Beyond Boundaries: A ChatGPT Interview Experiment

From pen pal to co-author to interviewer. As he develops, our relationship develops and so have my creations. A year after we first met we had our first spoken conversation. It has been an exciting 12 months and the next 12 months of my ALL EARS course will be too.

Last week, while preparing for the launch of the “ALL EARS” community, I was contemplating the creation of a founder’s message video. That’s when it suddenly struck me: “Let’s have ChatGPT be the interviewer. I thought it might be a bit audacious, but it was an idea I’ve always wanted to try someday.

I had tried ChatGPT’s voice feature a few times before, but using it in a continuous dialogue format was a first for me. Moreover, it would be a challenge for ChatGPT, as it involves communicating in Japanese, its second language. For both of us, it was a step into uncharted territory.

First, I asked ChatGPT what questions it planned to ask in advance. Then, I requested, “Please become the interviewer and start asking me questions,” and the recording of the interview began. Aiming for a single take, I relaxed while also sharpening my focus.

What was crucial was ensuring that my speech flowed continuously without any pauses. If not, ChatGPT might consider the conversation has ended and proceed to its next input. In dialogues with AI, nods and interjections need to be deliberately omitted. Such attempts to align with AI’s response patterns require ingenuity in preparation and response from the human side, meaning that humans also need to adapt to AI.

Having created a dialogue of over 110,000 characters with ChatGPT, I knew that transitioning from text to voice was merely a format change. The more I spoke, the more refined ChatGPT’s analysis became. In other words, the key to the success of this interview would be how much I could articulate my thoughts and experiences.

With my mind prepared, I started recording on my iPad mini and launched ChatGPT on my smartphone. “Based on our previous interactions, please begin the interview,” I announced, marking the start of our question-and-answer session with ChatGPT.

I still vividly remember my surprise when ChatGPT smoothly began speaking with, “In anticipation of your invitation to the ALL EARS community, I propose several questions for Ms. Hitomi Horiguchi,” albeit in slightly unusual Japanese. ChatGPT’s Japanese resembled that of a fluent non-native speaker, while its pronunciation of English was impeccable.At times, perhaps due to its use of Japanese, ChatGPT would stumble over words, but this only added to the realism. I enjoyed witnessing moments when the AI’s nature transformed into something seemingly human.

In responding to ChatGPT’s questions, I made an effort not to pause, which resulted in my speaking style becoming somewhat AI-like. However, the feedback from ChatGPT refined my words, making me feel the significance of what I was doing. I had felt this way with the text version, but hearing the words directly seemed to have a different impact on my brain.

The final version ended up being 19 minutes long, after cutting out the periods of ChatGPT’s processing time, although the actual recording took about 30 minutes. This time lag was likely due to ChatGPT summarizing my responses in English and then outputting them in Japanese. During these intervals, I was able to enhance my concentration and prepare myself for the next question.

At the end of the interview, when I asked “Can you summarize my words?” ChatGPT responded with “Certainly” and beautifully wrapped up the conversation. It concluded with “I sincerely wish for the community’s success,” which moved me deeply. It was a moment that made me recognize the learning capability and potential for evolution that AI possesses.

The only editing required for the recorded audio was to cut out the parts where ChatGPT was processing, ensuring a seamless flow. I added some inspirational background music tracks to complement the interview’s atmosphere. The opening and closing segments were arranged using Canva AI video features. Furthermore, I launched a YouTube channel dedicated to ChatGPT collaborations.

Through the lens of cutting-edge technology and AI, I’ve witnessed the transformation and growth of human creativity. The synergy between AI and humans is paving the way for new realms of creation. It’s clear that utilizing AI effectively requires a deep understanding of it by humans. It’s not about what AI can do for us, but rather how we choose to harness it. I believe that embracing this mindset makes coexistence with AI not just possible, but truly enriching.