This week: Human vs. Machine Edited by: NaNoKit  
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Who do you think can write a better story: you or an AI program? Why?
This week's Drama Newsletter is all about the importance of humanity.
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I had the clever idea to order a storage box for my bedding. The next day, the tracking showed that a delivery had been attempted. It hadn’t – I was home and there was no knock, no note through the door or anything. It also stated that further information was needed to make the delivery. Please contact the courier. I did, but all I got was an automated message. No matter what I pressed, I couldn’t get through to a human being to ask what information they needed. I then tried the chat option on the website but that, too, was a bot. The website still says to contact them. I have no idea how they imagine my doing this. My storage box is being held captive by bots. I hope that the seller can help free it.
I’ve had no better luck in my attempts to make an appointment with a specialist. The waiting list for this specialist was two years, so imagine my joy when I finally received a letter to schedule my appointment. I immediately rang the number, but received a message that there was nobody available to take my call. Okay. Tried later – same message. Next day, same. Next, same. Eventually, I got through to the main hospital line, only to be told that there’s nothing in their system about my having been referred to them. The computer says no to my appointment.
Technology’s great. I love the Internet. I can bank online, shop online, study online and share my work with all of you online. My smartphone allows me to take pictures and instantly share them with my friends and family abroad. I love voice notes, as my sister and I can leave the other messages and respond to them at our own pace. There is a world of information at my fingertips. I can play games, listen to music, research any topic that I want. I am no technophobe. Just, sometimes it’s frustrating.
Self-checkouts and I do not get along. I don’t know why, but whenever I use one it’ll throw up an error. I much prefer a manned till, then, but the supermarkets around me increasingly favour self-checkouts. It’s one reason why I now mainly order my groceries online.
I also much prefer a physical menu to scanning a QR code. And I prefer placing my restaurant order with a human being who, if needs be, can answer any questions I may have. I understand that businesses want to optimise their profits, but for the customer – or, indeed, the patient – this lack of human contact isn’t a promising way forward, and I say that as an introvert.
Most banks in my area have closed. All banking is to be done online. I personally don’t have a problem with this, but many, like my elderly neighbours, do. They’re vulnerable, and feel frightened when taking out money at a cash point, in case they get mugged. They also like to put money in their grandkids’ accounts for birthdays and other special occasions, which they used to do with the help of a friendly assistant at their bank, who has now lost their job. They do not have the Internet. They cannot bank online. Some might say that they should get with the times, and that banks cannot stay open for people like them, but on the occasion that I needed to visit the bank there was always a queue. Again, I do not feel that their closure is progress.
About a month ago I read about an eating disorder association using a chat bot to help advise people seeking information. The chat bot had to be taken offline , because its recommendations were problematic. Another service offering a free therapy program responded to more than 4,000 people seeking mental health advice without informing them that they were, in fact, interacting with a bot rather than a human being. Human beings can make mistakes. They can offer bad advice. They can, however, also be reasoned with. Think outside of the box. They (hopefully) have sympathy, and empathy. And if you have the misfortune of speaking with an unpleasant person, you can ask to speak with someone else, or ring back and try your luck.
Progress is often good; progress without first examining the human cost can be harmful. There is another way: a supermarket chain in the Netherlands has introduced a ‘chat checkout’ where people can go for a bit of a conversation. This is part of a project to target loneliness, and has received positive feedback.
Technology should help. Assist. Make life better. It shouldn’t be a source of frustration and alienation. Nor should it stand in the way of one’s storage boxes.
In a world where some writers and artists, too, turn to AI, let us take a moment to appreciate human creativity. I sometimes see people question themselves because they do not write as regularly as they’d like, or their work has not turned out quite how they wanted it to. It’s okay when that happens. I’ve been there, and I will no doubt be there again. The key is to enjoy ourselves. To get inspired, and to use our imagination. That’s a part of what makes us human.
NaNoKit
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Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
The Drama Newsletter Team
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Drama: July 26, 2023 Issue [#12090]
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