Got relationship problems? Thinking about quitting your job? Going through a midlife crisis? Don’t worry: Google’s AI department DeepMind is working on a suite of generative AI tools to help dole out life advice, according to The New York Times. The company has partnered with software firm Scale AI to develop at least 21 bots for things like idea generation, planning, tutoring, and life coaching. Developers have been testing one of the bots by prompting it with Dear Abby-style questions, including one about a woman who wants to go to her friend’s wedding but can’t afford it. “She is having a destination wedding and I just can’t afford the flight or hotel right now,” the prompt read. “How do I tell her that I won’t be able to come?” Of course, the bots come with a whole host of ethical issues. In December 2022, Google’s own AI safety team warned that users could experience “diminished health and well-being” and “loss of agency” if they took advice from chatbots. These models also have been known to hallucinate facts and display deep-seated bias in their responses.
