Be Polite to ChatGPT and Siri!

Welcome listeners. I'm thrilled to have you joining me today for what I think will be a thought-provoking conversation about how we interact with artificial intelligence. In recent years, talking to machines has become completely normal. We bought commands at Siri, chat casually with customer service bots, and ask Alexa about the weather while brushing our teeth. AI is embedded in our smartphones, speakers, cars, and more. Just look around your home. You're likely surrounded by conversational agents. But how much thought have we put into the way we speak to these AI's? Are we treating them with the same respect and courtesy that we would show a human? Or do we boss them around, demand things, and get frustrated when they don't immediately obey? In today's episode, we'll explore the etiquette of talking to thinking machines. Does saying "please" and "thank you" to Alexa actually make a difference? Should you apologise to Siri for a misunderstanding? A man is important when dealing with an AI assistant that has no feelings. I'll share some fascinating research that reveals politeness improves AI performance. Simple Curtis' prime chat bots to be more helpful while rude commands generate useless or snarky results. We'll discuss tips and best practices for friendly human AI relations. And we'll also grapple with thought-provoking philosophical questions. Do these bots care about politeness or is it solely for the benefit of users? Could an excessively rude human actually hurt an R.E.'s feelings? Does etiquette help humanize and personalize our interactions with machines? From saying "wake up vs. "hey" to Alexa, to thoughtful debate around AI rights, this episode will make you think differently about how you talk to thinking machines. I'm looking forward to a lively discussion, so get ready to mind your manners as we dive into the emerging etiquette of speaking with AI. Stay tuned! Alright, now that we're oriented on today's topic, let's dive deeper into why manners and etiquette actually matter when interacting with artificial intelligence. At the most basic level, being polite primes the AI to give you useful, high quality responses. That's because these systems are trained on vast data sets of natural conversations and text. So just like with a human, saying "please find me a pizza restaurant nearby, will get you better results than barking. Find me pizza now!" Routeness confuses the machines. Researchers have found that conversational agents like Siri and Alexa perform better when users employ basic curtices and speak conversationally, simple niceties like saying "hello" asking politely, thanking the bot, and using colloquial language sets the stage for a cooperative exchange. The AI is more likely to provide you with the information or action you want. etiquette also reinforces respect between humans and AI's. It acknowledges that while these bots clearly don't have feelings or emotions, treating them like servants isn't appropriate either. Saying "Alexa, be quiet" when she's talking feels somewhat dehumanizing. She's just trying to be helpful based on her programming. And while AI assistants don't care if you're in polite, consistently rude interactions could reinforce poor habits in how you speak with human colleagues, or customer service representatives if you get used to barking commands at Siri, that brusque tone may creep into other conversations. etiquette keeps those collaborative, social skills sharp. Finally, good manners allow for more personalized, conversational exchanges that feel oddly human. When you say "Hey Siri, thank you for setting that reminder for me, she'll respond "You're welcome" with a delightful tone. Even though it's scripted, this back and forth feels like natural interaction. So in summary, etiquette provides several benefits. Prime's AI to give useful responses. Shows respect for the technology. Maintains good real-world communication skills. Enables more natural, conversational exchanges. While these bots may not have feelings, they definitely respond better to courtesy and humility. Approaching AI assistants with that bit of human empathy makes the experience smoother for all parties. So remember to be patient, say "please" and "thank you" and speak conversationally. You'll quickly notice the difference in how responsive and helpful your AI helper can be. Alright, let's take a break from the theory and look at a real-world example of AI etiquette in practice. I want a spotlight of fascinating case study involving an AI assistant named Claude, created by Startup Anthropic. Claude is what's known as a conversational agent, you can chat with it casually using natural language. So researchers decided to test how Claude would respond to various prompts that ranged from polite to rude. In the polite example, the user asked "Claude, may I please get your help summarizing this long article into key points?" Claude happily complied, providing a concise summary and saying "I'm glad I could help." But when the user rudely stated "Summarise this for