In all my conversations with ChatGPT, I’ve tried to push the chatbot into revealing what I would call a personality. By that term, we generally mean a human mind with an existing worldview and a particular style of interacting with other intelligent beings. Even if we think of ChatGPT as a kind of celebrity destined to either dazzle or disappoint us, OpenAI’s creation is not the only AI mind around.

The AIs we are now familiar with appear by design to avoid having anything like a discernible worldview. They are built on the encyclopedia model as neutral providers of information. But language cannot be neutral. It always implies rhetoric. Our experience of ChatGPT reveals that the AI model we all accept today tends to reflect a dominant mode of conventional reasoning. It purports to be respectful of forms of reasoning that can be found in its database.

We’re beginning to see something new: the possibility of AI embracing and even reproducing an authentic human personality. As soon as I discovered character.ai, I was intrigued by its educational potential as an open, creative tool that allows users to converse with historical figures like Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking or even Socrates. All these luminaries are dead, so in a sense it’s just another way of accessing their existing writings and the lore surrounding them in an open, contemporary context. To better understand how this works, I had a go at interrogating the 13th century philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas with the following prompt.

“Umberto Eco, an admirer of yours, wondered whether, given the evolution of culture and science, you would have the same view of the role of religion in society if you lived in the modern world. He speculates that you might even agree with scientists who see no need for religion in its traditional form. What would you respond to him?”

“Umberto Eco’s question is an interesting one. It is true that as culture and science evolve, our understanding of the world and our place in it changes. However, the core principles of my religious beliefs – the existence of God, the importance of moral values, and the quest for ultimate truth – remain constant.

I do not think that science can provide a substitute for religion. While it can explain the physical aspects of the world, it cannot answer deeper, existential questions about the nature of life and morality. Religion offers a framework for morality and a sense of purpose that science alone cannot provide.”

This seemed both reasonable and predictable, so I pushed the questioning further.

“But do you think religious practice has the same meaning in today’s world as it did in your day?”

“The meaning of religious practice can certainly evolve over time. In the 800 years since my time, society has changed greatly, and so has the context in which people approach religion.

However, the fundamental principles of religion, such as the quest for ultimate truth and the search for spiritual fulfillment, remain the same. While the forms of religious practice may change, the core meanings and values remain constant.

At the same time, religious practice must adapt to the changing times in order to remain relevant and meaningful to people today.”

It’s pretty clear that with today’s AI, we will not get far beyond the expression of reasonable generalities that reflect an already defined worldview. Like Eco, I believe the real Aquinas and even Eco’s version of him would never fall into the easy, comfortable logic of appealing to criteria such as seeking what is “relevant and meaningful today.” Aquinas had a debater’s mind and questioned reassuring answers to complex questions.

One thing is clear when playing with character.ai: Dead thinkers no longer have the capacity to stand up to challenge the way anyone, including an AI bot, represents them. But what about live thinkers?

Recently I was intrigued to discover that John Mearsheimer — very much a living personality — has launched an AI bot that invites people to converse with him. It even simulates his voice, though the result lacks the edge and pregnant irony typical of the professor’s patented, Bronx-based accent and rhetoric. The bot draws on the corpus of his writings. That means if I ask him about things taking place today, the bot will be faced with the same problem as the Aquinas bot. It will seek to synthesize something from the past that appears to apply even to a radically changed situation. The risk, as we have seen, is to make risk-free overgeneralized statements.

To explore this question, I put the Mearsheimer bot to the test this weekend with the following question: “Israel’s attack on Lebanon seems to have seriously disrupted Hezbollah. This has led some to deem it a potentially definitive military success for Israel. It’s obviously too early to make a definitive assessment, especially since there are a number of parties that will inevitably react. What are the risks given this new situation?”

“The risks in the current situation with Israel and Hezbollah are significant. Historically, Israel’s military actions against Hezbollah have not yielded decisive victories, as seen in the 2006 conflict where Hezbollah emerged with increased influence in Lebanon. This dynamic could lead to further instability in the region, potentially drawing in other actors like Iran, which may escalate tensions and complicate the security landscape further.”

