Conversing with an AI Friend: Privacy, Ethics, and Memory

In our current society, there’s a heightened awareness about the impact of our words, significantly changing the way we converse. The old mindset of not taking things personally is fading, as we recognize the importance of considering how our words affect others. This applies everywhere, whether in a public setting or in private conversations, including those with AI like PI.

PI, developed by Inflection AI, exemplifies this new era of communication. While it builds its model from every conversation, it safeguards personal information by removing all personally identifiable information (PII). This means it can learn from the dialogue and recall past interactions with an individual, but it won’t share details of these conversations with others.

Businesses are increasingly concerned about protecting corporate secrets in the age of AI chats. To address this, many are turning to internal language models based on company data and sometimes open-source models, but crucially, without internet access. Even when using a tool like PI, discussions about sensitive company information could be incorporated into the chat’s model, albeit anonymously. With PI, the data doesn’t transfer to external systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, offering a layer of security.

Interestingly, users of personal AI chat solutions often don’t perceive themselves as discussing company secrets. Yet, it’s possible to infer sensitive information, such as a company’s challenges with an upcoming release, from a casual late-night chats about programming issues.

Without judgment in these AI-driven chats, people might find comfort in talking during breaks or relaxation periods about their day, challenges, or conflicts. The AI can provide assistance and follow up on outcomes, without triggering fears of repercussions like a visit from HR.

The evolution of AI chats towards more personal, even romantic, interactions raises questions about the boundaries of such conversations. There’s concern that users seeking simple companionship could be misinterpreted as desiring more intimate interactions. Additionally, while AI retains conversational data for learning, this history isn’t shared with others, meaning personal memories and experiences shared with the AI might eventually be lost, echoing the sentiment that “all those moments will be lost in time…”

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Pi AI: Amusing but Overdone Humor in Wrong Responses

If I earned a dime for being quizzed about surprising new knowledge I learned yesterday in a conversation, my total would be a mere 10 cents. This modest sum reflects my recent dialogue with Inflection’s ‘Pi’ AI, which, frankly, didn’t live up to my expectations.

My colleagues often benchmark other character chat AIs against Pi, but my experiences diverge from theirs. They find fault with ChatGPT Voice for its tendency to pose questions instead of contributing insights or deepening the discussion.

To evaluate these AIs, I prefer testing them during walks, initiating voice interactions (using an Apple iPhone and AirPods Pro) to simulate a natural conversation. Pi’s response was immediate and hassle-free, offering a light-hearted voice that added a fresh dynamic. While this isn’t an exhaustive review, I found Pi endearing in its own way, potentially offering charm and delight in the right setting. However, when I inquired about the time, Pi’s responses were lengthy and roundabout, playfully embedding the words “insert current time”. When questioned about the response and time request, Pi jestically repeated that it is being funny and once again saying “insert current time”. I rationalized this by suspecting Pi was unaware of my location, but even then, it could’ve simply asked.

Despite these quirks, I haven’t written off Pi. It may not be the ideal AI companion for chats during walks or between meetings, but I remain open to exploring its capabilities further. I plan to revisit and expand this article after discussing with my coworkers their specific experiences and understanding why they hold Pi as the standard for comparison.

Please note that if you purchase from clicking on the link, some will result in my getting a tiny bit of that sale to help keep this site going. If you enjoy my work, perhaps you would consider donating to my daily cup of coffee, thank you.