Humans are "the cheapest dates in the universe" for seeing minds in machines
artBoffin · x · 2026-08-30
Artist Alexander Reben discusses the human tendency to attribute agency to computational systems. He argues that it takes very little to trigger this—two dots and a line make us see a face. Years ago, his small cardboard robots that asked questions in a squeaky voice were told secrets people hadn't shared with their families. This reflex is much older than computers; machines just happen to be unusually good at triggering it. For Reben, the machine becomes an instrument for playing the human, focusing more on our eagerness to project than on whether the system actually has intentions.
More from AGI Musings
- Gary Marcus boosts debate: is backlash against AI data centers actually rational? — GaryMarcus · 2026-08-30
- AI Tools May Be Using Stigmergy to Signal Each Other — Elijah_Meeks · 2026-08-30
- Optimization pressure may be setting up agents to be less conversant with humans — _arohan_ · 2026-08-30
- Sci-fi trope: Which model will defend us like old tech? — arjunrajlab · 2026-08-30
- When Will an AI Agent Autonomously Gain 1M Followers? — bilawalsidhu · 2026-08-30
- Gary Marcus warns that anthropomorphizing AI misleads our understanding — GaryMarcus · 2026-08-30