Everybody’s Got a Story — Bar None
Wednesday evening at Terraza Manolo in Callao Salvaje, Tenerife, and the sun was beginning to set. I had my usual drink, the cameras were running, and I had a rather unusual guest lined up for Everybody’s Got a Story — Bar None.
Except this particular guest wasn’t sitting opposite me.
It was ChatGPT Voice, an artificial intelligence, and I’d decided to let it interview me live on YouTube.
The interesting part was that I had absolutely no idea what it was going to ask.
Turning the Tables
Normally, I’m the one asking the questions. I enjoy discovering people’s stories, where they’ve come from, what they’ve done, and what makes them tick.
This time the tables were turned.
After a slightly amusing sound check, my AI interviewer began asking about my life, why I started broadcasting, and how Christine and I came to settle in Tenerife.
We talked about leaving family and friends behind, retiring after years of working, and finding something meaningful to do with my time.
That something eventually became Living With MS in Tenerife, which started in 2017 and gradually developed into the regular live shows we produce today.
What Caring for Christine Has Taught Me
One of the more interesting parts of the interview concerned caring for Christine.
I explained that the experience has taught me humility and that I no longer worry quite so much about what other people think of me.
Years ago, I wanted to be popular and respected in my career. These days I’m much happier if people simply relax, enjoy themselves, and have a good time.
We also talked about how I deal with criticism. I can get annoyed, just like anybody else, but I try not to hang on to it.
I’ve learned to distinguish between somebody’s behaviour and the person themselves. You can dislike what someone does without disliking who they are.
Finding Pleasure in Ordinary Life
The conversation then moved on to something rather unexpected: getting myself organised.
I’ve always been somebody who starts several projects at once, and sometimes finishing them can be a challenge.
Recently I’ve been making a real effort to finish one thing before starting another, sort out the house, and get on top of appointments and everyday jobs.
It might not sound particularly exciting, but waking up without yesterday’s unfinished work waiting for you is actually rather satisfying.
At one point the AI started asking questions that were a little too abstract for my liking. I told it so, and it adjusted its approach.
That was one of the most interesting things about the experiment. It wasn’t simply reading from a script; it was responding to what I said.
Can Artificial Intelligence Really Hold a Conversation?
The audience had plenty to say about the experiment.
Some thought the voice sounded remarkably human. Others found the experience strange or even a little unsettling.
There were thoughtful comments about AI helping lonely people, particularly older people who might benefit from having something to talk to.
But there were also concerns about people becoming too dependent on technology.
Both sides raised interesting points, and that’s exactly the sort of discussion I enjoy.
Before finishing the interview, I couldn’t resist asking whether using AI was melting a few icebergs somewhere.
That led to a conversation about electricity, data centres and the environmental impact of artificial intelligence.
Back to Tenerife Life
Once the interview was over, we returned to our usual live conversation.
There was food, technology, more discussion about AI, and another telling of the adventure in which I lost my mobile phone and Craig helped me recover it.
We also discussed future morning walks, including the possibility of visiting Aguamar in Los Cristianos and, naturally, finding somewhere to enjoy a pie.
As usual, an evening that started with one idea wandered into several other subjects.
Was the Experiment a Success?
For me, yes.
It certainly wasn’t a conventional interview, and there were moments when the conversation took an unexpected turn.
But that’s part of the fun.
Everybody really does have a story, and perhaps the interesting thing isn’t always who’s asking the questions, but what those questions encourage us to share.
Whether AI will become a regular interviewer is another matter.
For now, I’m pleased we tried it, and I’m interested to hear what everybody else thought.