AI with AI
(Applied Improv with Artificial Intelligence)
I’ve been feeling a bit anxious, paralysed, challenged and inspired by all this AI — artificial intelligence — flooding my feeds and prominent topics of discussion at gatherings.
Normally, being a glass-half-full kinda person, I’ve actually surprised myself that these thoughts of doom were emerging. So, working through these feelings, questioning ‘Is my creativity going to be taken over by a bot?’, or ‘Am I too old to learn new tricks?’ (even at one time being an early adopter of fixing (and breaking) tech — hello OS7.1 PowerMac 5600?) or ‘Will I still need to think and use my brain or will AI do it all for me?’
Instead of being afraid of it or consumed BY it, I decided to create WITH it and see if/how it can enhance my work in ‘the other AI’ — applied improv — to prove that the human skills (and way of thinking) are not going away. For me, an important human skill, in addition to empathy/emotion, is the ability to adapt — which is the main tenet of improvising.
Those who know me, know that I’ve been spruiking the benefits and value of improv games and the lessons we learn and the muscles we strengthen as a result of playing them.
So, I asked ChatGPT if it knew of any improv games and suggested we should play one together. It played ok, not as creative or “Ted Lasso”-esque as a real creative human could write, but it was an entertaining exercise. Or a practice in manifesting? Will AI now be taking the place of hard-working intuitive, spiritual healers and coaches?
Read our exchange below to see what transpired. (I couldn’t stop feeling WarGames 1983 and hearing the phrase “shall we play a game” reverberate in my brain)
My prompts and responses are in bold italics. (photos are real added post conversation)
ME: Do you have any improv games we can play today?
CHATGPT: Yes, I can suggest a few improv games that you can play today:
- Yes, and… — This is a classic improv game where one person starts a scene by saying a sentence and the other person has to respond with “Yes, and…” and add to the scene. This continues back and forth, with each person building on what the other has said.
- Questions Only — In this game, two players can only speak in questions. If a player says anything that isn’t a question, they are out. This game can be played in a variety of settings, such as a party, a workshop or a team-building exercise.
- Alphabet Game — In this game, players start a scene and each sentence they say must begin with the next letter of the alphabet. For example, the first sentence would start with A, the second with B, and so on.
- Storytelling — In this game, one person starts telling a story and after a sentence or two, another person takes over and continues the story. This continues until the story is complete.
- Freeze — In this game, two people start a scene and when someone shouts “Freeze!”, the actors have to stop in their positions. Another person then taps one of the actors and takes their place, starting a new scene based on their position.
These are just a few examples of improv games that can be played. There are many more games to explore and try out. Have fun!
ME: How can I play Freeze with you? That game looks like you need to be a human and not a bot.
CHATGPT: That’s correct, as an AI language model, I am not able to physically interact with you, so playing Freeze with me is not possible. However, you can still play the game with a group of friends or other people who are physically present with you.
To play the game, you will need at least two people. One person starts a scene by making a physical gesture or saying a line. At any point during the scene, another person can shout “Freeze!” and the actors must immediately freeze in their current position.
The person who shouted “Freeze!” then taps one of the actors and takes their place, starting a new scene based on their position. The game then continues with the new scene until someone else shouts “Freeze!” and the process repeats.
The key to this game is to be creative and flexible, and to be willing to jump in and start a new scene when it’s your turn. It’s also important to be aware of your surroundings and make sure you don’t accidentally bump into anyone while moving around. Have fun playing!
ME: Ok. so which game would you like to play today?
As an AI language model, I’m not able to physically interact with you, so I’m unable to play physical games like Freeze or other similar games that require physical presence.
However, I can still participate in many word-based improv games such as Yes, and…, Storytelling, Questions Only, or Alphabet Game. If you would like to play any of these games or have any other game in mind, I’d be happy to participate and help facilitate the game.
ME: You choose
Alright! Let’s play “Yes, and…”
In this game, one person will start by saying a sentence or phrase, and then the other person will respond with “Yes, and…” and add something to the scene. We can keep building on each other’s contributions to create a fun and engaging story.
I’ll start:
“It’s a beautiful day at the beach.”
ME: yes, and I’m ready to go and bring HerShee my spoodle
“Yes, and HerShee is wagging her tail excitedly as she sees the waves crashing against the shore.”
ME: Yes and will be even more happy chasing the ball in the water since she’s learned to swim
“Yes, and as we throw the ball into the water, HerShee dives in with enthusiasm, paddling her paws and bringing the ball back to us with a big grin on her face.”
ME: That’s my favourite part seeing her smile coming out of the water and then rolling around in the sand like a schnitzel.
“Yes, and as HerShee rolls around in the sand, she gets covered in it from head to toe, making her look like a sandy little schnitzel. We all laugh and play together, enjoying the beautiful day and the company of our beloved spoodle.”
ME: yes and I will meet a handsome, funny, intelligent, man with his oodle-type dog
“Yes, and as we’re playing with HerShee, we notice a man walking his curly-haired oodle-type dog along the beach. He catches our eye and we strike up a conversation about our dogs, and it turns out he’s just as funny and intelligent as he is handsome. We all hit it off and spend the rest of the day together, enjoying each other’s company and the beautiful beach scenery.”
ME: Yes and we decide to grab a coffee and a meal which led to a great conversation that I never wanted to end.
“Yes, and as we finish our fun-filled day at the beach, we decide to grab a coffee and a meal together. The conversation flows easily and naturally, and we discover that we have so much in common. The hours seem to fly by, and before we know it, it’s time to say goodbye. We exchange phone numbers and agree to meet up again soon, knowing that we’ve made a great new friend.”
ME: yes, and he called me later that evening
“Yes, and when he called later that evening, he asked if I wanted to join him and his oodle-type dog for a hike in the mountains next weekend. I happily agreed, excited to spend more time with him and his furry companion. We planned our hike and talked about all the things we wanted to do together in the future. It was clear that we had a special connection, and we both felt lucky to have found each other.”
ME: And we lived happily ever after
“Yes, and we continued to spend time together, exploring the world and creating new memories with our furry friends by our side. Over time, our friendship grew into a deep and meaningful love. We got married on the beach where we first met, surrounded by our loved ones and our beloved dogs. From that day on, we continued to live happily ever after, knowing that we had found true love and friendship in each other.”
ME: Thank you for playing with me! I do hope this story is the manifesting of my not too future partner as we describe him here.
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed playing “Yes, and…” with me, and I hope the story we created will bring positivity and good vibes into your life. Who knows, maybe it will help manifest the partner you’re looking for. Keep an open mind and heart, and you never know what amazing things might come your way. Best of luck to you!
ME: So, I went to the beach with HerShee to play out our yes and story. Still waiting for the partner to show up. What do you think?
While it’s always fun to play out stories in real life, it’s important to remember that the “Yes, and…” game is just a game and the story we created is fictional. However, that doesn’t mean that it can’t serve as inspiration for the future and help you manifest the partner you’re looking for.
Sometimes the best things in life come when we least expect them, so don’t give up hope. Keep an open mind and heart, and continue to do things you enjoy like spending time with your furry friend HerShee. You never know who you might meet or what amazing experiences might come your way. Best of luck to you!
Clip from WarGames 1983 with Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy
Aside: Back in the day, there were times, I was told I resemble Ally Sheedy — alas, “Breakfast Club” Ally Sheedy…(not WarGames Ally Sheedy). She did have a cute haircut (before the “Claire” makeover)
