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by noodlesUK 481 days ago
I tried the demo, but I decided to not say anything. It desperately tried to make me talk. The entire experience was bizarre and unsettling - another commenter described it as a northern Californian startup CEO’s level of strange fake enthusiasm. As a Brit, I found the level of synthetic bubbliness in the voice extremely off-putting. I’d hate to live in a world where that was the way everyone behaved in real life.

The entire thing felt like it was a hyper advanced engagement hack. Not there to achieve anything (even my enjoyment), just something to keep my attention locked on my device.

AI products in the future should have a clear objective for me as a user - what can they help me do? Some simulacrum of a person that is just there to talk to me at length is probably going to be a net negative on society. As a tech demo, this makes me afraid for the future.

3 comments

> I found the level of synthetic bubbliness in the voice extremely off-putting.

My thought exactly, it was to the extreme in its, as you say, bubbliness. I would not be able to use a tool that had this behavior.

Douglas Adams was onto something when he decided the superintelligent servant in Hitchhikers Guide was to loudly complain about its endless depression. Maybe then we’ll only ask things of it when we actually need it and otherwise avoid interaction.
Will definitely need to tone down the American Corporate Alacrity for the UK market..
Just get rid of it all together. I want my device to sound dry and factual like the ship computer in Star Trek, not emotional and... moist... like the lovechild of a Youtuber and a SV startup bro.
Well, you're not the only one who wants things. I wouldn't mind some Her style interactions in some of my assistants, not everything needs to be bone dry.
Thank you for making the comment I wanted to make.