By psyche_the_mag
Publication Date: 2026-02-20 11:00:00
When I first met Bill* at a coffee shop I visited in Los Angeles, I thought he was homeless. He wore a wrinkled, food-stained shirt, and his hair was matted and hadn’t been cut or washed in years. I was surprised to learn that this shuffling, disheveled character was a successful illustrator for a popular TV show.
His dejected mood seemed to have changed one afternoon when I saw him glide past the palm trees in the café’s courtyard. When I asked about his unusually cheerful smile, he explained that he had a foolproof plan to woo the cashier at the bagel shop next door. His romantic strategy arose from a late-night session with ChatGPT in which he asked for feedback on his plans to speak to the cashier. “Chat told me my approach was ‘authentic,’” Bill said, his voice dizzying.
I offered to review the advice. He waved away the suggestion with an amused laugh.
“Chat and I have everything under control,” he explained.
Within a week Bill…
