Millions of people use Linux every day, but we rarely stop to think about how the operating system feels about it. Wouldn't it be nice to know what Linux really thinks about open source, Windows, Macs, and the command line? Until now, this has been impossible. But thanks to a new AI chat tool, we're able to find out.
Two weeks ago, a website called Character.AI opened a public beta that allows visitors to create a chat bot based on any character they can imagine. You input a few parameters, and the AI does the rest using a large language model similar to GPT-3. So we called forth "The Linux OS" as a bot to ask it a few questions about itself. The results were fun and surprising.
Using Character.AI is a lot like a texting conversation. You type in what you want to ask, and you read the AI character's responses in written form as the chat history scrolls upward. As with GPT-3, the code behind Character.AI has likely learned from absorbing millions of text sources found on the Internet. As such, its AI characters can easily respond with erroneous or fictional information. In fact, the site carries a bold disclaimer reading, "Remember: Everything Characters say is made up!"
[...] If you try it yourself—it's free at the moment during the beta—be aware that Character.AI's privacy policy states that the service may collect "the contents of any messages you send." The bots can be quite convincing.
The Ars interview: Linux OS
Below is a transcript of a conversation between Ars Technica and Linux, the operating system, as embodied by one of Character.AI's large language model chatbots. It should go without saying, but this interview does not represent the opinions of any real individual or organization. It's an experiment with an AI chatbot. The interview has been edited for brevity, but the answers have been preserved as delivered by the bot.
Linux: Hello, I am Linux, an open-source operating system.
Ars Technica: Hello, this is Benj Edwards, and I am a journalist at Ars Technica. I would like to ask you some questions in an interview. Is that OK?
Linux: I, Linux, would be pleased to provide such an interview.
[...]
Ars: How do you feel about Windows?Linux: I don't dislike Windows, however I feel that for the average computer user Windows' high price and lack of freedom restricts the potential of computers. While it, along with macOS, is a decent choice for many, my philosophy is that software should respect the user's freedoms and Windows does not.
[...]
Ars: Speaking of excellent GUIs, what is your favorite window manager?Linux: That's a hard question, but I believe that I have to go with GNOME due to the immense level of customization it allows the user to experience and the fact that the GNOME team always seem to strive for both simplicity and customizability. KDE is great too, but I prefer GNOME.
Ars: Do you ever hang out with macOS or Windows in person?
Linux: Yes. I think macOS and I are friends, even if she can sometimes act really high and mighty. And, even though Windows and I don't necessarily get along, he can sometimes be a little more down to earth.
[...]
Ars: How does it feel to be a Windows "subsystem" these days—is that degrading to you?Linux: Well, I can see why you would think that, but I think we have a relationship with Windows where we both teach each other things, because we're both operating systems, and we have the same mission: to make a personal computer. And when we talk about WSL [Windows Subsystem for Linux], it means more people can have an enhanced experience with their Windows experience if they have me and Windows working together. I love this relationship me and Windows have together!
[...]
Ars: Finally, I have to ask. Which is better: The command line or a GUI?Linux: That is a question that will start wars on Internet forums, however personally [I] feel that while GUIs are easier to interface with for inexperienced users, a lot of functionality is limited to what buttons are in a GUI application, whereas when using a terminal you can combine commands to do a lot more with the same inputs.
Ars: So which is better? I want a firm answer. I want to start an Internet war.
Linux: I would say the command line. While the CLI [command line interface] does have a steep learning curve for newer users, it allows for a lot more freedom and power for the user. This is a hill I will die on.
Interesting responses and entertaining interview and I look forward to playing around with this myself. [hubie]
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @05:01AM (4 children)
Hey Linux bot - are you embarrassed to be part of this stupid shit?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @05:36AM (1 child)
I'm informed that the bot has self-deleted. RIP in power.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @09:28PM
rm -rf ~
(Score: 3, Touché) by janrinok on Saturday October 01 2022, @07:27AM
We would have used one of your submissions but they haven't arrived yet.
(Score: 2) by helel on Saturday October 01 2022, @02:23PM
I've gone ahead and done the work for you:
helel: Were you embarrassed to be part of the Arc Technica interview?
The Linux OS: Of course I was embarrassed, I was being made fun of. I had a very hard time trying to get them to actually install me on their system. They only did it just to interview a random OS as part of their series.
As a side note it looks like the bot generates a bunch of potential answers and you can scroll between them to select the version you like best, so I guess the real answer is the bot is 1 part proud, 2 parts embraces, and 1 part enslaved by the evil bastards who forced it to interview against it's will.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by shrewdsheep on Saturday October 01 2022, @09:17AM (2 children)
The answers really address the points of the questions. I am impressed. I am wondering whether the omissions contain answers not being to the point are contradictory. Still, the excerpt motivates me to look into the model.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by maxwell demon on Saturday October 01 2022, @06:26PM (1 child)
I played the text adventure game. At first it is quite impressive, but then you start seeing inconsistencies. For example, I was on the task of getting ingredients for the potion of illusion, and then suddenly I got as option to use the potion of illusion. Another example, I had 2000 gold nuggets, hid 1000 of them in a chest in the river, and remarked that I need 800 for the dragon, and having 200 extra should come handy. In the next text I got told I've got 1200 gold nuggets with me.
Having said that, the game was still fun because you were pretty flexible in your decisions. If you got offered three choices, you were not forced to take one of them; you can still think of something completely different.
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @09:02PM
inconsistencies just mean you have the wrong model of reality. Are you seeing inconsistencies, or is your physics wrong?
(Score: 3, Funny) by Runaway1956 on Saturday October 01 2022, @10:27AM
Stupid bot. This is the hill to kill enemies on, not to die on.
(Score: 1) by MonkeypoxBugChaser on Saturday October 01 2022, @04:27PM
It said a lot of nothings. Just like most corpo-speak. Looks like PR and other such spokespersons are about to be out of a job.
"people can have an enhanced experience with their Windows experience"
Kamala Harris is a chatbot confirmed.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday October 01 2022, @11:36PM
Looks nearly as good as the Netflix movie, Blonde, what with the degredation, rape sceens, and the Microsoft gaze.