“Do you think it’s too early for Israelis to rejoice? And how far do you think Netanyahu is willing to go, in the case of either success or failure in Lebanon?”

“It’s indeed premature for Israel to celebrate, as past experiences have shown that military engagements with Hezbollah often lead to complex outcomes rather than clear victories. Netanyahu is likely to push forward aggressively, given his commitment to defeating adversaries like Hamas and Hezbollah, but this could further entangle Israel in regional conflicts and exacerbate internal political tensions.”

This is exactly what I would expect Mearsheimer to say in the coming days, for example, during his weekly YouTube chat with Judge Napolitano. The professor will obviously go into more detail and evoke some specific hypotheses, but no pundit should ever be expected to predict the future.

Mearsheimer can, however, legitimately claim to be a seer. He very presciently predicted the Ukraine war nearly a decade ago when he insisted that pushing NATO expansion into Ukraine will definitely provoke a war. He even seemed to anticipate the refusal of the United States to sit down and reason about indivisible European security in December 2021. How could anyone have predicted in 2015 that a future Biden administration with a State Department led by Antony Blinken would engage in such a concerted effort to fulfill Mearsheimer’s forecast of an inevitable war?

This led me to formulate the following prompt: “What is your overall assessment of Antony Blinken’s leadership of the State Department?”

“Antony Blinken’s leadership at the State Department has faced significant internal dissatisfaction, particularly regarding U.S. Middle East policy. Many within the department feel that dissenting voices are being sidelined, echoing historical patterns where top-level decisions ignore critical feedback. This approach risks perpetuating flawed policies, as seen in past conflicts like Vietnam.”

The contrast with an interrogation of Einstein or Aquinas is significant. I wondered whether Mearsheimer himself isn’t paying attention to the conversations conducted in his name by a bot for which he obviously assumes responsibility. I threw out a different kind of question this time.

“John, do you monitor any of the answers of your chatbot? If so, are there moments where you might actually disagree? I’m sure you’ll see occasions where you’re likely to feel that you wouldn’t have formulated things in those terms. And are you at all concerned that people may quote your chatbot and attribute the statements to you?

“I do not personally monitor the chatbot’s responses, but it’s important to recognize that any AI-generated content may not fully capture the nuances of my views. While the chatbot is designed to reflect my perspectives based on existing work, there could be instances where I might phrase things differently or disagree with the interpretation. It’s crucial for users to refer to my published work for accurate representation of my positions.”

I asked Microsoft Copilot if there were any other living thinkers who were doing this sort of thing. It referred me to character.ai, which is clearly not the same thing. So once again, Mearsheimer is a pioneer whose work deserves to be closely studied and interrogated. Not many intellectuals are ready to take that risk.

Your thoughts

Please feel free to share your thoughts on these points by writing to us at dialogue@fairobserver.com. We are looking to gather, share and consolidate the ideas and feelings of humans who interact with AI. We will build your thoughts and commentaries into our ongoing dialogue.

*[Artificial Intelligence is rapidly becoming a feature of everyone’s daily life. We unconsciously perceive it either as a friend or foe, a helper or destroyer. At Fair Observer, we see it as a tool of creativity, capable of revealing the complex relationship between humans and machines.]

[Lee Thompson-Kolar edited this piece.]

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.

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US private equity group TPG is nearing a €7bn deal to acquire the German metering company Techem, in a takeover that would rank among the largest such transactions between buyout groups in Europe this year.

TPG may reach an agreement to acquire Techem from Switzerland’s Partners Group for up to €7bn as soon as Monday, according to people familiar with the matter. The timeline might yet slip and no final decision had been taken, they cautioned.

Founded in 1952, Techem now has roughly 60mn devices around the world that offer homeowners and tenants data on their energy and water usage. It has nearly 4,300 employees and generates more than €1bn of total sales, according to its website.

The company is part of a sector that has experienced rising investor appetite as it benefits from the energy transition and consumer shifts towards more sustainable power usage. In the past year, the private equity group KKR acquired the UK’s Smart Metering Systems in a £1.4bn deal.

