Extracted from a recent article in Intellectual Takeout by Jeff Minick:
Every day a new poem from the Society of Classical Poets arrives in my inbox. Published recently were two poems, “Beelzebots” and “Blabberbots,” by Susan Jarvis Bryant. First up is “Blabberbots”:
The day he called that twaddle-bot a she
Instead of just a simple, soulless it,
Is when my smitten eyes began to see
This chatter-slut was stirring up some s***.
My flattered honeybun was hanging on
To every coo that yak-slag blew his way.
Drop trollop-bot, I said, or I am gone!
His natter-nymph had oodles more to say…
Now here I am, a solitary soul,
Succumbing to a twilight Wi-Fi whim.
I’m with a bot who makes my spirit whole;
I love the jibber-jabber hub of him:
The online answer to my lonely plight—
A virtual confidant of lingual might.
The poem packs a powerful punch at some swift and radical changes taking place in our culture. According to AI Overview – yes, the irony of my using that source is intentional and delicious – “28% of Americans have explored ‘intimate’ or ‘romantic’ ties with AI chatbots.” Seventy-two percent of teens have looked to AI bots for entertainment or as relief from loneliness, with 52% regularly engaging in these digital relationships.
On several occasions, I’ve thought of creating a companion bot for myself to better understand this growing phenomenon, but I’ve resisted that temptation. I spend the great part of my days alone, and a natter-nymph would, I suspect, find me easy prey.
Read the full article here.
Congratulations, Susan! And thank you, Jeff, for your good article!
Super, Susan! Recognition is the sincerest form of flattery!
Thank you, Jeff, Cynthia, and Roy! I am over the moon my poems have prompted an excellent article that is well worth the read – an article that may lead those lured off course by the flattery of AI back to the truth… whether it’s harsh or happy, the truth always leads to a better place.