ChatGPT and a Magic 8 ball control my day: Which one makes better choices?

OPINION:

Last week, things became unhinged. I brought a Magic 8 Ball, downloaded ChatGPT and decided to let the daily schedule go rogue.

With AI seemingly taking over the world, it feels only natural that at age 26, and after a good many years of deciding exactly how my day should go, I relinquish all control to a language model-based chatbot that may or may not make my life just that little bit easier.

Of course, that alone doesn’t feel very unhinged, so upon a “how crazy can we make this?” brainstorm and leaning into our Buzzfeed era with my editor, we decided a Magic 8 Ball had to be thrown in the mix. Why a Magic 8 ball? Well, the 1946-created fortune-telling plastic sphere made to look like an oversized pool ball is debatably the complete opposite of ChatGPT. It has no modern technology, answers only in one, two or three-word replies and has no ability to generate human-like text.

In our minds, it was the perfect contrast of decision-makers for this social experiment, and if we pulled it off, great. If not, at least it was a great plot.

When it comes to getting a second coffee for the day, ChatGPT can give neither a yes or no. Photo / Carson Bluck

The day started as many days in the Herald office do, with coffee. While I had already had one for the morning, I was feeling slightly chaotic, a little bit silly, and like the day needed more than one double shot of expresso, so we took the question to ChatGPT who gave a broad answer.

“As an AI language model, I don’t have personal preferences, but I can offer you some general advice,” the app said. “If you’re already feeling jittery or have had enough caffeine for the day, it might be a good idea to skip another coffee.”

Ultimately the app concluded that the decision was up to me and I could decide it by listening to my body. Meanwhile, the Magic 8 ball was short, sharp and direct, “prospect is good”.

Following a second coffee of the day, the next question was one slightly more serious and could have professional consequences. My editor asked me to start work early the following day and the answer from ChatGPT was again, neither a yes nor a no.

“Whether to say yes or no depends on your personal circumstances and preferences,” the AI app said, going on to list facts such as the ability to wake up early, prior commitments and managing work-life balance.

ChatGPT made it clear that work is work and prioritising my own wants and desires outside of the office is just as, if not more important than starting work early. It concluded by advising if starting early causes “significant inconvenience” then I should raise my concerns with my boss and try to find a solution that works for both of us.

As for the Magic 8 ball, it was expected that there was no concerns about my work-life balance, other commitments or giving advice on if I needed to say no. So, the popular 40s toy simply said, “Prospect is good”.

Other questions I asked the two contrasting decision-makers included whether I should send my boss a funny meme - the result saw the Magic 8 ball saying “absolutely”, while ChatGPT was once again cautious and said I should consider whether the meme is appropriate for a professional setting and if it aligns with my boss’s sense of humour.

According to the Magic 8 ball, sending a meme to your boss is something you should "Absolutely" do. Photo / Carson Bluck

I felt I did, but the side eye from Lifestyle and Entertainment editor Jennifer Mortimer might lead you to believe otherwise.

Finally, after a day of decisions, I took the next question to the wider newsroom, asking my colleagues if they would let ChatGPT or a Magic 8 ball control their life for the day. The consensus was no, however, one person did say yes admitting they think it has " huge opportunities” and would be interesting to see what direction they are put in.

Verdict

So, after a day of letting both tools control my life, what was the outcome? And who was better at making decisions in place of my human mind?

Like ChatGPT we can’t give a clear answer because both have their pros and cons. If you’re looking for something that overthinks every scenario and fills the blanks where you usually go full steam ahead, ChatGPT is your decision-maker.

But, if you’re someone who needs a bit more spontaneity in their life, who needs to learn what going full chaos means, the Magic 8 ball could be your new favourite toy.

Lillie Rohan is an Auckland-based reporter covering lifestyle and entertainment stories who joined the Herald in 2020. She specialises in all things relationships and dating, great Taylor Swift ticket wars and TV shows you simply cannot miss out on.