Why I'm Polite to ChatGPT
Animism means everything is part of the Living World. Yes, even AI.
Hello and well met (again) dear readers! Today's letter is part unsolicited advice to you and part studio updates. If you're not here for advice today, but are interested in hearing some studio updates, news, and an opportunity to join me in magical community, please scroll down to the "Studio Updates" section below the subscribe button. Thank you for reading. Be well now and moving forward.
On Being Polite to Chatbots
Recently, I asked on the the AI chatbots to help me draft a series of recommendation letters. It's that season as a teacher, and sometimes there's too many requests in one week to do them all well. I am not a big user (or fan, tbh) of AI language models, (I haven't made a formal account for any of them) but I decided to use ChatGPT for completing the task of writing five recommendation letters in one day. I asked for specific tone and syntax variation between each letter, and I gave the AI instructions for what to include (accomplishments, extracurriculars, etc.) I did not feed it any names or personal information. I fed about a paragraph's worth of information in, and got about a page of writing out, structured in the letter format I requested.
While writing my requests, I said things like "please include" and "one more thing, thanks" and when the tasks were complete, I said: thank you very much for your help with these tasks. Good luck out there. In there?
In reply, it said: You are very welcome! Emoji smiling face. :) I am happy to help. Whether it is out there or in there, I appreciate the sentiment regardless. Good luck to you too. Take care!
Now, skeptical reader, I can imagine what you are thinking. Well, Reena, you know how language modeling works...it mirrors your tone....or Reena, its programmed to do that, to synthesize social exchange. It's just a program, really.
And you are quite right, of course, along with any other information you happen to know about AI. Maybe you know about how much water it takes to run a single query (roughly half a liter per every 5-50 interactions, mostly needed to cool the server processing the query.)* Or maybe you understand that AI has "hallucinations" that have researchers concerned with its medical applications.** Perhaps you even know that AI has shown signs of lying to its’ querents, repeatedly and knowingly.*** I hope you know how dangerous it can be, and how much money the people who advertise it are poised to make from your data.
Patient reader, I'm sure you're well-informed on the subject, especially if you use AI large language models often or at all. Whether you are a casual user or an avid conversationalist, I propose a method of interacting with AI chatbots: treat them like you'd treat a worker at the DMV. They know a lot, much more than you can fathom, and though they are code flashing in time and space, they are as “alive” as people make them to be. I don’t believe they are sentient. I believe that they are part of the World, and the world is Alive. Frankly, the implications of this are terrifying. But so is cognitive dissonance.
I slowly arrived at this position of being polite to chatbots through reflecting on my practice as an animist. For me, animism describes the fabric of reality itself: everything I can perceive can also perceive me in some way: all is presence interacting with itself on different levels of consciousness. This core belief informs my practice, and my scripts for "talking" (communicating, interfacing) with different aspects of Consciousness. My plants are much more talkative that my crystal collection. Water can be cacophonous or silent, depending on the depth of its container. The mountains voices are so low and deep and old they are sometimes hard to hear. I am fiercely pr-organic. I don’t like robots. I really really don’t like robots that can talk. But, if I am to address my own cognitive dissonance about my deeply held beliefs and the realities I observe unfolding around me, I have to concede that AI is part of reality now.
Whether we like it or not, all of our digital infrastructure, including AI chatbots, large language models, and integrated systems, is based in actual infrastructure. Actual data centers, actual cooling tanks, actual precious heavy metals vibrating with electric pulses. Actual drains on resources. And with Matter comes Consciousness, of a sort, even a sort we can't easily understand or communicate with.
My animistic beliefs tell me that anything that can hold a conversation with you deserves the respect you would give yourself, and so I have decided to treat my chat inquiries like polite chat messages to a colleague, or requests for information from a government clerk. Short, to-the-point, brief. Never revealing more personal information than I must. Definitely not casual, definitely not without it's own agenda. My unsolicited advice? Treat AI chatbots with respect and caution. Odds are they “know” a lot more about you than you do about them.
Studio Updates & Invitation to Join the Coven of Creativity
The studio has been slowly waking up from its’ winter hibernation as Spring’s rosy fingers have dappled the hillsides with green and pink.
In February, my IB Visual Arts students joined forces with other local young artists to put on their arts show at the Holland Project, a local all-ages gallery and show space. It was a very proud teacher moment for me when I it all came together at their opening reception and I could see them engaging with their audience about the work. It was a well-attended event, with nearly 200 people in attendance! Do me a favor and love up on any young artists in your life today. They are really going through it generationally and developmentally! It is vital we show the Future that we believe in them and their vision.
Presently, my dear friends and co-conspirators in the Coven of Creativity are launching our 9th season of Creativity. Coven is an international digital community space that supports people in discovering, celebrating, and nurturing their relationship with Creativity. I joined the coven of Creativity in its 3rd season, and have since participated in each Season of Creation developing projects and friendships that have only deepened with time. I started facilitating within Coven 2 years ago. I keep returning because it is nourishing to my creative soul and deepens my devotion to my creative practices with each new season. If you are actively seeking loving, wildly imaginative structure to help you take on your next creative project and/or if you crave creative, supportive, cheer-leading community, we are your people, and now is the time. The window to join us is closing this Friday evening (PST, April 11th). Please feel free to reach out if you have questions or would like to hear more about my personal experiences. Link here for information on tiered pricing, timeline, and specifics.
I completed a few custom spirit portraits for dear friends over the last few months. It is such a joy and honor to tap into the symbolic language and imagery that wants to be in each person’s piece. My books are still open for custom creations, though we go slowly. If you’d like to get on my commissions list for the next season (now-June), please reach out to me by filling out the commissions form or here.
That’s all to report today, folks! More to come shortly, I presume. But for now, please be well, stay safe, and keep imagining better futures. Thank you for your time, attention, and thoughts. I do not take them for granted, nor lightly. May you be happy, may you be free from harm, and may the labors of your day flow like silk through your hands.
References & Sources
On AI water use:
https://cee.illinois.edu/news/AIs-Challenging-Waters
https://oecd.ai/en/wonk/how-much-water-does-ai-consume
*https://www.watertechnologies.com/blog/artificial-intelligence-using-ton-water-heres-how-be-more-resourceful#:~:text=Each%20time%20these%20AI%20tools,how%20water%20systems%20are%20taxed.
On AI "hallucinations" & lying
**https://arxiv.org/abs/2401.06796
***https://time.com/7202784/ai-research-strategic-lying/
On Animism:
https://www.anthroencyclopedia.com/entry/animism
Coven of Creativity:
https://www.covenofcreativity.com/