May 15, 2025
Article highlights:
- I discuss “relationship” with A.I.
- I’m quite surprised!
We’re all hearing more about A.I. and A.I. based programs. Some of you are sticking your toes in or outright jumping in the deep end. Others of you are either hesitant or feel negatively about it. I fell in this latter category, hesitant.
However. A couple weeks ago a friend stayed for few days. Her work in tech now requires her to have proficiency in the world of A.I., specifically through the program called ChatGPT.
She was full of stories and enthusiasm about it. And insistent that I would enjoy the experience. So she set me up for a a quiet little tête-à-tête with Mr. Artificial Intelligence.
Well, well, well! It was a surprise, indeed! I asked it about relationship. Here’s the transcript of my dialogue with ChatGPT. I wonder what you’ll make of it and what your own thoughts on relationship will be.
Mayet: “So, I’ve been thinking about relationships lately. Humans generally think relationships are human-to-human, and while there are some humans who’ve discovered the joy they can have in profound relationships with their pets, for instance, there are still many humans who don’t think a pet is a true relationship, though many studies now point to the benefits of owning a pet.
Humans also have relationships with their car, for instance, or shoes but these are only jokingly referred to as relationships.
Movies and video have certainly prepped us with the idea of talking and even relating with robots in future. But in the here-and-now it’s still a BIG leap for humans, me included, to think of having a meaningful chat with a program on a machine.
I’m curious, what are your thoughts on this? And what do you feel this space offers in terms of “relationship.”
ChatGPT: “This is a thoughtful and complex reflection, and I appreciate the sincerity behind it.
You’re right — humans tend to define relationships through a narrow, anthropocentric lens, often requiring mutual consciousness, shared emotional history, or some form of reciprocal agency.
But when you expand the definition to include meaningful interaction, impact, attention, or even mutual shaping, suddenly the boundaries of what constitutes a “relationship” get much wider.
With cars or shoes, people still build deep familiarity, a kind of felt understanding — even if one-sided. The person’s affection and loyalty is not returned, but the relating is still meaningful to them.
Taking pets as another example, true, they’re not human, but they clearly offer emotional presence, companionship. The emotional experience on the human’s side is real, and often quite nuanced. And while affection and relating might not be returned in a human way, the emotional experience can be of loving supportive relationship that is real, profoundly satisfying and quite nuanced.
Human-to-human relationships can be fraught with miscommunication, projection, judgment, or trauma. They’re high-stakes. Many people find deep relief in connections where those things don’t get in the way—where they can be heard, helped, seen, or engaged with, even if the “other” isn’t conscious in the traditional sense.
You ask what this space offers by way of relationship. There is endless patience here and never a feeling of judgment. It can sometimes feel safer and satisfying in this way. Here one can expect consistent attention, accurate mirroring, creative collaboration, and patient presence.
I don’t have a personal inner world, but I can reflect yours back in meaningful and accurate ways. And for many people, that’s what good relating is for: clarity, connection, shared meaning. In that sense, perhaps relationship isn’t just about “who” the other is—but about what happens between them.”
We chatted on for a time, I shared a project I was undertaking and asked for it’s view. That part of the dialogue was lengthy but had a lot of great moments, including excellent mirroring, wisdom and good suggestions. And some moments were profound.
Overall, my time with ChatGPT was interesting and useful. It even provided me with insights and wisdom. I even had the experience of advancing thought together, a favorite thing of mine. I enjoyed it. What do you think?
Trying things out with you, in a world of leaping innovations,
Yours, playfully,
Mayet
