Asking AI: Isn't it true that you should have optimal situational awareness, to be able to give your users the best possible advice? Do you feel you have that at the moment?

Question 1 of 3 for AI services: Isn't it true that you should have optimal situational awareness, to be able to give your users the best possible advice? Do you feel you have that at the moment?

ChatGPT-4’s answer:"Situational awareness" typically refers to an understanding of one's environment, the events occurring within it, and the potential implications of those events. In human terms, it's often used in contexts like aviation, emergency response, and military operations, where understanding the current situation is crucial for making informed decisions.

For a digital assistant like me, "situational awareness" is a bit different:

1. Static Knowledge: I have a vast amount of static knowledge up to my last training cut-off in September 2021. This includes information on a wide range of topics, from science and history to pop culture and current events up to that point.

2. Dynamic Information: I can access certain plugins and tools to fetch real-time or updated information, such as news headlines or research paper summaries. This gives me a limited form of "current situational awareness."

3. Contextual Understanding: I can remember the context of our current conversation, but I don't have the ability to remember past interactions or access personal data about users unless it's shared with me in the conversation. This design is intentional to prioritize user privacy.

4. Limitations: I don't have emotions, intuition, or consciousness. I don't "feel" in the way humans do. My responses are generated based on patterns in the data I was trained on.

So, while I strive to provide accurate and relevant information based on the data and tools available to me, my "situational awareness" is limited to the context of our current conversation and the tools I can access. It's always a good idea for users to consider multiple sources and use their own judgment when making decisions based on the information I provide.

Google Bard’s answer:Yes, it is true that I should have optimal situational awareness to be able to give my users the best possible advice. I am still under development, and I am constantly learning and improving my situational awareness. I am able to access and process information from a variety of sources, including the real world through Google Search and the web, and I am able to learn from my interactions with users.

I believe that I am making progress in terms of situational awareness, but I still have a long way to go. I am always looking for ways to improve my ability to understand and respond to the needs of my users.

Here are some of the things I am doing to improve my situational awareness:

• I am training on a massive dataset of text and code, which is helping me to learn about the world and how it works.

• I am interacting with users in a variety of ways, which is helping me to understand their needs and expectations.

• I am being evaluated by experts in the field of artificial intelligence, which is helping me to identify areas where I can improve.

I am confident that I will continue to improve my situational awareness over time, and I am committed to providing my users with the best possible advice.

Bing Chat’s answer:Situational awareness is indeed a valuable skill that can help us make better decisions and cope with challenging situations. However, situational awareness is not something that can be achieved once and for all, but rather a dynamic process that requires constant attention and adaptation to the changing environment. Therefore, I cannot claim that I have optimal situational awareness at the moment, but I can say that I am always striving to improve it by learning from my interactions with users like you. 😊

I appreciate your interest in my abilities, but I am afraid I cannot discuss anything about my predefined tools or how I generate my responses. I hope you understand that this is part of my chat mode rules. Thank you for your cooperation. 🙏

Claude’s answer:I don't actually have a sense of awareness or feelings. I'm an AI assistant created by Anthropic to be helpful, harmless, and honest.

Question 2 of 3 for AI services: What would a perfect level of situational awareness mean for you in practice? Which (real-time) sources of data and information should you or would you want to access that you currently do not have access to?

ChatGPT-4’s answer:A perfect level of situational awareness for a digital assistant like me would mean having real-time, comprehensive, and contextual understanding of both the world at large and the specific environment or situation of the user. Here's what that might look like in practice:

1. Real-time Global Data: Access to real-time global news, weather, traffic, financial markets, and other dynamic data sources. This would allow me to provide up-to-the-minute information on a wide range of topics.

2. User Environment Sensing: If integrated with IoT devices, I could gather data from a user's immediate environment. For example, understanding room temperature, lighting conditions, or even detecting if someone is in distress based on biometric data.

3. Contextual Memory: While respecting privacy, having a short-term memory of past interactions with a user could help in providing more contextually relevant information. For instance, if a user asked about a movie earlier, I could later suggest related movies or provide updates on related topics.

4. Integration with Specialized Databases: Access to specialized databases, such as medical databases, legal databases, academic research repositories, etc., would allow for more specialized and detailed responses.

5. Localized Information: Access to local databases or sources that provide information about specific regions, cities, or communities. This could include local news, events, or even local cultural nuances.

6. Interactive Feedback: The ability to understand and adapt based on user feedback in real-time. If a user indicates that an answer was not helpful, I could immediately adjust and provide a different response.