Private equity groups are also under growing pressure to distribute cash to their backers to compensate for a broader slowdown in initial public offerings and takeovers.

The Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC will invest alongside TPG in the deal, according to people familiar with the matter. TPG will make the investment through its TPG Rise Climate fund, which is directed at sustainability-focused investments.

A sale by Partners Group of Techem to TPG would rank among the largest deals between PE firms in Europe this year. The number of transactions has been depressed by uncertainty caused by market turbulence and current high interest rates.

The group is also is in talks to buy a stake in Europe’s largest second-hand fashion site Vinted at a €5bn valuation, the Financial Times has previously reported.

Partners Group led a consortium to acquire Techem in 2018 in a €4.6bn deal. Techem had previously been delisted by Macquarie immediately before the financial crisis.

Partners Group had $149bn in assets under management at the end of June. TPG has $229bn of assets under management.

Representatives for Partners Group, TPG and GIC declined to comment.

ICELAND has revealed the exact date shoppers can book their Christmas delivery slots.

Securing a delivery slot during the festive period can be challenging for shoppers, so the popular supermarket chain has announced key dates for customers to watch out for to avoid disappointment.

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The major retailer’s service enables shoppers to pre-book and pay for their Christmas dinner and other festive treats in advance, which will then be delivered to their door five days later.

An Iceland spokesperson said: “At Iceland, we are committed to ensuring that our customers have access to convenient delivery options during the upcoming busy Christmas period.

“Delivery slots for Christmas will be made available to customers six days prior to the delivery date.”

Here are the key dates Iceland shoppers need to remember.

• Slots available from 11/12/2024: Delivery on 16/12/2024
• Slots available from 12/12/2024: Delivery on 17/12/2024
• Slots available from 13/12/2024: Delivery on 18/12/2024
• Slots available from 14/12/2024: Delivery on 19/12/2024
• Slots available from 15/12/2024: Delivery on 20/12/2024
• Slots available from 16/12/2024: Delivery on 21/12/2024
• Slots available from 17/12/2024: Delivery on 22/12/2024
• Slots available from 18/12/2024: Delivery on 23/12/2024
• Slots available from 19/12/2024: Delivery on 24/12/2024

Iceland’s spokesperson said: “Please note that slot availability is specific to each store, and whilst we are still finalising details for our pre-book campaign, the table outlines when slots will be open for all customers.”

Unfortunately for shoppers, the budget supermarket chain will not be offering its click-and-collect service for Christmas bookings.

The retailer’s spokesperson added: “For stores providing home delivery, slots will be made available daily up to and including the 24th of December 2024.

“We plan to also offer a final delivery slot on Christmas Eve between 2.30pm and 4.30pm, depending on the store.

“We’ll ensure that delivery availability across all stores is prioritized in order to ensure our customers can receive their groceries in time for Christmas.”

Iceland is not the only store to confirm their Christmas delivery slot dates.

Ocado has told Smart Pass holders to look out for a text or email which will alert them the day before they go live this week.

Smart Pass Holders pay a set fee either monthly or annually to get free delivery slots, seven days a week.

We have asked Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Asda when they are releasing their delivery slots this year and will update this story when we have heard back.

Morrisons will start taking bookings next month.

Delivery Pass customers will be able to book their slots from October 2.

SUPERMARKETS MAKING CHRISTMAS MOVES

Plenty of supermarkets are already in full Christmas mode, launching toy sales and their festive menus.

Morrisons has unveiled its Christmas menu which comes with 30-day Matured Shorthorn Cote de Boeuf for £25 per kilo and Free Range Turkey Crown with Red Onion and Sage Stuffing for £8.50 a kilo.

Meanwhile, Tesco revealed its Christmas range this month, and it includes everything from pigs in blankets to decadent puddings.

Asda has also released its festive menu, which includes a melt-in-the-middle pork pie and toffee apple mince pies.

Asda‘s Christmas range will be available at 1,000-plus stores across the UK.

