Over the weekend, a designer named Linus Ekenstam presented Twitter with an AI-generated “conversation” between billionaire Bill Gates and the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates. Ekenstam believed that this innovation could be the future of podcasts, but Twitter had a different opinion. Users on the platform unleashed a barrage of criticism, ranging from lack of originality to the peculiar British accent given to Socrates, his noted technopessimism, and more.
Many Twitter users expressed their disappointment with the unimaginative nature of this content format. They highlighted the existence of more creative ways to bring famous figures together, such as the imagined version of Socrates roaming a 1980s San Dimas mall. The AI-powered podcast featuring repetitive hustle-bro-hype-speak between two renowned personalities left many feeling disheartened.
Furthermore, some users pointed out the irony of Socrates engaging in a conversation about technology and laptops when he famously believed that writing was a form of technology that had gone too far. The thought of Socrates encountering Bill Gates’ technological advancements was met with skepticism, and some even humorously suggested that Socrates would have resorted to violence in response.
In response to the negative feedback, Ekenstam expressed surprise and a desire to understand why his creation evoked such strong emotions. However, instead of addressing the substantive complaints, he shifted the focus to teasing better-performing technology in the future, attempting to divert attention from the current criticism.
The AI-generated interview between Bill Gates and Socrates serves as a reminder that not every innovation is well-received, especially when it fails to capture the essence of the figures involved. While AI has shown remarkable capabilities in various fields, this particular attempt at generating content fell short in the eyes of the Twitter community.
The discussion around this AI experiment ultimately emphasized the significance of originality and authenticity in content creation. Although AI has the potential to be a potent weapon, it should be used in ways that actually engage and fascinate people rather than simply repeating stock arguments. It will be exciting to see the development of AI-generated content and its incorporation into different media formats as technology develops.
