Well, is this a further step in the dehumanization of civilization, or a Jonestown Kool Aid romp, or another Y2K flop? When you put a variety of documents or fictional passages through the system, I find they are seldom improved and often seriously injured. In some cases, such as in instructions or directions, I think there is huge potential. But I examine in this podcast the downsides of people jumping on this latest “bandwagon” amid the pet rocks and hula hoops. Are we eager to “homogenize” writing? Or eager to duplicate with grammar what we’ve done with math, which only a few people seem to be able to do in their heads anymore. (I fall down laughing at people who can’t figure out a tip in a restaurant, so that the restaurants overcome this by suggesting percentages to tip and the amounts represented therein.) What does this mean for dissertations or term papers? What does it mean for book proposals or reviews? Are we going to live in a world of automated writing, automated math, autonomous cars, and synthetic food? Is that the kind of quality life to which we aspire? Hell, I won’t drive a sports car without a stick shift (or it ain’t a sports car). Believe it or not, the following is ChatGPT’s “improvement” on the final four lines above: As automation technology advances, it's becoming increasingly likely that we will see more and more examples of automated writing, automated math, autonomous cars, and synthetic food in our daily lives. While this may bring convenience and efficiency in some cases, it raises the question of whether this is the kind of quality of life we truly desire. There are certainly benefits to be had from the automation of certain tasks, but we must also consider the potential drawbacks. For example, while autonomous cars may make our commutes more pleasant and reduce the number of accidents caused by human error, they also raise concerns about job loss for drivers and the possibility of accidents caused by software glitches. Similarly, while synthetic food may offer a solution to food scarcity and reduce our environmental impact, it may also pose health risks and raise ethical concerns about the nature of what we're consuming. It's important to consider these issues carefully as we move towards a more automated world. While some people may prefer the convenience of automated technology, others may feel that the loss of human control and connection is a step in the wrong direction. Ultimately, it's up to us to decide what kind of world we want to live in, and whether the benefits of automation outweigh its costs. As for driving a sports car without a stick shift, personal preferences will always vary, but it's clear that the rise of automated technology is changing the way we interact with our cars, and it remains to be seen how this will impact our overall driving experience. Need I say more?

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