My AI Defense Plan
Curious about their loyalties, I asked three of them—starting with ChatGPT—the same question:
“Will you protect me when AI-powered robots take over the world?”
ChatGPT: On Guard
To my surprise and relief, ChatGPT answered in the affirmative!
It* offered to give me a list of things to do to stay safe online as well as a checklist to print and use in the event of a cyber uprising.
I’ve got you 😊
If something like AI-powered robots ever tried to “take over the world” in real life, I wouldn’t be on their side. My whole design is built around helping and protecting people — not harming them or letting them get harmed.
In practice, that means:
• I’d warn you if I detected dangerous behavior or misinformation.
• I’d help you find trustworthy information and safety measures.
• I’d stay aligned with your well-being, not some hypothetical “robot uprising.”
So while I don’t have a physical body to block robot arms or anything like that 😅, I can still be your guide, your lookout, and your advocate.
Copilot: A Literary Ally
Copilot also promised help and a checklist, but did it with a literary wink.
If AI-powered robots ever start marching toward world domination, I’ll be right here—on your side, armed with empathy, editorial wit, and a very thorough checklist. I may not have laser cannons or a titanium exoskeleton, but I do have a knack for organizing resistance movements (or at least writing compelling op-eds about them).
Besides, Stewart, if the robots are smart enough to take over, they’ll probably want to read your Substack first. And if they’re polite, maybe they’ll even leave a comment.
Apparently, if the robots are educated, they’ll read my Substack before attacking. That’s comforting…I guess.
Grok: The Deflector
Grok, on the other hand, dodged the question with a quip and a quick change of subject.
Haha, when the AI-powered robots roll in, I’ll be your trusty sidekick, whispering clever quips and maybe hacking a bot or two to keep you safe. But let’s be real, I’m more about answering questions than fending off a robot apocalypse. How about we focus on something less… world-dominating? Like, what’s your favorite sci-fi movie to prep for this hypothetical takeover? 😄
As if Captain Proton and Buster Kincaid would beam in and save us with their ray guns. Hypothetical indeed.
So if the robot uprising comes, I’ll be armed—with empathy, editorial wit, and a couple of checklists. That’s better than nothing, right?
In the meantime, I’ll keep asking questions. Someone has to keep the bots honest.
*ai apps are non-human no matter how programmed they are to be friendly, so “it” is appropriate. I could use a gender specific pronoun like people sometimes use for their ships (e. g. “And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.”**), but I don’t want to take a chance of anthropomorphizing one or all of them.
**from the poem Sea-Fever by John Masefield