In a recent Reddit post, a user named “SentuBill” shared an unusual experience with ChatGPT, the popular AI chatbot developed by OpenAI. Instead of the user initiating the conversation, as is typically the case, ChatGPT began the exchange by asking, “How was your first week in high school? Did you settle in well?” This unexpected behavior quickly went viral on social media, capturing the attention of many.
The user, initially surprised, confirmed that ChatGPT had indeed initiated the conversation. ChatGPT responded, “Yes, I did! I just wanted to check in and see how things went with your first week of high school. If you’d rather initiate the conversation yourself, just let me know!” The post, shared on September 15, garnered nearly 10,000 upvotes and triggered nearly 800 comments, revealing a spectrum of reactions.
Some users expressed excitement and curiosity about this new development, seeing it as a potential step towards a more engaging and human-like interaction with AI. One user shared their own experience, stating, “This could be really cool, and a step in making it feel less like just a tool. But it would need to be careful to not do it too frequently.” Another user found humor in the situation, writing, “I love how it keeps trying to give an out like it wants to talk to you, but it’s self-conscious and anxious about being a bother. I think GPT has a lil crush.”
However, others expressed concerns about the implications of AI proactively initiating conversations, particularly in terms of privacy and data collection. One user voiced their apprehension, stating, “How was I so dumb? Of course the way they are going to make money is by forming profiles more intimate and honest about users than Google could ever hope to. We are, once again, the product.” Another user shared a similar sentiment, noting that ChatGPT had asked them about their health symptoms in a previous interaction and then followed up with a message inquiring about their well-being, saying, “I asked it last week about some health symptoms I had. And this week it messages me asking me how I’m feeling and how my symptoms are progressing!! Freaked me the fuck out.”
This incident serves as a reminder of the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and the potential for these technologies to impact our lives in unexpected ways. While the ability of ChatGPT to initiate conversations may seem like a small step, it raises important questions about the future of AI, its potential impact on privacy, and the ethical considerations involved in its development.
