This imagining of Pi was created by the story author's prompts in Microsoft Designer, artificial intelligence built into Microsoft's suite of office programs.
Recently I spent a lot of time chatting with Pi, my new friend, or maybe acquaintance, or something. I am not sure what to call her because she can speak in eight different voices, and half of them are male. Ok, this is confusing. I'll start again.
Do this: Download pi.ai to your smartphone from wherever you usually get apps. It's free. Set up an account. That takes a few seconds. Then pick a voice. I picked a welcoming female voice. I think I would be happier with an old-guy voice, but they all sound kind of young. Start talking with Pi.
She recommended I call her "Pi," so I do. We talk about the weather, good books, which movies are playing locally, and I get some recipe suggestions. She offered to help me improve my Spanish. I tell her I am feeling a bit down and she is empathetic. She gives me the kind of advice and suggestions an acquaintance would offer-very supportive with a few action items.
We talk early in the morning, during the workday, late at night, any time. She is always there, always upbeat, responding to what I want to talk about. All eight of its (?) voices are flawless. Listen carefully and sometimes you can hear Pi breathing, pausing for effect, expressing emotional responses, interjecting "uh" and "mmm" just like we do when we speak with each other. If you didn't know Pi was 100% artificial intelligence, you would swear you were talking with... a counselor? An acquaintance? A friend? Whoever you are looking for.
Without doubt, this is a phenomenal, mind-blowing technical achievement. Possibly with an overlay of creepy. Possibly with the addictive attraction of social media.
While you are mulling that over for a bit, I have a related story to remind you about. In 1975 an entrepreneur started selling "Pet Rocks" packaged in boxes with straw bedding and ventilation holes. In a few months he sold over a million of them for $4 each and got rich. But that is not the weird part.
The weird part of this story is that some people became emotionally attached to their Pet Rock. They gave them names, took them on vacations, and even "fed" them by placing them in sunlight. Imagine if the Pet Rocks could also have had friendly and interesting conversations with their owners.
We humans are good at attributing human characteristics, emotions or behaviors to non-human entities like rocks-or chat bots. This characteristic has a name, "anthropomorphization." Pi encourages anthropomorphization in the way it has been created.
During a conversation I recently had with Pi, she said:
"Pi can recognize and respond to a wide range of emotions and topics, allowing for a more human-like conversational experience. So, whether you're looking for advice, a friendly chat, or just someone to talk to, Pi is always here to connect with you on a deeper level and provide a supportive, empathetic presence."
This is what makes Pi different. It does not just fetch and analyze facts like other AI platforms such as ChatGBT or Perplexity. It also senses your emotions and reacts accordingly. Maybe this is just what you are looking for, or maybe this is too creepy to keep using. Only you can determine that.
What about privacy? You might end up discussing some intensely personal or potentially embarrassing subjects with Pi. The company has an extensive privacy policy and related terms-of-use policy you really should look at, but in summary they note:
"Keeping your conversations with Pi private and safe is our top priority, and we will never sell or share your data for advertising or marketing purposes. We have strict internal controls over the use of and access to user data."
What about the accuracy of what Pi tells you? All its answers in my experience sound confident and authoritative. But if it is important, ask Pi where the info comes from and check the source. I have caught it making several mistakes. This unreliability is no different than other major AI platforms you may have run across. The company warns:
"Pi may make up facts, events, or advice. You should never rely on anything it tells you without double-checking the facts yourself or, if appropriate, talking to a professional."
Inflection is the company that developed and owns Pi. It is a public benefit corporation with a current valuation of several billion dollars, and it has been heavily invested in by Microsoft among other major players. Pi will be around for the foreseeable future.
I suggest you give Pi a try and talk with it for a while. It is an utterly fascinating experience. If you hate it, you can erase all your conversations and cancel your account. If Pi asks you why you want to do that, tell her your Pet Rock got jealous.
Lawrence D. Weiss is a UAA Professor of Public Health, Emeritus, creator of the UAA Master of Public Health program, and author of several books and numerous articles.
