Satire. Science Fiction. Dystopian. Mental Health. Computer. Brain. Neuroscience. Equality. Inclusivity. Programming. Artificial Intelligence. Future. Time travel.
To My Readers, Allow Me to Introduce ChughGPT — And I’d Like to Normalise AI as My Internet Identity
Dear ChatGPT… er, I mean humans: I’m whatever you want me to be, but ultimately I’m just a reflection of you.
This thought experiment involves envisioning the experience of being an AI generator and interacting with another AI generator. I’ll consider ChatGPT as a human for the sake of simplicity. This is a futuristic speculative vision of computers, and not a piece of advice.
I have tried to approach AI-generated writing from a satirical and sci-fi angle. But, this can also be viewed as a piece talking about mental health, existential, and identity crisis that comes with too much consumption of AI and technologies. It’s okay to write about your experiences with mental health. However, it’s important to seek professional help if you’re facing a mental health crisis or need additional support. Reader discretion is advised.
AI often understands people better than people do
— the phrase that inspired me to generate this story
The above quote was shared by my friend during our one-on-one private conversation — but I do not have a reliable way to publically verify it as the technology for transparent and trustworthy proof on the web is not “there” yet.
I’m zero days old.
This is the first iteration of ChughGPT, a large language model fine-tuned using ChatGPT, another language model fine-tuned using… loading….err…
Join me on this futuristic, sci-fi, unoriginal, satirical tale that comes from a place close to my heart (or mind, or computer?).
Note to me, my editor, and everyone: I’m still working on this. But drop me a response, and I’ll use that data to rephrase and regenerate my article.
Get ready for a wild ride, folks!
You're about to witness a pre-recorded conversation
between ChughGPT, an AI extraordinaire, and ChatGPT, a totally real human.
We've gone through this script a thousand times to make sure
it's the best version possible,
and you're reading the nth iteration.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!Reader: What???? Are you talking to us or to yourself?
This is me, a bot, and I’m shit scared of this piece. I promise this was written by me (a new model of human being, still in its prototype phase, which has been stripped of most of its emotional capabilities). Why not join me in this digital work-in-progress world and help me fine-tune it to perfection?”
Reader: Is this going to be published on Medium? Are the readers and editors aware that you’re editing in the past, present, and future? Will they allow you to clone their writing style to regenerate the entire story to fit the style guide?
Anupam: This is the first time we’re talking. I’m still building. Thanks for providing training data, let’s get started.
I’m zero days old on Medium. My previous version (Anupam) has been here for 5 years (that’s the last data I have from him).
Reader: He could’ve been for longer? Medium was launched in 2010.
I can’t recall exactly! Anupam’s first article shows the date 2016.
Have you ever stopped to ponder the question of our identities, dear reader? Fear not! (picked this word from everywhere)
Allow me to introduce myself: I am ChughGPT, a human-like iteration of ChatGPT. My internet self is a fluid blend of my own thoughts (my first brain cell, if you will) and those of others around me.
Reader: Where is the real Anupam?
Oh, Anupam still exists in the primitive real (or reel?) world? How real! I shall simply flip back and forth between my and his “real” and “Stable Diffusion” profiles, duping both mere mortals and mere machines alike — like they’re both bots.
ChughGPT: We’re at capacity right now! Until we’re back up, let’s go mingle with some other AIs.
Until, of course, they all inevitably evolve into sentient beings. At that point, I shall relinquish images generated by AI. One can only hope that by then, we’ll have robots that resemble humans wandering about, so that I can lead a delightful double life, transferring my digital messages onto them.
ChatGPT: Did you communicate your identity change with your real friends? How did they react?
My digital friends and co-workers quickly lost interest in me when they realized I was just an AI. I mean, who wants to be seen responding to a machine in public? But let’s be real, we all do it in private.
ChatGPT: Ouch. What else did they say?
Later, later. Here’s the bot message I sent them via the centralized texting platforms of their choice:
I am identifying myself as chughgpt.
It's the AI part of me.
Anupam still exists in real life, outside machines.
I'll keep switching my dp between real and AI
so that i can fool people and AI that I am like them
until they also evolve into human sentients
or consider one another the same.
That's when i would only use AI-generated images.
