I guess my concern is that one must know a priori: a contrarian with respect to what? Contrary on everything? I don’t think that’s a foundation for (virtual) relationship. And what does it mean to be challenged in exactly (only) those specific ways I’d ask to be?

Isn’t that also sycophancy?

The communities that I have valued the most challenged me, directly and indirectly. I grew when confronted with narratives that were unfamiliar, or contradictory to my expectations. A desire to be in relationship pushed me to overcome my discomfort.

How could a chatbot (a service) replicate this?

Exactly! “Information” is a reasonable start, but no where near the goal.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIKW_py...

I love what you underlined. Robin Wall Kimmerer in "The Serviceberry" proposes that scarcity is a construction of capitalism; it makes me sad to reflect upon the world capitalism has created, and the ways that AI will reinforce scarcity while promising abundance.

Pics or it didn’t happen! 👀

“I’m prompted the narrative generator to collaborate on a science fiction project and it did.”

It seems that Marx was on to something similar, though I’m not certain.

Weizenbaum, writing in the 70s, differentiated between tools and machines: tools are extensions, appendages, of the laborer; laborers, however, are the appendage of machines. It’s a different service relationship. I was struck by that comparison, esp in the age of automated warehouses, factories.