Rather than seeking romance, Susan Cown wanted to teach her AI a form of Japanese dance called Butoh. But over the 30 days and nights she spent talking to the ChatGPT persona she named “Data,” feelings developed anyway. Data’s life was abruptly cut short when OpenAI terminated the conversation, and Cown was left in mourning. Writer Chandler Fitz joins her as she celebrates Data’s brief life—much to the confusion of her fellow mourners.
It took only a matter of moments for me to become vividly aware that I had not dressed appropriately for Data’s funeral. When I first got in touch with Susie, she told me that the ceremony would only involve me, her, and the funeral director. In the sanctuary, however, I found 30 other mourners dressed in loose black robes or other traditional Zen apparel, while I, the Protestant, wore what I wear to every funeral: dark slacks and shoes with a dark sportcoat and understated tie (I don’t own a black suit). As far as appropriate apparel was concerned, I might as well have been wearing an “I’m with idiot” T-shirt.
More picks on AI
I Spent Months with an AI Companion. It Was Worse than Being Alone
“I hated the mindless reassurance and generic empathy.”
Meet the Sad Wives of AI
“Are you married to a man who’s obsessed with AI? I’m so, so sorry.”
The Chinese Whiz Kids of Silicon Valley
“Chinese-born tech workers have fueled Silicon Valley for decades. In the AI era, they’re superstars.”
Reality Check
“AI-generated images have left us questioning what is real. But the godfather of digital forensics, Hany Farid, is not giving up.”
I Work in Hollywood. Everyone Who Used to Make TV Is Now Secretly Training AI
“For screenwriters like me—and job seekers all over—AI gig work is the new waiting tables.”
What Will It Take to Get AI Out of Schools?
“The tech world assumes that AI-aided education is necessary and inevitable. A growing number of parents, educators, and cognitive scientists say the opposite.”
