According to artificial intelligence, what do we ask artificial intelligence the most?

“The emergence of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), with ChatGPT at the forefront, has transformed the way citizens around the world look for answers,” began the text that shone on my monitor in response to the question I asked: “What is it that we Argentinians ask AI the most?”

What I'm highlighting is that I posed the question to Google's Gemini, and they cited their competitor, ChatGPT, to answer. We started off on a level playing field. (Or has this edgy technological initiative already adopted the human habit of copying and pasting text from elsewhere? I have to think not.)

Google AI Pro

Google

Let's continue with the computer speech:

“But if these models trained with billions of data points are good for anything, it's to offer a faithful mirror of the concerns and ingenuity of each society. And in Argentina, and particularly in Mendoza, the reflection is as sharp as it is amusing.” The AI eludes a direct answer, perhaps because when I gave it the order, I requested that it be extremely thorough and empathetic in its explanation, because I was interested in sharing this in detail with Los Andes readers. Perhaps it went too far… or perhaps I was too demanding.

“According to national usage trends, the question that wins by a landslide in Argentina has nothing to do with philosophy or science. It's a simple and constant: 'How much is the dollar today?' This query breaks down into all its variants: 'How much is the blue dollar?', 'What is the official one?' or 'How much is the MEP worth?'” (I made this request before President Milei 's agreement with his US counterpart, Trump . But users' doubts about the dollar will surely continue. I mean, beyond official promises of stability, it's clear that economic policies, historically, have little to do with intelligence, and not just artificial intelligence.)

dollar and feng shui

WEB

“Dear AI: And what do you get asked the most in our province, Mendoza?” I asked again. “In our province,” Gemini adds, “the national trend continues, but we add a local flavor. We Mendoza residents, of course, also obsessively ask about foreign currency, but AI also becomes our best virtual tour guide and winemaker: 'What's the best wine route to take in one day?' or 'Which wineries do you recommend in Luján de Cuyo?' There are also repeated questions about the status of Mount Aconcagua, border crossings, or the snow forecast.”

And of course, fear also plays a role: "The search for practical information about the famous Zonda or the status of provincial procedures complements the requests." The most famous westerly wind is an obsession for us, almost as intense as our nightmare of bureaucratic procedures...

We return to Argentina

Further on, Google's brainy, artificial text addresses the most frequently asked questions across Argentina. "On the podium of the most frequently asked questions nationwide, two queries that define our essence compete head-to-head: How do I explain to a foreigner what mate is? Messi or Maradona?" The AI obviously isn't playing for either of them. Besides, it's artificial, so it's not driven, like you or I, by emotions.

From Maradona's pyramidal power to Messi's circular power

What's striking is that in other countries, the queries are much more boring. There are no Messis or Maradonas, and the most common questions for non-Argentinian Latinos are practical and to the point. I tried two neighboring countries at random: Chile and Bolivia. In the trans-Andean country, the questions about bonuses, benefits, and social programs come first (e.g., "How do I access the Cultural Pass?").

In Bolivia, questions about knowledge, education, and local culture win (e.g., searching for academic information or the meaning of terms in native languages). As you can see, they're much more pragmatic and less fun. They ask about concrete, useful, and necessary questions. We ask about our idols and various entertainments. (Another nice way to continue feeling like the coolest country in the world.)

"In short, while Chileans and Bolivians look to Artificial Intelligence for a practical service or a mentor for development, we Argentines, in addition to school assistance and paperwork, ask it for a special favor: tell us the price of the dollar and, if it's not too much trouble, help us decide between the Ten and the Ten... even though we know the answer is impossible."

Ah, well, that's a nice ending to the report, Gemini. This technology knows how to speak, how to express itself, and how to interpret the information from such a large database. And it narrates it to you in a human way, the machine itself. It got an A, haha ... But let's keep an eye on the evolution of AI, lest in the future these huge, always well-explained, cold data hits send our brains to the B.

* The author is a journalist. [email protected]