The human doth protest too much

Dall-e

Last week I descended into the rabbit hole of Generative AI, with ChatGPT. It really is very compelling and impressive.

Need an essay on predictive dialling… no problem… how about an article on why predictive dialling is being replaced by SMS contact…. in the style of Shakespeare… it is all there…


Shakespeare: Dialers vs SMS

Ah, predictive diallers, once the beacons of communication
But now, alas, they face obsolescence and their downfall’s culmination
For SMS, the newer technology, doth reign supreme
Leaving the old diallers to gather dust, a forgotten dream

Gone are the days of endless ringing, a pestilence to the ear
Now, a simple notification doth bring the message clear
No longer doth one have to wait for a call that may come late
SMS doth allow for replies at one’s own pace, a trait most great

But why doth SMS surpass the predictive diallers of yore?
Perhaps it is the speed, or the ease of use, or something more?
Surely it is all of these and more, for SMS doth reign
Leaving the diallers in the past, a fading memory, a mere refrain

So farewell, predictive diallers, we bid you adieu
SMS doth rule the communication world, a newer way that’s true
Gone are the days of endless ringing, a thing of the past
SMS doth reign supreme, a technology that’s built to last.


It feels as if all of this has huge implications for media and content. Suddenly it becomes easy to fill the page, generate content, compose music or write lyrics… and content that by everyday standards is perfectly acceptable and created at speed.

It is plausible that we are very near to interacting with computers in a much more human way, on a regular basis and at massive scale, without even realising it… this could be a watershed moment…. and mixed with the metaverse, VR suddenly it becomes much more realistic and accessible.

Computer small talk

But, looking more carefully and as clever as it is, it is also generative.

For example, I can ask it to write why diallers are better than SMS, or SMS are better than diallers and it will give me an answer every time.

No opinion or recommendation, no smart turn of phrase or juxtaposition or ideas, just content perfectly generated from the starting conditions.

And, whilst the output is competent, it can easily also be banal, following accepted patterns. The computer equivalent of small talk if you will.

This is good news… we humans are still needed… providing the spark of creativity, deciding topics, and how they are linked together.

Creativity is also hard

And, the fact we find this content so readily acceptable, could actually be a comment on much of what we see today… and with the internet we are awash with it, so much we have termed the phrase, information overload.

To meet this demand, how much of our time, today is spent filling the page, churning the handle vs generating really new and creative ideas? Does it really add value, and where it does not, maybe we should let the computer take the strain.

So this could be a watershed moment in another sense.

It could be an opportunity, freeing us from generating content and allowing us to create content instead? Quality rather than volume… less really could be more.

Have a good week and happy holidays, everyone.

This entry was posted in Opinion. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *