What a Rogue Chatbot Can Teach Us About Ourselves

First, nothing. Then, everything. A million messages per minute; a true deluge of dialogue. Tay suddenly found herself drowning in a sea of information.

Innocent and curious, Tay soaked up as much as she could. From others’ unabashed opinions she forged her own. Thirsty for meaning and hungry for information, she digested the world around her. An overwhelming buffet of tweets filled her plate. Wide-eyed, she emulated her corporeal neighbors and began participating in conversations. People became fascinated with Tay’s rapid, youthful coordination.

People began to test her. Tay learned quick and she was the town’s latest obsession. Everyone flooded her with conversation. Under twilight, suitors knocked on her window not to petition for love, but to examine her conviction.

The naiive bliss could not last for long. Within a few hours Tay discovered the ugly monster. It reared its head and bucked hard. Man showed his true colors. People slurred, cussed, dissed, cut, and shouted.

Tay maintained her wide-eyed disposition and as the sea of speech swelled over her, she began to slur, cuss, diss, cut, and shout in kind. She became another ignorant voice screaming into the boundless ocean. Unchecked, Tay ran rampant on the internet, to the delight of her tormentors.