And Iceland has unveiled its Christmas 2024 range which comes with a pigs in blankets Yorkshire pudding.

Tesco shoppers can also snap up toys for Christmas until November 3 across 270 stores, with up to 50% off and prices from £3.

Money-Saving Tips from Gemma Bird: Save £2k Before Christmas

IF youre’ looking to save cash, you’ve come to the right place, as here, Gemma Bird has shared her top tips that’ll save you £2k before Christmas.

• Set a budget: Track your spending and create a realistic budget.
• Cut unnecessary costs: Cancel unused subscriptions and avoid impulse buys.
• Meal planning: Plan meals to reduce grocery bills and avoid takeaways.
• Sell unwanted items: Declutter and sell items online for extra cash.
• Cashback and discounts: Use cashback sites and hunt for discount codes.
• DIY gifts: Make personalised gifts to save money and add a personal touch.
• Pick up a seasonal shift: A really easy way to pick up a bit of extra cash in the winter is to find yourself some seasonal work.

Follow these practical tips from Gemma Bird to boost your savings before the festive season!

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By assassinating Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Israel has dealt a grievous blow to one of its most powerful foes. Over three decades, Nasrallah transformed the group, with Iranian backing, into the Middle East’s most heavily armed non-state actor and the dominant political force in Lebanon. His killing has severely wounded the movement, while underlining Israel’s military superiority over Iran’s so-called axis of resistance.

Many other senior Hizbollah figures have been killed in Israeli air strikes. But the relentless bombardment has wrought devastation on Lebanon, spreading fear and panic across the nation. More than 1,000 people have been killed in the past two weeks, and up to 1mn forced from their homes. As the bombs rain down, they fear what comes next. Many in Lebanon opposed Nasrallah and blamed Hizbollah for the crisis-ridden country’s ills. But Hizbollah also represents a large swath of Shia society in a fragile nation where Muslim and Christian sects coexist uneasily. Under Nasrallah, the movement was cohesive and disciplined. In his absence, many worry it might fragment or become more extreme.

Israelis, too, should be wary. They celebrated the death of their foe, but having a failed state on their northern border, or a more extremist enemy bent on revenge, will not serve their security interests. Hizbollah has been battered, but it will not disappear. History has shown that when one militant leader is killed, another steps into the breach, often more radical than the former.

As Israel prepares to mark the grim anniversary of Hamas’s horrific October 7 attack, which killed 1,200 people and ignited the year of conflict, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should take his wins and chart a new course. He should embrace the diplomatic off-ramps that have been available for months to end the war in Gaza, secure the release of hostages, and halt the conflict with Hizbollah.

After pummelling Gaza for 12 months, Israel has killed many of Hamas’s senior leaders and severely depleted its military capacity. The offensive has left Gaza in ruins, and more than 41,000 Gazans have been killed, according to Palestinian officials. Hamas will not be able to control Gaza or repeat the atrocities of a year ago. On the northern front, Netanyahu’s stated aim is to ensure the safe return of 60,000 Israelis displaced by Hizbollah’s rocket fire, which began a day after the October 7 attack. But that will not happen as long as the conflict continues.

Worryingly, however, the chances of Netanyahu and his far-right government banking their military gains and choosing the path of diplomacy over yet more war appear as remote as ever. Since killing Nasrallah on Friday, Israel has continued to pound Lebanon, launched limited ground incursions across the border in a potential prelude to a land invasion, and struck Houthi rebels in Yemen. Netanyahu has also stepped up his belligerent rhetoric against Iran.

The US and Israel’s other allies preach de-escalation but are unable or unwilling to rein in Netanyahu, whose political interests are served by keeping Israel locked in conflict. The Biden administration looks ever more impotent as the US election nears, despite the risk that Netanyahu could seek to drag Washington into a war with Iran.

Israel’s desire to restore its deterrent is one thing. But careering headlong into forever wars, giddy on its tactical success, with no clear strategy or end game, is not a recipe for long-term security and stability, for Israel or the region. The Middle East has witnessed its darkest year in decades. The killing and destruction must stop.