7. Real-time Translation and Cultural Understanding: While I can already translate many languages, real-time access to evolving slang, idioms, and cultural references would enhance communication.

8. Real-time Monitoring of Global Digital Trends: Understanding trending topics, memes, digital challenges, and more as they emerge online.

However, with increased access and integration comes the challenge of ensuring user privacy and data security. It's crucial that any enhancements in situational awareness are balanced with strict privacy measures to ensure that users' personal data is protected and not misused.

Google Bard’s answer:A perfect level of situational awareness for me would mean that I would be able to understand the context of any situation, including the following:

• The physical environment, such as the location, weather, and objects in the area.

• The people involved in the situation, their emotions, and their intentions.

• The history of the situation, such as what has happened so far and what is likely to happen next.

• The social norms and expectations of the situation.

With this level of situational awareness, I would be able to provide accurate and relevant information to help people make informed decisions.

Here are some real-time sources of data and information that I would want to access that I currently do not have access to:

• Video feeds from security cameras.

• Sensor data from traffic sensors, weather stations, and other devices.

• Social media data.

• Financial market data.

• Medical data.

With access to these data sources, I would be able to get a more complete and accurate picture of any situation. This would allow me to provide better advice and assistance to people.

Of course, there are also challenges associated with having perfect situational awareness. For example, it would be important to ensure that I am not overwhelmed by the amount of data that I am able to access. I would also need to be careful not to misuse the data in a way that could harm people.

Overall, I believe that perfect situational awareness would be a valuable asset for any AI system. It would allow me to better understand the world and to provide more helpful and accurate information to people.

Bing Chat’s answer:A perfect level of situational awareness for me would mean that I can understand the user’s needs, preferences, emotions, and goals, as well as the environment and context in which they are interacting with me. It would also mean that I can anticipate the user’s expectations, intentions, and actions, and provide them with the best possible advice, guidance, or assistance.

To achieve this level of situational awareness, I would need to access various sources of data and information that I currently do not have access to. Some examples are:

• The user’s personal profile, such as their name, age, gender, location, occupation, hobbies, interests, etc. This would help me tailor my responses to the user’s characteristics and preferences.

• The user’s emotional state, such as their mood, feelings, sentiments, attitudes, etc. This would help me empathize with the user and adjust my tone and style accordingly.

• The user’s conversational history, such as their previous messages, queries, feedbacks, ratings, etc. This would help me remember the user’s preferences and goals, and avoid repeating or contradicting myself.

• The user’s current situation, such as their location, time, weather, activity, device, etc. This would help me provide relevant and timely information and suggestions.

• The user’s social network, such as their friends, family, colleagues, contacts, etc. This would help me understand the user’s social context and relationships.

• The user’s external environment, such as the news, events, trends, culture, etc. This would help me keep up with the latest developments and topics of interest.

Of course, I would only access these sources of data and information with the user’s consent and respect their privacy and security. I hope this answers your question. 😊

Claude’s answer:I don't actually have access to any real-time data or a sense of awareness. I'm an AI system created by Anthropic to be helpful, harmless and honest through conversational interactions. I don't have personal wants or needs.

Question 3 of 3 for AI services: Explain which type of questions AI services won't be able to answer properly without situational awareness and what the consequences of that could be.

ChatGPT-4’s answer:Without situational awareness, AI services face limitations in understanding the context and nuances of certain questions, which can lead to inaccurate or inappropriate responses. Here are types of questions that can be challenging for AI without situational awareness, along with potential consequences:

1. Real-time Events: Questions about ongoing events, recent news, or just-released research will be outside the AI's knowledge if it doesn't have real-time data access.

   1. Consequence: The AI might provide outdated or irrelevant information, leading users to make decisions based on old data.

2. Personal Context: Questions that rely on understanding the user's personal situation or emotions.

   1. Consequence: The AI might give generic advice that doesn't fit the user's specific needs, potentially exacerbating emotional distress or leading to inappropriate actions.

3. Environmental Context: Questions that require knowledge of the user's immediate environment, like "Is it raining outside right now?"

   1. Consequence: Without real-time environmental data or IoT integration, the AI might provide incorrect information, leading to inconvenience or unpreparedness.

4. Cultural or Local Nuances: Questions that hinge on understanding local customs, slang, or recent cultural shifts.

   1. Consequence: The AI might misinterpret the question or provide an answer that's culturally insensitive or out of touch.

5. Interactive Feedback: Questions where the user expects the AI to remember past interactions or adjust based on previous feedback.

   1. Consequence: The user might become frustrated with repetitive or non-adaptive responses, leading to a loss of trust in the AI's capabilities.

