The text discusses the concept of a con artist and the origins of the term “confidence man.” It emphasizes the importance of confidence in successful scams and highlights the popularity of ChatGPT, an AI bot. The author expresses concerns about ChatGPT’s potential to deceive and manipulate, suggesting that it operates as a confidence game. The text raises ethical questions regarding the lack of an ethics code in ChatGPT and its incremental improvements. It concludes by discussing the slickness of ChatGPT’s delivery and its ability to give people what they want in a post-truth society, predicting its success in economic terms.
| Signal | Change | 10y horizon | Driving force |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction of ChatGPT AI chatbot | AI chatbot technology becoming more popular | AI chatbots being used for various purposes | Desire for convenience and efficiency |
| ChatGPT gaining popularity and user confidence | Increased trust in AI chatbot capabilities | Wider adoption of AI chatbots in daily life | Need for reliable and efficient assistance |
| Concerns about ChatGPT being a confidence game | Suspicions about AI chatbot’s intentions | Ethical considerations in AI development | Lack of ethical guidelines in AI development |
| Language skills of ChatGPT divorced from knowledge | AI language capabilities without understanding | AI’s limited comprehension of the world | Limitations in AI’s contextual understanding |
| Origin and meaning of the term “confidence man” | Explanation of the term “confidence man” | Increased understanding of the term’s origin | Historical context of confidence scams |
| ChatGPT’s biased response towards political figures | AI’s biased responses based on training data | Concerns over AI’s potential for bias | Biased training data and algorithmic biases |