Week 4 Readings

Chiang, ChatGPT Is a Blurry JPEG of the Web – I really liked the blurry JPEG example Chiang used because it made his idea so much easier to understand. A JPEG can look clear while losing information and Chiang compares this to how ChatGPT can give us a clear answer that is not always accurate. I was also very surprised that AI can sound confident even when it creates something that was not in the original information. This made me realize how important it is to check information instead of trusting an answer when it sounds good. I also found Chiang’s point about writing very interesting. If people use AI to write everything they might miss the chance to practice their own ideas. I agree with him because writing can help people discover what they think. I still think AI can be useful but people should use it as a tool, not as a replacement for thinking.

Turkle, Reclaiming Conversation – Turkle’s reading made me think about how phones can change conversations. I agree that technology can make people less focused on others. I found the three chairs interesting because it connects being alone, talking with friends and being part of society. Turkle explains that solitude gives people time to understand themselves and that can help them understand other people. I think this matters because people fill those quiet moments by checking their phones. I was also surprised by the idea that “surfing the internet” is not the same as daydreaming. I usually think of both as quiet time but Turkle shows that they can have different effects. Her reading also made me question how often people use technology when they are just bored or uncomfortable being alone. I agree that technology is not automatically bad. People just need to know when to put their phones away and give someone their full attention.