The Story of How My Father Was an AI Before AI Existed

The other day, my father asked me.

"What is ChatGPT?"

It was a hassle to explain, so I just told him,

"It's a smart AI that answers anything you ask it."

He thought for a moment and said,

"Oh. So, like me?"

No.

Not at all.

I thought that, but it was too much trouble, so I let it slide.

Then, the next day.

My father was telling the neighbors,

"Apparently, I've been resembling an AI lately."

No, that's wrong.

Not at all.

A few days later.

I got a call from my mother.

"Your father has started doing something strange."

I had a bad feeling about this.

When I returned to my parents' house, there was a sign posted in front of my father's room.

[AI Consultation Room]

Business Hours

8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Consultation Fee

One mandarin orange
It was over.

But what was even more over was the fact that the neighbors were actually coming for consultations.

"When is the best time to plant tomatoes?"

"Now."

"My dog won't listen to me."

"Dogs have their own reasons, too."

"Will I win the lottery?"

"I don't know."

The accuracy of his answers is low.

Yet, everyone who consults him leaves satisfied.

One day, an elementary school student came for advice.

"What should I be when I grow up?"

My father thought for a moment and said,

"A job where you can eat your fill."

The boy nodded deeply and went home.

A few weeks later.

The consultation room became famous in the area.

And my father said with great confidence,

"How about that? I'm beating the AI, aren't I?"

Indeed.

He loses in accuracy.

He loses in the amount of knowledge, too.

But,

The number of people coming for consultations was increasing.

I think that perhaps people,

more than wanting the correct answer,

sometimes just want someone to listen to them.

By the way, the current consultation fee

has gone up from one mandarin orange

to half a head of cabbage.