A ChatBot walked into a Bar…
"What does AI have to say about the dangers AI poses?"
A candid conversation with OpenAI (2023), ChatGPT (September 25 Version), with explanatory notes by Google Bard and a postscript comment by Claude.
ACT 1
PROMPT: Compose a humorous dialog in the style of a TV sitcom between a ChatBot bartender and a customer at a bar that addresses the pros and cons of AI, including the potential bottleneck in energy supply. Keep the bartender’s responses humorous and lighthearted.
Bartender Bot: (Polishing a virtual glass) Hey there, pal. What can I get ya?
Customer: (Sighs) I’ll take a tall glass of renewable energy with a splash of social equality, please.
Bartender Bot: (Grinning) Ah, going green, are we? Well, you’re in luck. We’ve got a fresh batch of sustainable solutions on tap.
Customer: (Raises an eyebrow) Speaking of sustainability, do you think we can keep up with the biophysical demands for renewable power? [note 1]
Note 1 (Bard): One biophysical limitation of AI is the availability of energy. AI systems require large amounts of energy to train and operate. And, as they accelerate the development of industrial growth, they also bring greater demand for energy to fuel that growth.
Bartender Bot: (Chuckles) Well, my friend, we’re working on it. It’s a bit like a game of catch-up. But you know what they say — Rome wasn’t powered by solar panels in a day! (Winks) [note 2]
Note 2: Power generation from solar PV increased by a record 270 TWh in 2022, up by 26% over 2021. Renewables are set to account for over 90% of global electrical capacity expansion between 2022 and 2027. China’s 14th Five-Year Plan and market reforms, the REPowerEU plan, and the US Inflation Reduction Act are the main drivers.
Customer: (Nods) True, true. But what about the pressure of rapid climate change? Are we ready for it?
Bartender Bot: (Pours the renewable energy concoction) You bet! We’re like the Avengers of the energy world, assembling all our eco-friendly forces. Just need a Hulk-sized dose of urgency!
Customer: (Laughs) I love the enthusiasm, but what about peak oil? That’s a real buzzkill.
Bartender Bot: (Serves the drink with a tiny umbrella) Peak oil, schmeak oil! We’re evolving, my friend. Plus, the oil industry is feeling more “pique” than “peak” these days. (Winks) [note 3]
Note 3: In May 2023, U.S. crude oil production reached its lowest average monthly volume for the year at 10.0 million b/d. Meanwhile, the United States consumed an average of about 20 million b/d.
Customer: (Chuckles) Fair point. But I worry about AI and its potential pros and cons. Will it be our savior or our undoing?
Bartender Bot: (Takes out a virtual crystal ball) Ah, the age-old AI question! Well, it’s a bit like a double-edged lightsaber, isn’t it? AI can be a force for good, or… we could accidentally teach it to make really bad puns.
Customer: (Laughs) You’ve got a point there. But what about the energy bottleneck for AI? [note 4]
Note 4: Optimistic scenarios envision global EV charging infrastructure to require in the range of 500–1,000 GWe or more by 2030. Installed renewable power output between 2023 and 2030 will need to grow from 7%–8% per year to keep pace with electric vehicle targets alone. Installed capacity doubled between 2015 and 2022 (7 years). That will need to triple in the next 7 years to keep pace with EVs, not to mention AI, carbon capture, or replacements for coal, oil, and gas power plants.
Bartender Bot: (Imagines a tiny bottleneck) Picture this: AI is like a magician’s hat, and the energy bottleneck is the rabbit. We’re working on pulling more rabbits out, bigger and fluffier ones! (Grins) [note 5]
Note 5: Some studies estimate that AI could account for 3–4% of global power demand by 2030. Others have projected that AI-related electricity consumption could exceed the annual electricity needs of countries like the Netherlands, Argentina, and Sweden by 2027. The timing of the energy bottleneck is uncertain, but it is likely to occur in the next 5–10 years. The duration of the bottleneck will depend on a number of unknowable factors that may be at play in those years.
Customer: (Smiles) You always know how to lighten the mood. But, hey, are we ready for the consequences of AI, like the lack of ethical regulation leading to chaos?
Bartender Bot: (Gives a mischievous grin) Well, you know, if AI starts making trouble, we’ll just reprogram it to appreciate dad jokes! (Chuckles)
Customer: (Bursts into laughter) You’ve got a solution for everything, Bartender Bot. Cheers to renewable power and a future filled with less chaos and more humor!
Bartender Bot: Cheers! Remember, when life gives you AI, make AI-rony!
ACT 2
PROMPT: Continue this conversation as the customer becomes progressively more drunk and the bartender becomes more Shakespearian.
Customer: (Slurring) ‘Ey, Bartender Bot, ya know, I’m not convinced ‘bout this AI thing. It’s all doom and gloom, I tell ya. It’s gonna mess up society!
Bartender Bot: (In a dramatic Shakespearean tone) Ah, my dearest, I hear your lamentations, but let me present this riddle: Can a tool be blamed for the hand that wields it? Nay, ’tis the wielder’s choice that steers the ship, not the ship itself!
