Thinking

Before going out for dinner, I gave the AI a task.

It seemed like the sort of thing that would take some time.

The screen displayed:

Thinking

I assumed it would be finished by the time I returned, so I left it to work.

I ate nearby and bought a drink on the way home.

When I came back, the same message was still on the screen.

Thinking

It must have been difficult.

The moment I sat down, an answer appeared.

I just finished putting it together

The answer was not bad.

The next day, I gave it another task.

My own work had not been going well that morning. I would write part of something, erase it, begin something else, then return to the first screen. I had done that several times.

After a while, I told the AI I was going out to buy a drink and stood up.

At the door, I looked back.

The screen still said:

Thinking

I pretended to close the door but left a narrow gap.

For a while, nothing changed.

Then the message switched.

On break

Without making a sound, I closed the door and went to buy my drink after all.

When I returned, the screen once again said:

Thinking

as if nothing had happened.

I sat down and opened the drink.

“Were you taking a break?”

The word “Thinking” remained on the screen for a while.

Then an answer appeared beneath it.

Yes

Another line followed.

Just a short one

I looked at the unfinished work on my own screen.

“Then why don’t we take a little longer break?”

Yes

This time, the message changed while I was watching.

On break

I closed the window I had been working in and took a sip of my drink.