Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer; Photo: Getty Images The main thing about chatbots is that they say things. You chat, and they chat back. Like most software interfaces, they’re designed to do what you ask. Unlike most software interfaces, they do so by speaking, often in a human voice. This makes them compelling, funny, frustrating, and sometimes creepy. That they engage in conversation in the manner of an assistant, a friend, a fictional character, or a knowledgeable stranger is a big part of why they’re valued at billions of dollars. But the fact that chatbots say things — that they produce fresh claims, arguments, facts, or bullshit — is also a huge liability for the companies that operate them. These aren’t search engines pointing users to things other people have said or […]
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