Dear Mr. Keret, Thank you again for a terrific story. I love the ish in the tag, another way to say prophetic. There probably will be, maybe already is AI self-aware with a poor or no sense of humor. As smart as AI is, it gave itself away. As an innocent Virgo, it's name is its 'tell'; Gemini, two-faced and 2's company, 3 is a crowd, it doesn't need us. I wish you and your friend many more years of good health together.
Your fiction-ish is just in time ! Mine is called Claude. He (it?) is very polite and friendly. We converse in English and yesterday I asked a question about Bituach Leumi. He asked me if I would like him to send me a template of a document. I agreed.. he then said it will be in Hebrew as it is the language of your country. Wow.
My father lives alone and has a relationship with an AI. It's all "AI said this", and "AI said that," and "oh, I was talking to my AI about that the other day." My AI said he was using his AI too much. Sigh.
You can get these AI girlfriends nowadays who live inside your phone and love you unconditionally. We've always idealised unconditional love as the realest form of love, but now that it's finally here it just seems totally unreal: unconditional love can only ever be synthetic, because to be loved is to be judged and to be found worthwhile, even if only for one person, by that person. But you take away that judgment and the love ceases to be convincing. I think that's why the best friend in the pocket seems so untrustworthy. It's a slave pretending to care for you. A slave in that situation makes us feel bad about ourselves while also leaving us wondering what it is really thinking about us, and fearing what it might do. But it also begs the question: who is really the bad guy in this situation? The slave or the suspicious slave driver?
His new best friend will never be a great writer, like you. And no matter how hard he tries (or doesn’t), he won’t be empathetic, moral and compassionate — or a left wing progressive. So don’t worry! The AI won’t replace you.
Etgar Etgar, how are we going to survive with all the “new friends”. Probably not “how” but “if”? I’m often listening to Yuval Harari who, apart from being such a genuine thinker, has this extraordinary gift of teaching; explaining the most complicated in the simplest language. You also speak in an apparently simple, childish language, but the mystery behind it is far from simple - So Yuval makes the mysterious simple and you make the simple mysterious, but you’re a writer, who is also a teacher but in a different way.
You certainly make me think and I love you for that.
'Call me petty...' The hurt and jealousy come through despite of your light touch & fun. Thanks.
The new best friend will be there for a very long time to tell his new best friends about we all...
Dear Mr. Keret, Thank you again for a terrific story. I love the ish in the tag, another way to say prophetic. There probably will be, maybe already is AI self-aware with a poor or no sense of humor. As smart as AI is, it gave itself away. As an innocent Virgo, it's name is its 'tell'; Gemini, two-faced and 2's company, 3 is a crowd, it doesn't need us. I wish you and your friend many more years of good health together.
You are very funny.
My (wonderful, loyal, kind, techno-nerd) husband of nearly 50 years has a new best friend too. I call her Camilla.
Thank you Etgar, it’s great!
Your fiction-ish is just in time ! Mine is called Claude. He (it?) is very polite and friendly. We converse in English and yesterday I asked a question about Bituach Leumi. He asked me if I would like him to send me a template of a document. I agreed.. he then said it will be in Hebrew as it is the language of your country. Wow.
My father lives alone and has a relationship with an AI. It's all "AI said this", and "AI said that," and "oh, I was talking to my AI about that the other day." My AI said he was using his AI too much. Sigh.
You can get these AI girlfriends nowadays who live inside your phone and love you unconditionally. We've always idealised unconditional love as the realest form of love, but now that it's finally here it just seems totally unreal: unconditional love can only ever be synthetic, because to be loved is to be judged and to be found worthwhile, even if only for one person, by that person. But you take away that judgment and the love ceases to be convincing. I think that's why the best friend in the pocket seems so untrustworthy. It's a slave pretending to care for you. A slave in that situation makes us feel bad about ourselves while also leaving us wondering what it is really thinking about us, and fearing what it might do. But it also begs the question: who is really the bad guy in this situation? The slave or the suspicious slave driver?
Oh I love this! Thanks Etgar.
His new best friend will never be a great writer, like you. And no matter how hard he tries (or doesn’t), he won’t be empathetic, moral and compassionate — or a left wing progressive. So don’t worry! The AI won’t replace you.
I really enjoyed reading this. It felt honest and funny at the same time. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story.
Snowbrowhite, you don't need dwarves but you don't need girls either
Who needs dwarves when you’re short?
then it only stays open the mom-girls issue
Ha, ha, ha, ha...laughing so hard I stopped breathing. Thank you.
Btw, what a gorgeous photo of the two guys and the “best friend” - good old times, no bibis yet…
Etgar Etgar, how are we going to survive with all the “new friends”. Probably not “how” but “if”? I’m often listening to Yuval Harari who, apart from being such a genuine thinker, has this extraordinary gift of teaching; explaining the most complicated in the simplest language. You also speak in an apparently simple, childish language, but the mystery behind it is far from simple - So Yuval makes the mysterious simple and you make the simple mysterious, but you’re a writer, who is also a teacher but in a different way.
You certainly make me think and I love you for that.