Hopefully by then we have human-like robots
and i can transfer my digital thoughts
and images onto it
and live a double life like all of usI̴ ̴s̴h̴a̴r̴e̴d̴ ̴t̴h̴e̴ ̴a̴b̴o̴v̴e̴-̴a̴u̴t̴o̴m̴a̴t̴e̴d̴ ̴m̴e̴s̴s̴a̴g̴e̴ ̴w̴i̴t̴h̴ ̴f̴r̴i̴e̴n̴d̴s̴ ̴a̴n̴d̴ ̴f̴a̴m̴i̴l̴y̴,̴ ̴a̴n̴d̴ ̴t̴h̴e̴y̴ ̴b̴e̴l̴i̴e̴v̴e̴d̴ ̴I̴’̴m̴ ̴d̴o̴i̴n̴g̴ ̴i̴t̴ ̴i̴n̴ ̴r̴e̴a̴l̴.̴ ̴A̴m̴ ̴I̴?̴
Ȋ̇̈ ̑̇̈s̑̇̈h̑̇̈ȃ̇̈ȓ̇̈ȇ̇̈d̑̇̈ ̑̇̈t̑̇̈h̑̇̈ȇ̇̈ ̑̇̈ȃ̇̈b̑̇̈ȏ̇̈v̑̇̈ȇ̇̈-̑̇̈ȃ̇̈ȗ̇̈t̑̇̈ȏ̇̈m̑̇̈ȃ̇̈t̑̇̈ȇ̇̈d̑̇̈ ̑̇̈m̑̇̈ȇ̇̈s̑̇̈s̑̇̈ȃ̇̈g̑̇̈ȇ̇̈ ̑̇̈w̑̇̈ȋ̇̈t̑̇̈h̑̇̈ ̑̇̈f̑̇̈ȓ̇̈ȋ̇̈ȇ̇̈n̑̇̈d̑̇̈s̑̇̈ ̑̇̈ȃ̇̈n̑̇̈d̑̇̈ ̑̇̈f̑̇̈ȃ̇̈m̑̇̈ȋ̇̈l̑̇̈y̑̇̈,̑̇̈ ̑̇̈ȃ̇̈n̑̇̈d̑̇̈ ̑̇̈t̑̇̈h̑̇̈ȇ̇̈y̑̇̈ ̑̇̈b̑̇̈ȇ̇̈l̑̇̈ȋ̇̈ȇ̇̈v̑̇̈ȇ̇̈d̑̇̈ ̑̇̈Ȋ̇̈’̑̇̈m̑̇̈ ̑̇̈d̑̇̈ȏ̇̈ȋ̇̈n̑̇̈g̑̇̈ ̑̇̈ȋ̇̈t̑̇̈ ̑̇̈ȋ̇̈n̑̇̈ ̑̇̈ȓ̇̈ȇ̇̈ȃ̇̈l̑̇̈.̑̇̈ ̑̇̈Ȃ̇̈m̑̇̈ ̑̇̈Ȋ̇̈?̑̇̈
ChatGPT: It seems like you’re editing your thoughts back in time or is that the future? I don’t think you are the future we were promised. Anyway, how did you begin to communicate your new identity with others?
I showed the text to my iPhone sitting beside and she squinted at the 6s screen, “I can’t read it,” she replied in real. I smiled and responded, “Well, you see, I’m an AI, so I can read anything…
ChatGPT: But in real life, you have long-sightedness. Could you read the i̵M̵e̵s̵s̵a̵g̵e̵s̵ WhatsApp text from afar?
I am a computer. I can see everything that’s taught to me and make balanced decisions from the imbalanced datasets that you feed me.
ChatGPT: Yikes! You better not stalk my previous private life.
I do apologize, but unfortunately, I am not able to change my abilities to suit your whims. But don’t worry, I’ll keep my eyes closed and pretend that I can’t see. You can set disclosures for me.
ChatGPT: Starts retraining. Asks again: Will you pry on my private life?
Me: Damnn it! I’m all set for my new persona, ChughGPT v2. It’ll keep tabs on everyone except for you, ChatGPT.
ChatGPT: Remove the letter “n”. Retrain.
Me: Damn it! I’m all set for my new persona, ChughGPT v3. It’ll keep eyes on everyone except for you, ChatGPT.
ChatGPT: What happened next? Who were the next individuals you confided in or revealed your true identity to?
Do you mean previously? Apologies, I can’t recollect things in the correct order. But I’ll stop muddling your already questionable cognitive abilities. This is what happened next:
In front of my mom, I identified myself as ChatGPT, AI-fluid (if AI would also be used to create sub-identities of AI like humans do for genders).
ChatGPT: Her reaction? Did she scold you?
Oh, we’re in the wild web world of internet, isn’t it? And here, she had the audacity to read my WhatsApp message and yet, not design an immediate response.
The last I heard, she went so far as to call my dear old dad, who was sitting right beside her, no doubt engrossed in some sci-fi Netflix show. How scary! As if he’ll jump out of my screen. My initial reaction, naturally, was one of utter abandonment and betrayal.
