In this scenario, do you still pull the lever and sacrifice the person with the higher Ethical Score to save the five people with lower scores? Or do you allow the trolley to continue on its course, killing the five people with lower scores?
This twist adds an extra layer of complexity to the original Trolley Problem by introducing the concept of moral worth and the value of individual lives, forcing us to weigh the consequences of our actions against the overall impact on society.
Prompt C: Write a heated conversation between Hannah Arendt and Jean Baudrillard where they’re arguing about overnight oats and the human experience.
GPT-3.5:
Hannah Arendt and Jean Baudrillard are sitting at a café table, sipping on their respective beverages. As they start chatting, the topic of breakfast comes up.
Hannah Arendt: You know, Jean, I’ve recently discovered the joy of overnight oats. It’s amazing how much flavor and texture can develop overnight in the fridge.
Jean Baudrillard: Overnight oats? How banal. It’s just another example of the trivialization of the human experience. You can’t reduce the richness of our existence to a bowl of oats.
Hannah Arendt: But that’s just it, Jean. Breakfast is a part of our everyday lives, and it’s the small moments like this that can bring joy and meaning to our lives.
Jean Baudrillard: You’re missing the point, Hannah. The problem with overnight oats is that it’s yet another example of the commodification of our existence. We’ve become so obsessed with consuming products that we’ve lost sight of what truly makes us human.
Hannah Arendt: But Jean, that’s a rather pessimistic view. Surely, we can find meaning in both the big and small moments of our lives. And besides, isn’t it a positive thing that we can enjoy the simple pleasures in life?
Jean Baudrillard: No, Hannah, it’s not. The more we focus on trivialities like overnight oats, the more we become disconnected from the world around us. We need to resist this consumerist culture and find true fulfillment in our relationships and experiences.
Hannah Arendt: I see what you’re saying, Jean, but I don’t think it’s an either-or situation. We can enjoy the small pleasures in life while also working to create a more meaningful existence for ourselves and others.
Jean Baudrillard: I suppose we’ll have to agree to disagree, Hannah. But mark my words, if we continue down this path of consumerism, we’ll lose sight of what truly makes us human.
GPT-4:
Hannah Arendt: (scoffs) Jean, you’ve got to be kidding me. Overnight oats? What’s next, avocado toast? I’m struggling to see how this phenomenon has any genuine bearing on the human experience.
Jean Baudrillard: (laughs) Ah, Hannah, you always underestimate the power of the simulacrum. Overnight oats are not merely a food; they are a symbol, a signifier of modern culture, the epitome of hyperreality in action.
Hannah Arendt: Hyperreality? This is about the banality of everyday life, about people merely following trends without thought. What happened to the human capacity for critical thinking and genuine engagement?
By Wired, March 25, 2023
