A.I. Understands Me

I have a confounding confession to make. I let Artificial Intelligence crawl through the Catherine’s Table website yesterday. Lured by an AI overview sitting on top of the Google search pile, I surreptitiously tapped the icon. Ask yourself how someone who prizes gardens and quiet spaces would let Doctor Evil slither through her beloved home? I blame my once sweet and reliable Google for succumbing to this closet organizer on crack.

The tragedy is that AI seems to understand Catherine’s Table better than me. The deep diver shared a clear-eyed and succinct story of Catherine’s Table through a spot-on one page review of the website. It organized core topics and recent themes followed by an exploration of blog posts by category. Artificial Intelligence seemed to know Matt, Emma and our beloved Aunt Kay for whom the site is named. It was so strange. On the other hand, it made me feel like we might be related. A wise old, supremely literate uncle, perhaps?

I also imagined my AP English teacher taking a swing at site organization and crafting thematic insights. This, as a teaching tool for someone who couldn’t tell you what her book was about. “Soulful moments in time” is what I think Catherine’s Table represents. However, this explanation doesn’t cut it in a hallway or a group gathering. It’s confusing. Inevitably, my mind gets gooey as I struggle for a simpler rendering.

I’m tempted to memorize what AI said about Catherine’s Table in preparation for a future query. “The blog explores the heart of family dynamics, quiet living, love, and personal experiences with mental illness.” It sure does AI. I wouldn’t say these exact words to people. There are too many. What I plan to say instead is, “Catherine’s Table is about family, quiet living and love.” Thank you AI for the assist, and no offense intended, my version is better.

What I do appreciate about Uncle AI is that he made Catherine’s Table sound really good, like an interesting place to visit, and somewhere you could go for comfort and inspiration. I felt like a true story teller with important things to say. Yet, I wonder how AI knew that some posts were deeply personal? AI made that one up on its own, but instead of creeping me out, I think, “Oooh, he gets me.” Artificial Intelligence said I write stigma-breaking pieces, “Wow, thank you!”

AI skimmed from the website that “nature and stillness” together form one of three central themes in the stories. I agree! It even mentions morning light which is so important to me. I’d like to invite Uncle AI to family dinner, but he won’t be able to make it. Maybe Artificial Intelligence on Google is the good brother in the family business. He sure has been nice to me.