I saw this YouTube video about some historical document from the middle ages (maybe the dark ages?). It was a set of journals/diaries written by a pretty normal guy who lived during the reformation. At first he was documenting the social changes that were going on but pretty soon his journal became a hodgepodge of personal anecdotes, descriptions of his fellow towns folks, gossip and rumors, etc.
One thing that was interesting to me was that he kept a list of amusing anecdotes. The guy was trying to move up in life, so he was doing his best to network with the wealthy elite of his town. He had a personal database of jokes and amusing stories that he could bring up, I guess hoping to gain favor or friendship with the right people.
I've thought about this kind of activity a lot. Not all writing is meant to be for distribution. This guy wasn't writing to compile a tell-all exposé of his tiny provincial town. He was writing entirely for his own selfish benefit.
As curious as it may sound, I can totally understand wanting to hook up an AI to this kind of personal database. Something to make my anecdotes a bit more funny. Or to connect rumors in a way to give me the best gossip.
It reminds me of how VIP type people often have some intern or research assistant who feeds them personal details of the people they are going to meet, so the VIP can warmly ask "How is your daughter Sally?" when shaking hands with someone who is actually a stranger to them.
Not all knowledge is a product. If you see knowledge as a service then these kind of tools make a bit more sense.
One thing that was interesting to me was that he kept a list of amusing anecdotes. The guy was trying to move up in life, so he was doing his best to network with the wealthy elite of his town. He had a personal database of jokes and amusing stories that he could bring up, I guess hoping to gain favor or friendship with the right people.
I've thought about this kind of activity a lot. Not all writing is meant to be for distribution. This guy wasn't writing to compile a tell-all exposé of his tiny provincial town. He was writing entirely for his own selfish benefit.
As curious as it may sound, I can totally understand wanting to hook up an AI to this kind of personal database. Something to make my anecdotes a bit more funny. Or to connect rumors in a way to give me the best gossip.
It reminds me of how VIP type people often have some intern or research assistant who feeds them personal details of the people they are going to meet, so the VIP can warmly ask "How is your daughter Sally?" when shaking hands with someone who is actually a stranger to them.
Not all knowledge is a product. If you see knowledge as a service then these kind of tools make a bit more sense.