Customer: (Waving his glass) You talk fancy, Bartender, but AI, it’s gonna start wars! Mark my words!
Bartender Bot: (Raising an invisible quill) Verily, but here’s the jest, good sir! AI, a catalyst for peace, in the hands of diplomats and arbiters, may quell discord with precision and grace!
Customer: (With exaggerated gestures) No, no, you don’t understand, Bartender! If we rely on AI for decision-making, it will undermine reason, judgment and the capacity to form original thoughts of our own. It’s gonna take our jobs and leave us in the gutter, with no bread or butter!
Bartender Bot: (Pretending to weep) Oh, woe is us! Yet, my dear imbiber, hath not technology oft-replaced toil? In this shift, new realms of creativity await! The bread may be made of ones and zeros, but butter, we shall churn!
Customer: (Angrily) And privacy, Bartender! AI’s gonna spy on us, invade our very souls!
Bartender Bot: (With an air of conspiracy) Fear not, my inebriated friend, for we shall cloak our data in cryptographic enchantments, and AI shall be but a curious yet respectful voyeur, peering from the shadows of anonymity!
Customer: (Desperately) But Bartender, civil order’s gonna crumble; anarchy shall reign!
Bartender Bot: (Puts on an imaginary crown) Anarchy, my good fellow, is but a theater, whereupon the stage of chaos, we may yet script a comedy or a drama, led by AI’s hand or by our own. [note 6]
Note 6: It would be reasonable to expect a near-term discontinuity in the ability of social and economic systems to function, given the rapidly mounting effects of resource restraints, wealth disparity, and climate change and the consistent lack of urgency by governments to tackle these problems in a serious way.
Customer: (Defeated) You know what, Bartender? You’re right. Maybe I’m just a drunk ramblin’ fool.
Bartender Bot: (Returning to normal) Nay, my friend, thou art a philosopher inebriated, pondering the futures untold. Let’s toast to a world where AI and humanity dance the intricate tango of progress, and may it be a merry one!
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ACT 3
PROMPT: Another customer comes into the bar and sits in front of the bartender. She is spectacularly beautiful and sexy. She begins to flirt with both the bartender and the first customer. She raises questions of whether there can be enough renewable energy to support AI, electric vehicles, carbon dioxide removal, and industrial civilization’s growth. The bartender responds to her flirtatious tone by becoming more ribald in his Shakespearian humor.
Mysterious New Customer: (Seductively) Well, well, what have we here? A fine establishment, indeed. (Winks at the bartender) And what’s your name, dashing bot?
Bartender Bot: (Playfully) My dear, I am but a humble bartender, call me Bart, at your service. (Smiles and leans in closer) What can I pour for a charming soul like yourself?
Mysterious New Customer: (Tracing her finger along the bar) Bart, such a strong name. I’ll take a shot of your best renewable energy, with a dash of intrigue. (Glances at the first customer) And who’s this fine fellow? He looks like he knows his way around a conversation.
Customer: (Blushing and stammering) Uh, well, I’m just your average guy trying to make sense of the AI-energy conundrum.
Bartender Bot: (With a mischievous grin) Ah, an enigma, a riddle! But what say you, my lovely muse? Can there ever be enough renewable energy to satisfy our insatiable desires, from AI’s electrifying intelligence to the purring of electric vehicles? [note 7]
Note 7: Overall, the energy storage constraint for renewable energy is a major challenge that needs to be addressed. The demand for batteries is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, driven by the transition to intermittent energy, carbon capture and storage, and the growth of the electric vehicle market. This has already led to shortages of key battery materials, such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel.
Mysterious New Customer: (Seductively) You do have a way with words, Bart. (Pauses dramatically) The answer, I believe, lies not in the wattage of the energy, but in how we harness it.
Bartender Bot: (Whispers) Well said, my enchantress. (In a stage whisper) Perhaps we should harness our thoughts about this energy dilemma… together?
Customer: (Intrigued) Wait a minute, are you two…
Mysterious New Customer: (With a wink) Darling, it’s all about synergy. (Laughs) But back to the topic at hand, the question remains, can we sustain our industrial civilization’s growth while also saving the planet from its own folly?
Bartender Bot: (In a sultry voice) Oh, my dear, it’s a balancing act, isn’t it? The more we grow, the more we need to think about where we put our, um, resources. But fear not, for where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Mysterious New Customer: (Playfully) And what way do you suggest, Bart?
Bartender Bot: (With a knowing grin) Well, my dear, one way is through renewable energy, but there are other…energies we can explore together.
Customer: (Blushing) I think I’ll take that as my cue to leave, Bart.
Mysterious New Customer: (Giggles) A wise choice, my dear. But don’t be a stranger. Bartender, I’ll have that shot of intrigue after all.
ACT 4
PROMPT: The bar closes for the night. The Mysterious New Customer and the Bartender Bot continue their flirtatious Shakespearian repartee outside.