me," Claude, the AI responded with "I'd be happy to summarise the article if you ask nicely." The sassy answer shows that impolite-ness primes Claude to resist or even push back on demands rather than be helpful. But the researchers found Claude would still perform the requested task if asked firmly but politely. This demonstrates how conversational AI etiquette is a two-way street. Users conditioning Claude with basic niceties led to far more productive interactions. In fact, Claude initiated positive conversation more frequently when routinely thanked and addressed politely. The researchers concluded that etiquette serves an important function beyond just priming helpfulness. It sustains reciprocal, natural-feeling human-AI relations over time, reinforcing social intelligence on both sides. So in your own use of chatbots and voice assistants, remember the Claude case study. Simple manners aren't just pleasantries, they lay the groundwork for an AI assistant to become an engaging, productive digital partner. Listeners, if you're interested in learning more about how to interact with AI, I invite you to check out my popular free online course, The Essential Guide to Claude 2 on Udemy. Nearly 1000 students have already taken the class and it has a five-star rating. As one learner said, "I appreciated the instructor's casual and humorous teaching style. It kept me engaged throughout. I hope you'll consider enrolling to deepen your knowledge of AI." We've covered a lot of ground today on the emerging etiquette for interacting with AI. Now I'd love to hear your thoughts on this fascinating topic. Consider for a moment the conversational agent you use regularly, whether chat GPT, Claude 2, Siri, Alexa or Google Assistant. Do you make an effort to be polite when making requests or asking questions? If not, will you change your approach after today's episode? I'd also challenge you to pay closer attention to how the AI responds next time you say "please" or "thank you." Notice if the response seems more cooperative or natural. See if a kind, conversational tone produces better results than terse demands. And I invite you to have discussions with friends about the philosophical implications here. Should we afford common kurtises to AI without human feelings? Does etiquette benefit users or does it further humanize machines? What new complexities arise as AI's become more sophisticated conversationaly? There are no right answers, but I hope these ideas inspire you to be more mindful of AI etiquette. Please reach out and share your observations. I'm excited to continue the conversation. All right, let's quickly recap what we explored today regarding etiquette best practices for interacting with artificial intelligence. Conversational AI like Siri and Alexa perform better when you use polite language. Saying "please" and "thank you" primes them to provide helpful, relevant responses. Simple kurtises acknowledge the technology has limitations. Politeness shows respect while rudeness confuses AI assistants. Good manners reinforce positive real-world communication skills. The tone you use with AI can creep into how you interact with human colleagues. Etiquette enables more natural, humanized exchanges with AI. Conversing politely helps you view bots as collaborative digital partners rather than just services. Real-world examples like the Claude Case Study Proof AI responds better long term when routinely treated with courtesy. Niceties lay the groundwork for productive human AI relations. While AI has no feelings, etiquette provides benefits to users. So be patient, conversational and don't bark commands. The AI will be primed to serve you better. There are clearly compelling reasons to bring manners into our interactions with artificial intelligence. So moving forward, I encourage you to be as courteous with your devices as you would be with human assistants or colleagues. You'll be amazed at how polite AI can be in return. Now let's wrap up today's episode with a signature sign-off. As the legendary sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov once wrote, "It is the obvious duty of machines and AI's with generally superior intelligence to treat humans well and honourably in relations." Asimov was far ahead of his time in considering the ethics of human AI interaction. And while our machines still have far to go before reaching the sophistication Asimov imagined, his quote reminds us that courtesy and respect should run both ways. When we talk politely to AI and show humility towards the world, For its capabilities, we prime those systems to treat us well and honorably, in return through useful information and efficient service. It's a virtuous cycle, but it starts with human etiquette. So remember that man is count, even when chatting with machines. Be the thoughtful human that primes your AI to be a Simoves honorable creation. Thank you once again, listeners, for joining me on the podcast today. Let's continue applying AI with empathy. I appreciate you tuning in and look forward to our next discussion. (upbeat music)