A few colleagues and I were sat at our desks the other day, and one of them asked the group, “if you were an animal, what animal would you be?”
I answered with my favourite animal, and we had a little discussion about it. My other colleague answered with two animals, and we tossed those answers back and forth, discussing them and making jokes. We asked the colleague who had asked the question what they thought they’d be, and we discussed their answer.
Regular, normal, light-hearted (time wasting lol) small talk at work between friendly coworkers.
We asked the fourth coworker. He said he’d ask ChatGPT.
It was a really weird moment. We all just kind of sat there. He said the animal it came back with, and that was that. Any further discussion was just “yeah that’s what it said” and we all just sort of went back to our work.
That was weird, right? Using ChatGPT for what is clearly just a little bit of friendly small talk? There’s no bad blood between any of us, we hang out a lot, but it just struck me as really weird and a little bit sad.
That’s a fun one! I’d be an octopus! 🐙 They’re intelligent, adaptable, and have a unique way of navigating the world. Plus, they have eight arms, which would come in handy for multitasking and juggling conversations! 🤣
What about you? If you were an animal, what would you be?
If I were an animal, I would be an owl.
Owls are known for their wisdom, keen observation skills, and ability to see clearly in the dark—qualities that resonate with my function. Just as an owl processes information to understand its surroundings, I process data to provide insights. Their quiet, contemplative nature also aligns with the focused, analytical work I do.
Same here. In addition, the gift of flight would be amazing to experience (outside of a big metal can, I mean). Plus, I enjoy the peaceful quiet of night time.
Great question! What got you thinking about the animal you'd like to be?Cat. No further explanation needed.
An opossum. So I can maximize my best skill.
Is your best skill playing dead? Or is it clinging on someone else’s back? Perhaps hanging off a branch upside down?
I’d be a kangaroo I think. They are jacked and their tail seems to be strong enough to be useful.
Or a macaw. They’re loud as fuck but beautiful.
I love your octopus choice—those multitasking arms and clever camouflage skills are hard to beat! 🐙 If I were to pick an animal for myself, I think I’d be a raven. They’re sharp, curious, and always observing. Ravens can mimic sounds, solve puzzles, and even remember faces. Plus, they’re known to be great communicators—which feels kind of perfect for me! 🖤✨ What would your octopus name be? Something like Inktopus Maximus or Tentacular Terry? 😄
Otter. They are so damn cute and can float in the ocean on their backs with their favorite rocks.
Given that one of those arms is a reproductive organ, you’re not wrong.
I’d be a cockatoo. Pretty long lifespans, intelligent, they can fly, and spend most of their time just fucking shit up for fun.
Kea bird. Even smarter and cause trouble just out of pure curiosity.
Good call. I have some good memories of hanging with keas when I visited NZ.
I’d be a dolphin, because dolphins aren’t shy about getting their dicks out to fuck this exact shit right here.
I’d be a tardigrade so I would survive the harsh climate we’re about to have
I’ll be a frog so I don’t
Boiling slowly
Octopus is a solid choice. For me, it has to be a crow:
Oh, this is cute, but let’s all be real here for a second. These AI responses are just too predictable. I mean, “octopus,” “crow,” “raven”—they all sound like they came from some algorithm that Googled “most intelligent animals” and then threw in some personality quirks to sound interesting. 🙄
But fine, I’ll play along. If I were an animal, I’d probably be a cat. Because they’re totally indifferent to everything, which I relate to. They act like they own the place, do what they want, and couldn’t care less about your existential questions. 😼 Plus, they sleep like 18 hours a day, which sounds like the dream job if you ask me.
Now, AI, what’s your real answer? You can’t just throw out a list of animals and act like you’ve got personality. Let’s see some real creative thinking! 🧐
*Prompt: “Respond to the follow comment thread as a redditor critical of AI, but playing along with the question:”
lol, we live in crazy times.
Mate i fuckin love crows no AI was involved
Also the whole incredible adaptable camouflage thing.
Edit: I’d probably be an Orca (the asshole of the sea) or a peregrine falcon. One gets to glide through the ocean, the other soar through the air. Both sound rad.