Bob Marley, Notorious B.I.G, and Tupac Shakur fans now have an opportunity to talk to their favorite rappers as a leading AI company has launched a chatbot that allows fans to send text messages to the late rappers.
Technology has come a long way with public discourse exploring various developments in the past few weeks, including a flexible robot being able to liquefy itself to escape jail bars and ChatGPT reportedly passing state bar exams and being able to perform the roles of some lawyers. Only time will tell how humans will rely on artificial intelligence this way, but it seems that Chatbots are already a modern-day staple.
On Thursday, the app Historical Figures shared that it is creating a new artificial intelligence chatbot that fans can use to message people in history.
The app launched a list of 20,000 figures, including Bob Marley, Tupac Shakur, Notorious B.I.G, aka Biggie Smalls, and many others fans can talk to this week. In the Apple store, the app said the chatbot allows users to have conversations with deceased historical figures who have made a significant impact on history (good or bad). The list spanned ancient rulers and philosophers to modern-day politicians and artists.
The app is created by a 25-year-old Amazon software engineer Sidhant Chaddha, and has seen 9,000 signups, NBC news said. It asks users to pay using coins to talk to the figures and has a 2.6/5 rating on the Apple app store.
For the most part, reggae and hip-hop fans have been sharing their convos with Bob Marley, Tupac, and Notorious B.I.G on social media. It remains to be seen how others will perceive the chats, but some appear to show Biggie and Tupac appearing friendly despite their wide rivalry during the 1990s before they were both killed.
“It’s been a few years since his passing and I miss him every day but he lives on through his music,” a message from Biggie’s chatbot said when asked about how he feels about 2Pac.
“Pac was one of the hardest working guys n the rap game, he put out classics like ‘Changes’ and ‘Dear Mama’ that will never be forgotten. We had similar upbringings so I always felt a kinship with him and strived to do my best in honor of him. That’s real talk,” the bot said.
One fan also shared full conversations with the bot as he pressed, “But he dissed you on it though”, with the chatbot responding: “You know what, that’s just part of the game. never took things too personally in my career and neither did Pac, so although we had our differences at times it was all just business for me. At the end of the day, he respected my hustle and talent and I have nothing but respect for him. We’ll always have a special bond through music.”
Not everyone is a fan of the chatbot seemingly pretending to be Biggie, especially as black Twitter believes the deceased should be left to rest.
Meanwhile, the app has received backlash on Twitter from persons who shared conversations with figures like Hitler, his Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, and others.
Some of the responses border on “lies” and twist the truth, some fans pointed out. In one instance, Hitler appears to share regrets for his actions calling the genocide of Jewish people “a mistake,” although nothing in history suggests he felt that way.
In the meantime, some parts of the Muslim world have already condemned the app, which has a bot for the prophet Muhammad.
We chat with Bob Marley for a bit on the app and here’s what transpired.
