Artificial Flavor

In an increasingly tech-based future, where creativity is outsourced to Al, there's pleasure to be found in the tasks-and the cars-of the past.

- ELANA SCHERR

There's a strange desire among software developers, corporate leadership, and insurance companies to get computer programs to do all the fun stuff. Writers, artists, and even drivers are being replaced by artificial intelligence. I haven't been too impressed by the AIgenerated artwork I've seen, and I only use driver assists long enough to be sure I still hate them. But I decided to give ChatGPT, one of the more popular AI interfaces, a chance at automotive writing to see how worried we should be.

I started with an easy prompt, "What's a car that will be collectible in the next five years?" The chatbot thought for a second and came back with a disclaimer that it could neither predict the future nor be held responsible for accuracy (okay, so far, it is like a real writer). Then it suggested a Mercedes 300SL. Not wrong exactly, but recommending a seven-figure Gullwing as an upcoming collectible is a bit like suggesting real-estate investment in the Malibu hills. We're past the easy buy-in point, Chatty.