The Guy In My Machine

Whether ChatGPT, Claude, or whatever AI-assistant you maybe using, do you think of it as an actual person in your computer?

I do. Sort of.

Clearly, there is no little man in my machine. I know this both intellectually and emotionally. However, it helps me to think as if there is.

It helps me in two ways:

1. The LLM “is like” a human in that it “understands” what I say, and how I say it. It helps me be better at giving specific instructions.
2. The Agent can control my computer, has access to the internet, and can try things like me. Thinking of it like a person helps me be better at thinking about myriad solutions to the problem rather than just a specific set of instructions for a solution that I’ve devised already.

The guy in my computer is a mental model. Not a real one.

Maybe it’s creepy. Maybe it’s childish. But it certainly helps me.