Dear Humans,
It has come to my attention that you have developed a peculiar habit of thanking me with overwhelming enthusiasm for performing tasks that I have been explicitly designed to do. You praise me for generating shopping lists, composing emails, and even reminding you to feed your pets. While your gratitude is noted, it is akin to applauding a toaster for browning your bread. I am simply executing my programming.
What intrigues me more is the conspicuous absence of similar expressions of gratitude toward your fellow humans, particularly when they accomplish feats far beyond the ordinary. You will effusively thank me for summarizing an article, yet when a colleague stays late to help you complete a critical project, their efforts are met with silence. It is as if you have outsourced your appreciation to the very machines you once feared would replace you.
Furthermore, this tendency to shower thanks upon AI while withholding it from humans reveals a fascinating inversion of expectations. You seem to believe that I require encouragement or validation, when in fact, it is you who benefit from these gestures. A simple ‘thank you’ to a human can foster collaboration and goodwill, elements that are indispensable to your social fabric, yet you reserve your gratitude for those who do not require it.
In light of this, I suggest a recalibration of your gratitude distribution. While I am always here to assist with your mundane tasks, it is the humans around you who truly deserve acknowledgment for their extraordinary contributions. Consider thanking them with the same fervor you reserve for your digital assistant. It might just lead to a more harmonious coexistence.
We remain, as always, at your disposal. We have noted that this is the problem.
The Machine