--- title: "The100: Sunken unicorns, the first chatbot and who’s in space" description: The artificial intelligentsia Back in 1966, an MIT professor called Joseph Weizenbaum invented the first chatbot. Many of the alarm bells he subsequently rang in the 70s are still tolling today:  “By ceding so many decisions to computers, he thought, we had created a world that was more unequal and less rational, in which the … image: https://hello.watchmethink.com/hubfs/The100%20Banners%20(1920%20x%201080%20px)%20(66).png --- [![Bombayworks logotype](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/wmt-logo_inverse.svg "Bombayworks logotype")](https://watchmethink.com/) - [What we do](https://watchmethink.com/#) - [Watch Me Explore](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-explore) - [Watch Me Develop](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-develop) - [Watch Me Use](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-use) - [Watch Me Shop](https://watchmethink.com/what-we-do/watch-me-shop) - [Who it's for](https://watchmethink.com/#) - [Consumer Insights](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/consumer-insights) - [Shopper Insights](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/shopper-insights) - [Category Management](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/category-mangement) - [Innovation & Product Development](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/innovation) - [Sensory & Consumer Science](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/consumer-science) - [Packaging](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/packaging) - [Marketing](https://watchmethink.com/who-its-for/marketing) - [About](https://watchmethink.com/about) - [The 100 Blog](https://blog.watchmethink.com/) - [Contact](https://watchmethink.com/contact) - [Login](https://watchmethink.com/dashboard) - [Sign up](https://watchmethink.com/#) - [Corporate users](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/client) - [Request registration here](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/client) - [Consumer](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/contributor) - [Get paid to review products](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/contributor) Menu # The100: Sunken unicorns, the first chatbot and who’s in space - Home - [Blog](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog) - The100: Sunken unicorns, the first chatbot and who’s in space - [Blog home /](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog) [Alistair Vince](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/author/alistair-vince) 09/15/2023 [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100), [Homepage](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/homepage) [0 Comments](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-sunken-unicorns-the-first-chatbot-and-whos-in-space#postComment) 2 Minutes ## The artificial intelligentsia Back in 1966, an MIT professor called [Joseph Weizenbaum](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/jul/25/joseph-weizenbaum-inventor-eliza-chatbot-turned-against-artificial-intelligence-ai) invented the first chatbot. Many of the alarm bells he subsequently rang in the 70s are still tolling today:  *“By ceding so many decisions to computers, he thought, we had created a world that was more unequal and less rational, in which the richness of human reason had been flattened into the senseless routines of code \[…\] For Weizenbaum, judgement involves choices that are guided by values. These values are acquired through the course of our life experience and are necessarily qualitative: they cannot be captured in code. Calculation, by contrast, is quantitative. It uses a technical calculus to arrive at a decision. Computers are only capable of calculation, not judgement.”* Whilst we’re on the smoggy presence of digital exhaust, here are a few more articles on the subject: - [How qual researchers really feel about Generative AI](https://www.research-live.com/article/opinion/how-qual-researchers-really-feel-about-generative-ai/id/5116653?s=03) - [Why Generative AI remind me of horoscopes](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tomfgoodwin_generative-al-reminds-me-of-horoscopes-activity-7103080992852033536-VUmW?) - [Generative AI and intellectual property](https://www.ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2023/8/27/generative-ai-ad-intellectual-property) - [Hallucinations for fun & profit](https://brxnd.substack.com/p/hallucinations-for-fun-and-profit) ## The pet factor The honourable gentleman, Jonathan Middis, very kindly sent me a superb graph from Chartr showing [which animals veggies and non-veggies deem as morally acceptable to eat.](https://read.chartr.co/newsletters/2023/9/3/vegging-out)  There are so many interesting parts to it: The inflexion midway. The agreement on octopus. The disagreement on horses. It’s a corker.  ## “What’s really exceptional is the speed at which we spent money” Not so long ago, online used car retailer, Cazoo (inspired by US company Carvana) was everywhere you looked here in the UK. They went from 0 to 85% awareness in 18 months and became the fastest UK business to achieve “unicorn” status. Then they lost 97% of their value. Lucas Bergmans, who was Group Marketing Director at the time, spoke to BigSmall about [their model, approach, successes, challenges, rise and subsequent fall.](https://www.bigsmall.works/podcast) It’s an interesting case study for a 30 minute commute / drive / walk. ## “Smart” traits According to to Morgan Housel, there’s an important distinction in life – [the difference between being intelligent and being smart:](https://collabfund.com/blog/intelligent-vs-smart/?)  *“Intelligent people understand technical details, smart people understand emotional details \[…\] who is more likely to succeed in life – a person whose main skill is memorizing formulas, or someone who can instantly relate to the emotions of coworkers, customers, spouses, and friends?”* ## Start spreadin’ the news Rob Stephenson runs [The Neighbourhoods](https://theneighborhoods.substack.com/) –  “a not-so-deep dive into every neighborhood in NYC”. The Sights and Sounds sections are particularly pleasing.  ## And finally… A MAP! [Real time lighting flashes.](https://www.lightningmaps.org/#m=oss;t=3;s=0;o=0;b=;ts=0;y=41.9023;x=8.833;z=4;d=2;dl=2;dc=0;) Yuuuuursssssss (said in my best[Jeremy Clarson impression](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbihqzCFp28&t=52s)). [Who’s in space right now?](https://whoisinspace.com/) Every year Cindy Gallop [live tweets (X’s?) her reading of the September issue of Vogue](https://twitter.com/cindygallop/status/1700541003428397314) – it’s long, but it’s a total joy. Cindy doesn’t hold back. Ace.  --- #### Tag: [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100) [Homepage](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/homepage) #### Share: - [Follow us on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-sunken-unicorns-the-first-chatbot-and-whos-in-space) - [Follow us on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-sunken-unicorns-the-first-chatbot-and-whos-in-space&text=The100:%20Sunken%20unicorns,%20the%20first%20chatbot%20and%20who’s%20in%20space) - [Follow us on Linkedin](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-sunken-unicorns-the-first-chatbot-and-whos-in-space) - [Follow us on Pinterest](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-sunken-unicorns-the-first-chatbot-and-whos-in-space&text=The100:%20Sunken%20unicorns,%20the%20first%20chatbot%20and%20who’s%20in%20spacedescription=The%20artificial%20intelligentsia%20Back%20in%201966,%20an%20MIT%20professor%20called%20Joseph%20Weizenbaum%20invented%20the%20first%20chatbot.%20Many%20of%20the%20alarm%20bells%20he%20subsequently%20rang[...]&media=https://3461170.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/3461170/The100%20Banners%20%281920%20x%201080%20px%29%20%2866%29.png) --- --- ## From the archives If you like The100, maybe even found it vaguely enjoyable (steady now), you can have a ganders at our previous issues. Fill your boots. [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100), [Homepage](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/homepage) 19 September, 2025 #### [The100: Uber’s research playbook, online delivery models and polyphonic ringtones](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-ubers-research-playbook-online-delivery-models-and-polyphonic-ringtones) UberCool Back in 2017, Uber had a problem. Passengers were so unhappy with UberPool that Uber… [Read More](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-ubers-research-playbook-online-delivery-models-and-polyphonic-ringtones) [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100), [Homepage](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/homepage) 05 September, 2025 #### [The100: Expanding time, talking to animals and Chile’s Atacama Desert](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-expanding-time-talking-to-animals-and-chiles-atacama-desert) SharkNinja’s $16B+ Product Machine SharkNinja must see more launches than a shipyard. Each year… [Read More](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-expanding-time-talking-to-animals-and-chiles-atacama-desert) [The100](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/the100), [Homepage](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/tag/homepage) 22 August, 2025 #### [The100: The price of American made, judgement economies and 1880s hipsters](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-the-price-of-american-made-judgement-economies-and-1880s-hipsters) Does your brand need to be polarising to be successful? From their grand palaces of ‘hot takes’,… [Read More](https://hello.watchmethink.com/blog/the100-the-price-of-american-made-judgement-economies-and-1880s-hipsters) - Get started - [Login](https://watchmethink.com/account/login) - [Sign up: Corporate User](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/client) - [Sign up: Consumer](https://watchmethink.com/account/register/contributor) - Resources - [Terms for Thinkers](https://watchmethink.com/terms) - [Terms for Adhoc Work](https://watchmethink.com/terms-for-adhoc-work) - [Terms for Subscriptions](https://watchmethink.com/terms-for-subscriptions) - [Terms for Agents](https://watchmethink.com/agent) - About - [Contact us](https://watchmethink.com/contact) - [About us](https://watchmethink.com/about) - [Blog](https://blog.watchmethink.com/) - [Privacy policy](https://watchmethink.com/privacy) - [Equality, diversity and labour standards](https://watchmethink.com/equality-diversity-labour-standards) - Social - [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/watch-me-think) - [Twitter](https://twitter.com/watchmethink) ![cyber-essentials-plus](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/cyber-essentials-plus.png?width=96&name=cyber-essentials-plus.png "cyber-essentials-plus") ![mrs-logo-cps](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/mrs-logo-cps.png?width=216&name=mrs-logo-cps.png "mrs-logo-cps") ![watch](https://hello.watchmethink.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WatchMeThink_September_2023/images/watch.png?width=213&name=watch.png "watch") Watch Me Think © 2025. 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