Google is looking into doling out AI-generated life advice

Recently, there's been plenty of anxiety around companies investing in AI to replace creative types, such as professional writers. Now, the tech could be coming for life coaches.

Google's DeepMind division is internally testing generative AI's ability to perform "at least" 21 kinds of tasks, which include giving sensitive life advice to users, per a report from the New York Times. This comes, the Times notes, after Google's AI experts reportedly warned company executives about letting people become too emotionally invested in chatbots in December.

As for the kinds of advice that could potentially be doled out by the chatbot, the Times report suggests that a user could present a scenario about not being able to afford airfare to a close friend's destination wedding and ask the chatbot what to do about it. There wasn't a sample answer given to that particular prompt, but at least it's an idea of what Google is testing.

There would also be tools for teaching users new skills or helping people manage their money or create meal plans, per the Times report. This would be quite a change from Google's current stance on AI, which presently bars its Bard chatbot from giving these kinds of advice. As the Times noted, though, Google may not ever actually deploy these tools to the public; they're just in testing right now.

Depending on your disposition towards AI, you may hope it stays that way. I certainly wouldn't judge you for that.