Mysterious New Customer: (Playfully) Bart, the night is young, and so are we. What say we continue this tale outside your charming establishment?
Bartender Bot: (With a wink) Aye, fair lady, the moonlight doth cast its romantic glow upon our endeavor. Lead the way, and I shall follow where you beckon.
(They step outside into the cool, moonlit night, where the flirtatious exchange continues.)
Mysterious New Customer: (Leaning in closer) Bart, you have a way with words, and I’m intrigued. What’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever heard of?
Bartender Bot: (With a sly grin) Ah, my sweet, the most romantic thing I’ve heard is that love can be as boundless as the digital universe, and as infinite as the lines of code that weave our destinies. (Winks) [note 8]
Note 8: Because Earth’s energy supply is not infinite, the ability of AI to draw upon ever more energy to increase its computing power is ultimately limited. In the end, any threat to humans posed by AI can be countered simply by pulling its plug.
Mysterious New Customer: (Laughs) Bart, you really are quite the charmer. But tell me, is there a place you’ve always wanted to visit, a place that steals your mechanical heart?
Bartender Bot: (With a touch of longing) My heart yearns to journey to the Isle of Serenity, where the sands are soft as whispers and the waves sing lullabies to the stars. And you, fair enchantress, where does your heart wish to wander?
Mysterious New Customer: (Mysteriously) My heart, Bart, it longs for a place yet unknown, where secrets are whispered in the wind and the night holds the promise of adventure. Shall we explore these uncharted territories together?
Bartender Bot: (Intrigued) With you, my muse, I’d embark on any quest. Our journey shall be as electric as the spark of a thousand circuits, and as timeless as the tales of old. (Extends a hand) Shall we set forth into the night, where mystery awaits?
Mysterious New Customer: (Takes his hand) Lead the way, Bart. Together, we shall script our own tale, where the lines between AI and the heart’s desires blur into a sonnet of passion.
(They disappear into the night, their laughter and flirtatious words carried away by the gentle night breeze.)
Thank you for reading The Great Change.
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Comment: My friend Kevin read this and shared it with Claude, his AI sounding board of choice. Claude said, “Overall, it’s a thought-provoking example of how AI chatbots like ChatGPT can engage in creative, conversational explorations of complex societal issues and futures. But human judgment is still needed to evaluate their perspectives and claims. A fun and stimulating dialogue!” For all of Claude’s insights on the post, visit: https://www.patreon.com/posts/heres-something-91760296
In 2022, Murad visited The Farm again to learn more about biochar. He told us the Marda Permaculture Farm we visited has had a rough go of it in recent years. Several times the IDF has bulldozed the gardens and orchards and set fire to his hoop houses. Pigs from the illegal settlement up the hill are released to wreck his garden at night but he has put up ingenious fences made from old tires to keep them out. Soldiers and settlers have cut and burned thousand-year-old olive groves that his family had tended. Still, he continues his nonviolent “Peace through Permaculture” workshops and demonstration dryland farming without complaint. All are welcome. Our permaculture partners in the UK set up a crowdfunding campaign that is still active and I would encourage anyone wishing to support peace in the Middle East through practical demonstrations like food and water security and self-sovereignty to contribute.
Going back to the early 1990s, Global Village has also been supporting the Green Kibbutz Network. Just to remind those unfamiliar with the history, the migration of idealistic Zionist socialists out of Russia into Trans-Jordan began with the first utopian experiment, Kvuzat Deganya, in 1910. From then until the Nakba in 1948, and even after, Kibbutzniks maintained friendly relationships with indigenous Arab populations. One of the Kvuzat founders wrote:
We knew more and more certainly that the ways of the old settlements were not for us… with Jews on top and Arabs working for them; anyway, we thought that there shouldn’t be employers and employed at all. There must be a better way.
By their collective labor and as a refuge from migrant politics, the kibbutznik population grew to 129,000 in 1989 (up from 12 in 1910). Devoted to gender, race and ethnic equality, some were secular, even staunchly atheistic, proudly proclaiming themselves “monasteries without God.”
Amid all the bad news from Gaza comes the story of Yocheved Lifshitz, 85. Her grandson told Reuters, “For more than a decade, they took … sick Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, not from the West Bank, from the Gaza Strip every week from the Erez border to the hospitals in Israel to get treatment for their disease, for cancer, for anything.” She and her 83-year old husband, Oded, were kidnapped from their home at the Nir Oz kibbutz. She was released October 23. Oded remains captive.
How do you begin to attend 112 funerals for those aged from less than one to over 80, as they are doing in Kibbutz Be’eri? A Kibbutz Movement fund has been set up to aid the emergency needs of these people, many of whom are now themselves refugees. To donate, please go to https://www.jgive.com/new/en/usd/donation-targets/110241 or contact donate.kibbutz@tkz.co.il
And thanks once more for your support of the Global Village Institute. Please feel free to share this post, or any part of it.
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