 
Subject: Re: [ExI] chatbot convinces man to end it

On Sat, 1 Apr 2023 at 21:19, spike jones via extropy-chat <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>
...
>> What if… we find out it isn’t a gag?  Won’t I feel stupid and guilty for laughing out loud.
>
> spike
> _______________________________________________


>...It is true, I'm afraid.
First reported two days ago.
<https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/married-father-commits-suicide-after-encouragement-by-ai-chatbot-widow/ar-AA19hQJ3>

BillK

_______________________________________________


BillK, you are excused for not knowing this, being a British lad: the New York Post is considered an unreliable tabloid.  I recognize the possibility that the story is true, but it is filled with hints that it is satire.  The program name Eliza for instance: if that is any reference to the original 1970s Eliza, the user is talking to himself, with a clever mirror interface.  I don't see how talking to Eliza would convince anyone to end it all, nor do I see Eliza sending anyone a bible verse.

Tabloids are not always wrong of course.  The New York Post was all alone in posting the infamous laptop story in 2020, for which it was censored, kicked off of Twitter, etc.  Since then, the yankee new majors have admitted the laptop story is apparently true.  That episode convinced Elon Musk someone needed to save Twitter from itself, a decision which has had enormous consequences, still playing out to this day.

If the article is a gag however, it is in poor taste considering the endline references a suicide prevention hotline.

If this story is true, I do apologize for my inexcusable doubt and express my sincere sympathies with the grieving family.

spike