Meet ChatTJB, the “AI” chatbot with no AI, no algorithm and no LLM. It’s just one guy and 10,000 volunteers typing back
There's no AI behind ChatTJB, just a former Google employee and soon, more than 10,000 volunteers answering strangers' questions in his place.
Former Google employee Tucker Bryant created ChatTJB, a chatbot that operates like a typical AI assistant but with a unique twist. Instead of relying on large language models or algorithms, ChatTJB is operated by Bryant and a team of over 10,000 volunteers. The site went viral after Bryant placed a billboard in San Francisco advertising a "leading chat interface powered by AI," with the asterisk revealing that the AI stands for "average individual."
ChatTJB has received over 100,000 prompts since its launch, and the waitlist for volunteers is growing by around 1,000 people each day. This shift in focus from AI to human interaction is a result of Bryant's concern over people outsourcing too much of their thinking to AI without verifying the answers they receive. The project is an art piece that examines the emotional stakes of cognitive surrender, a term coined by Wharton professors Steven D. Shaw and Gideon Nave.
They found that people relying on AI assistance were more accurate when the AI was correct, but their accuracy dropped by 15 percentage points when the AI provided incorrect advice.
Unlike many AI companies, ChatTJB introduces friction to its process, making users wait longer for answers and providing responses that are not infinitely scalable. This slows down the experience, but it also allows for a more personal touch, which is something most AI companies are trying to avoid. Shaw cautioned against interpreting ChatTJB's popularity as evidence that people want their technology to become slower, stating that ChatTJB is art and not a reflection of people's desire for inefficient AI tools.
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