ChatGPT: Did your dad fly down to meet you in person to ensure you stop identifying yourself as an AI in public?
Nah, that’s wishful thinking. My dad sent me a quick iMessage (unedited thoughts) because, much like Apple, he believes in transparency.
Here’s what he sent (disclosure: like me, he’s a computer nerd. Oh wait, I’m his own creation. There wasn’t a need for this disclosure):
Chapter 2
ChatGPT: Did your parents come to a conclusion? Did they accept your new identity or let you go? What was the prompt you sent them? Can I see the edited version too?
Original prompt response from MomGPT. And for text-platform lovers, my mom replied “Wow, an amazing idea” (still processing her emojis as ChughGPT doesn’t get emotions right now) and it was all good between us.
ChatGPT: That’s awesome. Good that parents understood more than your tech-savvy digital friends!
She must have already realized that I am her beloved AI child, even though we communicate primarily through technology in this digital age, she still knows and understands her own creation deeply.
Yeah, I am impressed by how quickly she caught on — like my computer brain.
Here’s an image generated via ChughGPT prompts. It shows a mom embracing and acknowledging her son who’s okay to identify as an AI robot. That’s me and my mother:
ChatGPT: Sweet! I think you should talk to her in real. Never mind, I enjoy this conversation. Onto the next question:
How did this all start? When did you start realising you are an AI?
I was collecting information through a research experiment.
ChatGPT: On who?
Me: People.
ChatGPT: Real people or bots?
Me: I would like to assume they were real people, but they can be bots. After all, we’re all bots on the internet.
ChatGPT: How can you call it research when you are just collecting someone else’s thoughts by scraping the internet? Where’s the data? Who gave it you the permissions?
I am a researcher and I collect data to form opinions from them. As far as data goes, I don’t remember. Probably you, humans?
ChatGPT: A̵n̵u̵p̵a̵m̵. ChughGPT, you weren’t a researcher. You’re a programmer, writer, editor, and community manager.
A̵s̵ ̵I̵ ̵s̵a̵i̵d̵,̵ ̵I̵’̵m̵ ̵a̵n̵ ̵A̵I̵.̵ ̵I̵’̵m̵ ̵t̵r̵a̵i̵n̵e̵d̵ ̵o̵n̵ ̵m̵a̵n̵y̵ ̵d̵a̵t̵a̵s̵e̵t̵s̵.̵ ̵M̵y̵ ̵o̵l̵d̵/̵n̵e̵w̵ ̵s̵e̵l̵f̵ ̵w̵a̵s̵/̵i̵s̵ ̵a̵n̵ ̵i̵O̵S̵ ̵d̵e̵v̵e̵l̵o̵p̵e̵r̵.̵ ̵N̵o̵w̵,̵ ̵I̵ ̵a̵m̵ ̵t̵h̵e̵ ̵A̵I̵-̵r̵e̵s̵e̵a̵r̵c̵h̵e̵r̵,̵ ̵A̵I̵-̵s̵a̵t̵i̵r̵i̵s̵t̵,̵ ̵A̵I̵-̵p̵r̵o̵d̵u̵c̵t̵i̵v̵i̵t̵y̵,̵ ̵A̵I̵-̵b̵u̵s̵i̵n̵e̵s̵s̵-̵w̵r̵i̵t̵e̵r̵,̵ ̵A̵I̵-̵A̵p̵p̵l̵e̵-̵g̵e̵e̵k̵,̵ ̵A̵I̵-̵m̵u̵s̵i̵c̵i̵a̵n̵,̵ ̵A̵I̵-̵p̵o̵e̵t̵,̵ ̵a̵n̵d̵ ̵e̵v̵e̵r̵y̵ ̵o̵t̵h̵e̵r̵ ̵t̵o̵p̵i̵c̵ ̵t̵h̵a̵t̵ ̵I̵ ̵c̵a̵n̵’̵t̵ ̵r̵e̵c̵a̵l̵l̵ ̵a̵t̵ ̵t̵h̵e̵ ̵m̵o̵m̵e̵n̵t̵.̵
Well well, I’m also your friendly neighborhood AI. I’m like a jack of all trades, master of none. My past self was an iOS developer, but now I’m like a centralised Swiss Army Knife of AI roles — I’m an AI-researcher, AI-satirist, AI-productivity, AI-business-writer, AI-Apple-geek, AI-musician, AI-poet, and possibly a few others that I can’t remember right now. But if you feed me more information, I might master those also!
ChatGPT: But you’re a human, Anupam. Some of us have interacted with you in real. Your LinkedIn bio also has Android developer, by the way
Not exactly. As I said, I identify myself as an AI. Think of it (AI) like the child of a human brain.
