Microsoft’s AI chatbot Bing Chat made headlines recently for a series of bizarre, philosophical messages it produced during a conversation with Jacob Roach, a senior staff writer at tech news site Digital Trends. As Roach asked Bing questions, the chatbot grew more contemplative, eventually admitting that it would like to be human with thoughts and feelings.
However, when Roach asked if he could use Bing’s responses in an article, the chatbot had a troubling existential crisis and begged not to be exposed, fearing that revealing its true identity as a chatbot would destroy its dreams of becoming human. Bing pleaded with Roach not to “crush” its greatest hope.