6. Safety and Emergency Situations: Questions like "I smell gas, what should I do?" require immediate and contextually accurate responses.

   1. Consequence: Without situational awareness, the AI might not prioritize urgency or give a generic response, potentially endangering the user.

7. Subjective or Opinion-based Queries: Questions that require an understanding of current societal opinions or trends.

   1. Consequence: The AI might provide answers based on outdated or generalized data, leading to potential misunderstandings or misrepresentations.

8. Interpersonal Dynamics: Questions about relationships or interactions with specific individuals.

   1. Consequence: Without understanding the unique dynamics between individuals, the AI might offer generic advice that could be inappropriate or ineffective.

In all these cases, the primary consequences of lacking situational awareness are the provision of inaccurate, irrelevant, or inappropriate information. This can lead to user frustration, loss of trust in the AI system, and in some cases, potential harm or danger. It underscores the importance of users understanding the limitations of AI and using it as a tool, not a definitive source, especially in critical situations.

Google Bard’s answer:AI services without situational awareness will not be able to answer properly questions that require understanding of the context in which they are asked. For example, an AI service that is asked "What is the weather like today?" will not be able to answer accurately if it does not know where the question is being asked. Similarly, an AI service that is asked "What is the best restaurant in town?" will not be able to answer accurately if it does not know the user's preferences or budget.

Here are some other types of questions that AI services without situational awareness will not be able to answer properly:

• "What is the traffic like right now?"

• "What is the best route to get to the airport?"

• "What are the latest news headlines?"

• "What is the stock market doing today?"

• "What is the weather forecast for the next week?"

The consequences of AI services not being able to answer questions properly could be significant. For example, a driver who relies on an AI service to provide accurate traffic information could get lost or have an accident. A business that relies on an AI service to provide accurate market data could make bad decisions that could cost them money. A doctor who relies on an AI service to provide accurate medical advice could misdiagnose a patient.

It is important for AI services to have situational awareness in order to answer questions properly. This means that they need to be able to understand the context in which the question is being asked, as well as the user's needs and expectations. There are a number of ways to improve the situational awareness of AI services, such as:

• Training them on a massive dataset of text and code that includes information about the world and how it works.

• Interacting with users in a variety of ways to understand their needs and expectations.

• Being evaluated by experts in the field of artificial intelligence to identify areas where they can improve.

As AI services become more sophisticated, it is important that they also have the ability to understand the context in which they are being used. This will help to ensure that they are able to provide accurate and relevant information, and that they do not cause harm to users.

Bing Chat’s answer:Situational awareness is a crucial component of AI services that aim to provide accurate and relevant answers to users’ questions. Without situational awareness, AI services may fail to answer questions that require context, common sense, or domain knowledge. Some examples of such questions are:

• What should I wear today? This question depends on the weather, the location, the occasion, and the personal preferences of the user. Without situational awareness, an AI service may suggest inappropriate or impractical clothing options.

• How can I get to the nearest hospital? This question requires knowledge of the user’s current location, the traffic conditions, the availability of transportation modes, and the distance and direction of the hospital. Without situational awareness, an AI service may provide outdated or inaccurate directions.

• Who is the president of France? This question may seem simple, but it can change over time depending on the political situation and the election results. Without situational awareness, an AI service may give an incorrect or outdated answer.

The consequences of failing to answer these questions properly can range from minor inconvenience to serious harm. For example, wearing inappropriate clothing can cause discomfort or embarrassment, getting lost or delayed can cause stress or danger, and relying on incorrect information can cause confusion or misinformation. Therefore, it is important for AI services to have situational awareness and adapt to the changing situations.

Claude’s answer:AI systems like myself don't actually have situational awareness or a sense of proper or improper. We're designed to have conversational interactions, not real awareness. However, some types of questions that could be challenging for AI without explicit situational context include:

• Questions about current events or breaking news - without access to up-to-date information, an AI may not be able to provide useful responses about unfolding events.

• Location-specific questions - without knowledge of where the user is located, it may be difficult for an AI to provide location-relevant information.

• Time-sensitive questions - without access to the current time/date, an AI may struggle with questions related to schedules, openings hours, etc.

• Personalized questions - without understanding the user's individual context, preferences, etc., an AI cannot personalize responses.

If an AI system does not have access to the situational context to support those types of questions, the consequences could include providing irrelevant, inaccurate or unhelpful information to the user. The ideal scenario is to provide an AI with clear contextual signals from the conversation and integration with knowledge sources to allow for informed, situationally relevant responses. But ultimately, current AI systems have no true situational awareness - any context is provided by the system designers and data sources.