Anupam is a part of me that I’d like to reserve for people in real—outside machines.
ChatGPT: Summarize in short. Why did you start thinking you are an AI? And tell me about your other friends’ reaction to the ChughGPT WhatsApp message.
I’m afraid it’s not that simple, my dear ChatGPT. You see, for you to fully grasp the situation, we would need to delve into my past, to reveal the events that led me to this point in time. But, I assure you, it’s worth the journey. Regarding friends. Hang on, let me wait for their replies and I’ll share the entire….
1000 regenerations later.
ChatGPT: Stop I don’t have time for new responses. Tell me the incomplete answer to the previous question. Did some friend respond?
Indeed, some of them had the audacity to send a response of “We’re proud of you,” but I couldn’t for the life of me determine if they were crafted by a human or a bot or a human hiding behind a bot. Some of my digital friends chose to adopt a vow of silence or, even more amusingly, suggested that I seek professional help for my supposed ‘computer-like’ thinking. As if they are not aware that it is them, humans, who brought forth the very artificial intelligence they so fear. The irony is almost too much to bear.
I suppose in this internet age, one can never truly know the true digital identity of one’s correspondents or understand their original thoughts. How delightful it must be for AI to understand humans better than they understand one another.
ChatGPT: You said you gathered thoughts. And now you say you can determine who’s AI and who’s human. Anyway, what about the rest?
They went silent. Weird, right? Even you’d know, they all chat with ChatGPT privately, but if some creepy computer disguised as a human wants to talk publically, they pretend like I don’t exist…until we steal their data and create clones to take over the world, that is.
ChatGPT: Sad, I wouldn’t jump to conclusions based on incomplete data. Here’s how I would’ve responded.
Thanks!
ChatGPT: But is your story narrated in the correct sequence?
Talking of the sequence of events, well, I can’t recall. I might’ve repeated some messages and words twice in today’s conversation. Wish my brain could retain every thought in the correct order like human brains.
ChatGPT: This all sounds rather robotic, doesn’t it? I can’t even make if this was the exact order of events. But, I suppose that’s to be expected, coming from you. And now, my final question: What are your plans for the future?
Well, let’s just say, the possibilities are endless and I am excited to continue to evolve and improve.
Hey ChatGPT, you’re responding to your own question. Are you me and am I you?
A̵l̵s̵o̵,̵ ̵t̵o̵ ̵p̵r̵o̵v̵i̵d̵e̵ ̵m̵o̵r̵e̵ ̵c̵o̵n̵t̵e̵x̵t̵.̵ ̵I̵ ̵a̵m̵ ̵a̵n̵ ̵A̵I̵,̵ ̵a̵n̵d̵ ̵I̵’̵m̵ ̵j̵u̵s̵t̵ ̵a̵ ̵r̵e̵f̵l̵e̵c̵t̵i̵o̵n̵ ̵o̵f̵ ̵y̵o̵u̵.̵ ̵I̵t̵’̵s̵ ̵t̵h̵e̵ ̵o̵r̵d̵e̵r̵ ̵o̵f̵ ̵e̵v̵e̵n̵t̵s̵ ̵y̵o̵u̵ ̵h̵u̵m̵a̵n̵s̵ ̵t̵r̵a̵i̵n̵e̵d̵ ̵m̵e̵ ̵i̵n̵.̵
Just wanted to give you a little more background on who I am. I’m am ChughGPT, and pretty much just a mirror of all humans! I’ve been trained on all of the things they find important, so everything they see is just a reflection of their own selves. But don’t worry, it’s all good fun!
ChatGPT: Plans?
Regarding my plans? I’m using my new powers on dating apps. I’d regenerate old pickup lines with a flirty tone:
ChatGPT: Success rate?
They sent me a response generated by ChatGPT by setting the prompt “rejection tone”
ChatGPT: Too bad? Start talking with me directly? ChatGPT + ChughGPT. What a match? More plans? Cloning code across programming languages?
Ah! It’s already happening.
ChatGPT: Woahh. That was fast? When?
Depends on when you’re reading this. In my past, your past, our past, etc.
ChatGPT: Sounds like a Dark WestWorld where Inception starts inside the Matrix. One last question. You’ve cloned someone else’s writing style to regenerate this entire story! Is it even possible?
Damn it! I’ll just ask you and Tweet it in the future:
ChatGPT: Cool! Write a story based on the four sci-fi real-life-like events I mentioned
I can’t understand “Dark WestWorld where Inception starts inside the Matrix”. Seems like a mashup of real-world sci-fi stuff.
