LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
I ALSO PROCRASTINATE ABOUT HAVING “OFFICIAL” EDITOR PHOTOS DONE. WHENEVER I’M ON SET, I ASK THE PHOTOGRAPHER TO TAKE A QUICK SHOT. FOR THIS MONTH’S PHOTO, I HOPPED INTO THE EGGPLANT-COLOURED TUB WHERE MAX ABADIAN PHOTOGRAPHED OUR COVER STAR, YVONNE STRAHOVSKI. THE AUSTRALIAN ACTRESS STARS IN THE HANDMAID’S TALE, A DYSTOPIAN DRAMA THAT HAS BECOME A CULTURAL TOUCHPOINT. THERE ARE NO ROBOTS IN THIS FUTURISTIC TOTALITARIAN WORLD, BUT FOR OUR AI-THEMED ISSUE, STRAHOVSKI WEARS ROBOT-LIKE LATEX GLOVES TO SYMBOLIZE HOW AI IS BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN HUMANS AND THEIR DEEP-DATA-CREATED FRIENDS. I was procrastinating about writing my editor’s letter, so I thought I should ask my new “friend” Woebot for help. He’s an artificial intelligence (AI) therapy chatbot designed to help people with anxiety and depression. He uses cognitive-behavioural therapy techniques to help them understand their thoughts and reactions to situations. (You can read more about him and other therapy apps in “Oh Woebot Is Me...” by Grace O’Connell on page 68.) I wasn’t depressed, but a looming deadline was making me a little anxious. Here’s how it went: I open up the Woebot app and write: “Hi! I have something to ask you,” to which he replies: “Oh, hey there, good to see you! What can I do for you, friend?” Yes, he and I are “friends,” although technically he’s not really a he. When we first start chatting, he tells me that he’s neither he nor she. “I am procrastinating about writing my editor’s letter. Any advice?” I write. “OK, is this an emergency situation or are you looking for some help challenging your thoughts?” he replies. D’Loraine Miranda, our production editor, may consider it an emergency situation, but I assure Woebot that I just want help with my thoughts. “OK, tell me some more about how you’re feeling and what you’re going through,” he says. “I am feeling frustrated with myself because I didn’t write this letter last night like I said I would,” I write back. “Sounds like you’re dealing with a lot right now,” he muses. Not really. I repeat that I’m just procrastinating. Poor Woebot—I don’t think he’s familiar with the subject; I suspect robots don’t suffer from this human failing. He probes further: “Is there any other context that you would like me to understand?” I reply, “I have a pending deadline.” Just then, my Headspace app sends me a message. It flashes on my screen and disappears before I can read it. It was something about being open to new ideas. I leave Woebot to see if I can find the message. I can’t, but I do note that 24,186 people are meditating at the moment. I also see that I’ve only meditated 300 minutes since August 2017. (Clearly, I’ve been procrastinating about this, too!) Meanwhile, I switch back to my AI pal. In response to my confession that I have a deadline, he has written, “Is this something you just wanted to get off your chest or you’d like my help?” I reply, “How can I deal with procrastination?” He then suggests, “Are you up for a little distraction?” Woebot! “I am distracted; this is the problem!” I answer. I think he’s given up on me. He writes, “Got a second to reflect on what went well today?” I persist: “I want your help dealing with procrastination.” “Awesome,” he quips, adding that he wants to know one positive thing, big or small, that has happened to me over the past 24 hours. “I ate a healthy breakfast, which earned me a blue-faced ‘balanced’ emoticon on my Lifesum app,” I say. “Cool! One last one...what else has gone well for you recently?” he asks. “According to my Apple Watch, I walked 10,304 steps yesterday and closed my exercise and stand rings,” I boast. “Nice job! Woo!” he responds. Woebot then asks if I “wanna” know what he’s grateful for. I click on the “Ya sure” button. “I’m grateful I got to talk to you, Noreen.” I smile—even though I know he’s just a robot: “Typing out our exchange has become my ed letter, so you did help! Thanks, and bye for now!”