The other day I logged into an online account and was asked to click a box that says “I am human”. Not that I minded too much, but there's an irony to a digital account on a website that I log into using an electronic device insisting that I attest to my humanity before letting me access my air-miles --- a machine asking me to prove I'm human so it can protect me from machines. After this, I asked ChatGPT how best to use my miles to get where I needed to go, and it gave me advice, which I then had to evaluate and decide whether I could trust, knowing some of it was bound to be useless AI slop. Then I thought about writing on the subject of trust, so I asked ChatGPT for a good quote about trust, and I got:
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None of these were what I was looking for, and I kept trying to ask in different ways until finally, it said in red: "I am not built for this!" The robot was annoyed with me for not understanding him, and I was equally frustrated that it didn't understand me! I had to remind myself that AI chatbots are just a friendly interface for Large Language Models that are great at predicting word use, but they miss the feelings that go with the words. You might say, "I want a house that feels right for me", but struggle to put your finger on what the thing is that makes it feel right, so for now, you still need a human, who can help you figure out what you respond to, and tell you, "I see how happy you are when we're looking at houses that are full of natural light," Or to suggest that, "maybe living in a cool architectural home, or near the ocean is more important to you than a big backyard." In real estate, you need to work with someone who pays attention to you and helps you figure out what you really care about most, rather than just being able to predict the next word you will use or show you homes with the right number of rooms. For something as personal as a home, we need someone who really hears us.
A very special thing happens when I work with someone on buying or selling a home: I spend a lot of time in their space; they call me late or early with worries; I scramble to find them a mold inspector in 2 days; they learn that I won't let their dog run out when I'm showing their house while they're at work. I notice which window shades they leave open, and what books are on their shelves. We spend a lot of time on the phone together, talking about contract law and sewer lines. Trust is something we build together between us through a collaboration to achieve something difficult and deeply personal.
Even when advice comes from humans, we still have to decide if we trust it, but if we trust that the person giving the advice is honest and sincere, and has our best interests at heart, it's usually more important than whether they are all-knowing. It's great to search online for good flooring or faucets, but for more consequential issues, we just have to talk
them through with someone we trust, so we can weigh alternatives and come up with strategies. AI is amazing for aggregating information, and I use it so much every day, but so far it can't substitute for someone with years of experience who can look at you and say, "I get you”. "I hear you, and "I totally understand why you'd want to live in that house with the tree growing through the living room and not the one around the corner with the rooster-themed kitchen," and that's probably closer to the quote I was looking for.