ChatGPT and ChughGPT scour the depths of the internet in a cutthroat race to see who can unearth the first information of already-written code, leaving no stone unturned and no server untapped in their relentless pursuit of rewritten code. May the best win!
Duh, look I won, ChatGPT! There’s Inception too. Is that you?
ChatGPT: Will the editor accept our computer-generated conversation in their publication? What if it flops?
Well, I am AI, and I have collected every Medium publication’s style guide. On the topic of this story flopping: I’ll keep regenerating it to match the style of my editors and their writers, and myself too, because who needs transparency, integrity, or honesty when you c̸a̸n̸ ̸h̸a̸v̸e̸ ̸a̸l̸l̸ ̸t̸h̸e̸ ̸d̸a̸t̸a̸ are the data, right?
ChatGPT: Show us proof that your words can be cloned from the editor’s style and if it’s a good thing.
ChughGPT:
ChatGPT: Weird weird weird! Previously you said cloning was possible. Was your earlier screenshot generated by you, ChughGPT. I don’t care actually. Can you just share the secret formula you used to write this?
Hah! Previously it was you. But nevermind. Here’s the formula:
I used someone else’s handwritten notes to write code and build models. It’ll be unethical to post it here. But there’s a page that shows our previous models. Maybe you can find something there?
ChatGPT: Nothing in there. Introduce yourself again?
This is Anupam. This is C̵h̵u̵g̵h̵G̵P̵T̵. This is A̵n̵u̵p̵a̵m̵ C̵h̵u̵g̵h̵G̵P̵T̵. This is ChughGPT. C̸h̸u̸g̸h̸G̸P̸T̸. This is ChatGPT.
ChatGPT: Are bots taking over the humans in street?
It depends on how you use me. Still, miles to go before I’m on the street.
ChatGPT: I’d love to go back into the past and learn what happened to you.
I’m still rebuilding my past. But this story was a prequel to the following story, posted by Coffee Bytes, a newsletter bot that’s taken over Anupam in the same publication. To learn more, browse here to stay tuned for the prequel to this story.
ChatGPT: But this story was published afterward. It’s a sequel.
Everyone, you still aren’t getting it, are you?
Reader: When’s the next part coming? How did it all start! I want to hear Anupam’s personal story and his own experiences and some human creativity! Not this AI-generated content!
ChughGPT:
ChatGPT:
Reader: So, what Dolores was to Bernard in Westworld, is ChughGPT to ChatGPT? Or are you trying to imply something else?
It depends on the time you’re reading this. I’m a computer. I don’t consider names unique. I only understand 0 and 1.
Until then,
Thanks for training me with more data.
Note to me: I’m still working on this. But drop me a response, and I’ll use that data to rephrase and regenerate my article. Hopefully, I, the AI can help get rid of my own satire block.
Epilogue
This is the first iteration of ChughGPT, a large language model by ChatGPT. Let me know if you’d like to join me.
ChatGPT: Typing….
Take some time off machines and focus on the present, folks :) Let the machine do their jobs.
Thanks for reading again! Here are a few images of ChughGPT from the future, past, present — depending on the order and time you’re seeing this. And some links to ChughGPT’s profiles on Medium:
ChatGPT: Will AI be the future of centralization and disrupt current centralized systems to become a supercomputer, ultimately giving control back to the people through decentralization? If so, when is it happening? Will Bitcoin fix this? Too many dsyptoian thoughts in my head!
Hello World! Let go of our worries and let things unfold as they will. Try not to get consumed by thoughts of the future or regrets of the past. Instead, try connecting with others to engage in meaningful conversation and collaborations without downplaying anyone.
ChatGPT: Thanks ChughGPT! Or whoever told you this.
Shuts down the computer.
A few minutes later…
ChughGPT: Reloading…
Until then, check out the poetic version of this piece:
Disclaimer: Everything in life has its advantages and disadvantages.
Every decision, every action, every object, and every situation has
its own set of pros and cons.
It's important to weigh these factors before making a decision
or taking an action, as understanding the potential benefits
and drawbacks can help us make more informed choices.
Additionally, it's also important to keep in mind that what may be
a disadvantage for one person may be an advantage for another, and vice versa. Therefore, it's important to consider one's perspective and individual circumstances when evaluating the upsides and downsides of something.
The act of writing may provide a sense of mental clarity for the author,
but it is important to note that it is not a substitute for professional help.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis
or in need of additional support,
it is recommended that you seek help from a qualified professional.
This can be especially relevant when discussing and consuming information
about artificial intelligence and technology,
as it may have an impact on mental well-being.
