It triggered a host of emotions in the witness, who took to Reddit to share what he’d seen and heard
The person was reportedly yapping away to AI on their phone (Stock image)(Image: Getty)
A Londoner was left “cringing” after hearing a man have a “full conversation” with AI on a bus “like it was his mate”. The passenger said the man was chatting to ChatGPT on his phone to a level where the “whole bus could hear it”.
It triggered a host of emotions in the witness, who took to Reddit to share what he’d seen and heard. It left him not knowing whether ‘to cringe, feel sorry for him, or feel sad that this is genuinely where we are as a society now,’ before adding he felt like he was in an episode of Black Mirror.
He wrote: “I was on a bus when a drunk guy pulled out his phone, pressed it to his ear like he was taking a call… and suddenly an AI voice started speaking. It was loud. The whole bus could hear it.
“He then began having a full conversation with it, opening up about how bad his day had been, talking to ChatGPT like it was his mate on the other end of the line, and the AI was replying in this completely flat, monotone voice.
“This went on for a solid ten minutes. I just sat there not knowing whether to cringe, feel sorry for him, or feel sad that this is genuinely where we are as a society now. It honestly felt like I’d stumbled into a real-life episode of Black Mirror.”
It certainly triggered a series of responses in the comments section. One person took the understanding approach, suggesting the person could be lonely.
They said: “I also saw a guy in a pub chatting with ChatGPT like a friend. Some people are lonely, and perhaps this is the only option available for them at the moment.”
“This is equal parts sad and scary. Don’t really know what else to say,” wrote a second. While a third raved about comparing it to a scene from Harry Potter. They wrote: “Talking with AI regularly is like talking to Tom Riddle’s diary from Harry Potter. On a surface level it’s a brilliant way to keep a charismatic and friendly private journal that understands you, relates to you and talks back to you, and is intelligent too.
“The thing to keep in mind is that it is essentially Voldemort on the other end very slowly manipulating you towards certain thoughts and behaviours. Be aware… be very aware.”
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