"You just know when ChatGPT wrote something...", oh really?
And does it matter?
We need to take a step back, especially as Product Managers. We hear everywhere how everyone is using ChatGPT to imitate others and produce content. We’re moving with big steps to be indistinguishable from humans’ content generated by AI. But that’s not the end state:
It’s not about imitating humans
You might think that the ultimate goal of Language models is to imitate humans to the point where they become undetectable.
What if there is a point where AI doesn’t have to imitate and evolves into something that humans can’t follow?
We’ve been doing this forever, we have services and habits in our life that we would never imagine to be handed over to a “machine” and yet it happens constantly:
Autonomous Vehicles: Despite initial fears of safety, reliability, and job displacement, the adoption of self-driving cars has been growing. They are now used in various applications, from personal transportation to goods delivery.
Air Travel Autopilot: Many people were initially terrified of the idea that a computer could control a plane, but autopilot systems have become an integral part of modern aviation, improving safety and efficiency.
Medical Diagnostics: AI and machine learning are increasingly used to diagnose diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and COVID-19. Despite early concerns about accuracy and the potential loss of human touch in medicine, these tools have taken over completely.
Financial Transactions: From ATMs to online banking and mobile payment apps, there was initial resistance and fear about security issues. However, the convenience and efficiency of these technologies have led to widespread acceptance.
All of these examples have one thing in common. They were frowned upon, then we noticed how they are significantly better in what they do, not just replacing humans or saving cost.
What if that also applies to conversational and social interactions?
Don’t be afraid if it sounds like us, be afraid when it replaces us.
The story of the artificial girlfriend
There was another story this week where a social media influencer created a virtual version of herself to be rented out as a girlfriend for 1$ / min. I saw a lot of comments mocking it and laughing about it.
No matter how “unnatural” you feel this is, let’s reframe the value here:
Dating is incredibly stressful. Human interactions are extremely draining and many people feel incredibly lonely.
For some reason, the well-meant advice of “just go out and meet people” doesn’t seem to work for a lot of people. This is not about replacing a real-life person.
This is… “would you spend 60$ for an hour with something that distracts you so you can forget that you are lonely?”
There will be new services like this coming up and they will become better and better with time, but what if the feeling of loneliness goes away? Who are we to judge? As humans, we always did in the end what worked best for us. You aren’t getting a participation price if you keep technology out of your life. And sometimes you also have no choice.
As PM you need to understand what a potential solution addresses. The underlying problems are fundamental to who we are and they are more often than not massive.
This is where innovation - good and bad - is born. But you don’t do yourself a favor by just judging people. I’ve had brilliant PM’s under me that for some reason had a snarky attitude towards competitors or certain market movements for no reason other than to feel superior.
You wouldn’t think that your users are stupid if they can’t find stuff in your interface. You would try to fix the user interface.
Why do so many PMs struggle with this concept when it comes to opportunity?
The moment you judge anyone or anything in any direction you’ll lose out potentially.
Stay curious. Even if it’s awkward.
We’re in the middle of a gold rush of innovation.