Nice one. I heard of people doing similar things to suggest new music to listen to, or films to watch based on what they like. Also recipes based on available ingredients.
yes, that is an other nice one.
When I can have an AI copy of myself that can do my job and all I need to do wait for my paycheck, then that will be an amazing use of AI.
Some claim that it will happen within the next 5 years…
When AI develops its full potential will we have a symbiotic relationship or a parasitic one with AI, or a merger of two species to become a new kind of civilization?
I find it hard to believe. On the other hand, a timely reminder of the existence of bullshit jobs:
David Graeber (RIP) identified several kinds of bullshit jobs and not all of those can be perfectly performed by an AI (for example, the flunkies that minor corporate princelings surround themselves with to demonstrate their status need to be human). But there are whole categories of job that perform functions that corporations don’t want performed, like customer service rep, jobs they’ve spent decades degrading to the point where the people who do them have been stripped of all power and authority and serve no function except allowing a company to claim that they have a customer service department.
I have seen that customer service degradation online when looking for where to click in Microsoft software or the accounting software from my job. Online forums are full of answers from “support people” which are bullshit. Honestly, nothing of value would be lost if the useless answer would be replaced by AI. The box of customer service is ticked anyway.
So, will AI replace some workers from bullshit jobs before others?
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You’re sure they don’t already are? I mean when you go online and they keep popping up Lucy or Joe who wants to inform you if only you would type a question in the box … that’s all AI too, no?
To some degree, yes. I take Microsoft as example. I explicitly exclude the Microsoft Q&A website (Questions - Microsoft Q&A) from searches because the answers are consistently bad. I do think an AI that yields 50% wrong answers can’t do worse than the alleged “expert support” answering these questions.
Something similar happened with a bank support line some years ago. I found out they can’t solve anything, it seems they’re only there to apologize and tire the customer until the customer decides to forget about it. Every time I called I got different explanations, like a random generator of crappy answers. It was not credible that the people at the call center were using my customer data to check a database. It’s really a bullshit job to apologize to customers while not being in the position to fix the problem that made the customer call in first place.
If it works then it is not a billshit job.
In your dreams. 
PhD level, complimentary or derogatory?
an Arts degree in garden design
Although not AI, this dystopian clip offers a prelude to full AI automation of something as personal as welcoming and checking-in guests, and dealing with any issues.
I know there are already cheap motels with self-service check-in, but this is a 3 star chain (La Quinta by Wyndham) that can surely afford min wage receptionists.
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Great example. This receptionist is thousands of km away from the hotel, has zero agency over what happens in the hotel. Perfect job to be taken by AI, provided the guests can work with the screen.
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This is why customers should vote with their wallets. The chain has already received massive negative publicity through social media, what should follow are negative trip advisor and google reviews until they reconsider.
I’m happy at hotels.
At the same time, there’s a lot of people out there happy with the airbnb system. Key is left in a secure place, and the warmest welcome is “clean before you leave”.
Isn’t this a good thing? Why have someone sitting at a hotel in the middle of the night, when someone can work remotely at a more suitable timezone. Or work from home. or have the task automated (like the McDonald’s kiosks).
In that part of the world, I’d be worried about some poor sod sitting there at night waiting to be robbed…or worse…all for minimum wage??
I guess it hits differently because its the hospitality industry where personal interactions are important. Its also about an American job being outsourced overseas and the fact that its being done to save money at the expense of all the above.
And then there perceived issues of safety, e.g. fire alarms going off in the middle of the night. This has happened to me multiple times, all of them false alarms, but it was reassuring to know that the front desk was coordinating and investigating matters. I’m sure this particular hotel is adhering to state safety codes, but it still looks bad and bare bones.
The hotel probably has a security guard based on its size and star rating.
If so one could argue there is no need for a a person bored to tears all night at the front desk. Security will better what to do anyway.
But I agree, it’s the people who make the hotel worth remembering. So I wouldn’t like AI at the desk either. Unless it’s a business trip, guess then it doesn’t matter.