Hooked
Software. Well behaved in most cases. It will do exactly what you tell it to do. Unless… Hidden in the code is the little trick that always says, unless. My work experience taught me that syntax is everything. If you phrase the command or request correctly, magic happens. Add a space. Add a dot. Ask the wrong question. And the machine just stares at you.
I ran up against this just the other day with several of the AI offerings. I asked them to look at my blog and give me a list of all my posts that dealt with Grief and Loss. It seemed simple. The most they came back with was three. I know for a fact there are well over 200. And now I’m left to figure out why. Did I frame the question correctly? Is there a built-in limiter? Is there something on my website that prevents a search? Come on AI, you can do better than that. This isn’t really thinking. This is just doing. Find something. Make a list.
I’ll be willing to bet performing this function is related to money. In other words, it’s a feature I can turn on if I pay for it. There are companies built on that model. Cartels in fact. Give someone a taste and get them hooked, then they’ll pay forever. Just look or listen for the words, “In App purchases”, or “Try it, you’ll like it.” I miss the days when you could just buy software and walk away. Now we’re perpetual customers. And everyone is looking for a way to hook us.