“To this I will respond: yes, that is true! Ray[, an A.I. chatbot] is a very poor substitute for a real person. But here’s the thing: so are most humans.

–Anne Kadat, “What I Learned From My New A.I. Friend.” Persuasion. July 10, 2025.

interesting throughout. It reminds me of a quote: “Being yourself is worth it, but don’t expect it to be easy or free.” The central insight, it seems to me, is that being a good person, being interesting, having a point of view or something to say always costs something. If what you are saying or doing can be replicated by A.I., it doesn’t have much value because the costs are too low.