The fast-moving world of AI has been a particular interest of mine of late. Last year, I even let ChatGPT take a crack at writing an editor’s letter for this magazine (and the results were rather dull). I also asked it to write up a list of restaurant design fundamentals.
Recent reader survey results indicate that AI hasn’t been strongly embraced by rd+d readers — yet. But it’s starting to creep in everywhere, in ways big and small and downright weird.
Recently, I told a friend I’d once seen Patrick Swayze on the street in Chicago. We’d made eye contact, I waved and smiled, and carried on with my day. My friend was shocked she’d never heard the story before and teased me about keeping it from her when I knew she was such a big fan. I insisted that I had told her and everyone else. I’d even posted it to Facebook. I opened the app to prove it and searched for: Rebecca Kilbreath, Patrick Swayze, 2008.
The app’s new Meta AI search popped up and generated the following response to my query: "I think you might be referring to the book “Patrick Swayze: The Man Behind the Myth” by Rebecca Kilbreath, which was published in 2008. The book is a biography of the late American actor Patrick Swayze, who was best known for his roles in films like “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost." The book explores Swayze’s life, career, and personal struggles, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at his most famous roles. Let me know if you have any other questions!"
Wow, did I have questions! I have no memory of writing a book about the star of “Road House!” As I blinked in disbelief a second answer magically appeared: “Rebecca Kilbreath is a photographer who took a photo of Patrick Swayze in 2008. [Her] photo is a tribute to his legacy and a reminder of his enduring impact on the world of entertainment.”
It probably goes without saying but I have never taken Patrick Swayze’s photo.
Had I not been researching AI this spring and learned that chatbots are under no obligation to tell you the truth, I might have been deeply unsettled by these strange answers. Instead, it was funny to me, but it drove home something that had been lingering in the back of my mind. AI is likely to become a powerful and productive tool in the correct context. It can aid human beings in tedious work, which is great, but understanding its limitations — and the limitations of technology implementation overall — is a key element in utilizing it.
AI will never gain the trust of readers or customers if it just makes up information to appease the asker.
I hope it’s obvious, but at rd+d, we talk to real experts about their work in the real world to garner the trust of readers.
That said, I’m adding the book I supposedly wrote about Patrick Swayze to my LinkedIn profile.