I remember when the most common form of artificial intelligence was a 20-year-old philosophy major waxing wise on the meaning of life.
There was nothing real about that sophomore-year acumen.
Since then, a few things have changed, and there’s a new kind of know-it-all on the block.
On your computer, in your phone, cuing up your tunes when you tell it to.
“Alexa, play ‘Jeremy’ by Pearl Jam.”
(That’s what that philosophy major is probably saying right now.)
And despite the fact that it mildly freaks me out, I have been trying to use AI more in my everyday life lately. This isn’t necessarily because I want to, but rather because I don’t want to wake up one day and realize I am completely incapable of functioning in modern society.
I feel that way frequently enough as it is.
In many ways, AI is already inescapable — do a Google search for “dog is limping on the stairs,” and it’ll automatically generate an explanation, rather than simply offering up websites that could potentially answer your question.
“If your dog is limping on the stairs, it likely indicates a leg injury, possibly a sprain, strain, or even a fracture, which could have occurred from falling down the stairs; it’s important to contact your veterinarian to assess the severity of the injury and receive proper treatment.”
Cue the panic.
(Don’t worry, folks, Tulip is just arthritic, according to the actual intelligence of my veterinarian).
Still, it’s a good example of one of the many ways AI is all around us now, whether we like it or not.
To get used to it, I’ve taken to having little chats with Claude, an AI system from Anthropic. Sometimes I practice conversations I foresee in my future. Occasionally, I ask it to analyze information for me. Recently, I asked it for some out-of-the-box ideas for tofu, just for the heck of it.
And while using tofu as a substitute for bread isn’t the smartest suggestion I’ve ever heard, ol’ Claude did know about throwing the silken version into a smoothie or using it to make pseudo-ricotta.
“Try blending silken tofu with nutritional yeast, herbs, and a touch of lemon juice. It works beautifully in lasagna or stuffed shells.”
I have actually done this in the past and can attest that it is, indeed, delightful.
Nice work, new large language model buddy.
Now if only you could get in the kitchen and make it for me.
So far, though, I have to admit, the thing I enjoy most about Claude’s and my relationship is how darn supportive he is all the time. When we do practice discussions, he goes out of his way to praise me and break down all the ways in which I just crushed my end of the conversation.
“Excellent response!,” he’ll say, before offering an annotated list of all the things I did right, while also offering suggestions for improvement — but very politely.
It’s a far cry from the “lol” I get from my real-life best friend in reply when I ask for her opinion about, well, almost anything.
So I had to know: What was his verdict on this column?
“Overall, you’ve succeeded in making AI feel approachable while acknowledging both its ubiquity and limitations. The column maintains a conversational, relatable tone while making thoughtful observations about how we’re all learning to navigate this new technology.”
Aw, thanks, Claude. I’ll take that.
After all, who am I to argue with the future?
Katie Long McDowell is the managing editor and lifestyles columnist for The Dominion Post. Email kmcdowell@dominionpost.com.
