ChatGPT CE Interview (Part 2)

Previously I ‘interviewed’ OpenAI’s latest public release of ChatGPT about the role of digital technology and AI in a circular economy.

As a follow up I wondered if it would be useful to ask the chatbot to interview me - the results were surprisingly valuable. 

What wasn’t surprising (any more), was that the AI did a decent job of asking the questions. It even followed up when I didn’t fully respond to a question it asked. 

The surprising bit (for me) was that I lost interest in the experiment of seeing what ChatGPT was capable of, and started to really think about my answers! So the exercise became more about through how I explain my views on the role of software in a transition to the circular economy. I do this a lot, so it was fun and valuable to explore this in a slightly different format - while also thinking about how the AI was structuring its responses to my answers.

I started with this prompt: “I am a software engineer and entrepreneur with 20 years experience. I am particularly interested in the role of digital technology and software in a circular economy. Can you interview me as a technology journalist might?”

The first ‘interview’ quickly became very one sided, it felt like it was being too nice. So, for the second ‘interview’ I asked the AI to act as if it was “critical of the potential of a circular economy”. To me this was more fun, as it brought in a challenge to my responses with information beyond what I had provided.

Full transcripts of both chats are below:

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[Interview 1 starts]

Sure! I'd be happy to interview you as if I were a technology journalist. Please go ahead and tell me a bit about your background in software engineering and entrepreneurship. How did you first become interested in the role of digital technology and software in a circular economy?

I have always enjoyed being outdoors and actively being closer to the rest of the natural world. It bothers me that we view ourselves as somehow separate. I believe that mindset is a large part of the cause of some of the biggest problems we face today: the climate crises and biodiversity collapse. The reality is that we rely on the ecosystem we are part of to provide and support the lives we live and the economy we have created.

That's a very insightful perspective. It's clear that you have a strong passion for sustainability and the natural world. How has this passion influenced your work in software engineering and entrepreneurship?

I'm also interested in hearing more about the specific ways in which you see digital technology and software as being able to support a circular economy. Could you elaborate on that for me?

If we are to successfully tackle major issues such as climate change, waste crises and biodiversity loss, the linear economy has to change. We must transform all elements of the take-make-waste system: how we manage resources, how we make and use products, and what we do with the materials afterwards.

Technology, created and implemented with care, is a vital enabler for this transformation. Therefore, I have become passionate about using my software engineering and entrepreneurship experiences to be a positive part of the transition.

Across the linear economy our software is optimised to maximise the one-way flow of materials. When we want to make that flow more circular, we may find that the software is completely blocking the necessary innovation and learning.  Thus we need to rethink the software business relies on to put circularity at the centre. Specific examples of this include tools that help with circular product design, optimising and facilitating reuse & repair to maximise product lifetimes and tracking the materials used to make it easier to keep their value for longer.

That's a great explanation of the role that digital technology and software can play in supporting a circular economy. It's clear that you have a deep understanding of the issues and the potential solutions.

Can you tell me more about any specific projects or initiatives that you have worked on in this area? How have you applied your expertise in software engineering and entrepreneurship to drive positive change and support the transition to a circular economy?

One of my favourite examples is a Scottish start-up who's easy-to-use software helps businesses launch and scale reusable packaging systems. This requires a complete change to existing processes – and existing software is a barrier to that change. Their platform puts reuse at the centre, which means that the software is the vehicle for transformation. Their approach also includes an Open Data Standard to help address the gap in business understanding and provide a foundation on which these new processes can be optimised – eventually reaching the same level of efficiency as the linear process, but with all the upsides of circularity.

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[Interview 1 ends]

The next question included “How do you see this area evolving in the coming years, and what impact do you hope to have on this evolution?” That demonstrates a nice progression of the questions.

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[Interview 2 starts]

Sure! I'll do my best to play the role of a skeptical technology journalist. Let's get started.

So, as a software engineer and entrepreneur with 20 years of experience, what inspired you to focus on the role of digital technology and software in a circular economy? And how do you believe it can contribute to the transition to a circular economy?

I have always enjoyed being outdoors and actively being closer to the rest of the natural world. It bothers me that we view ourselves as somehow separate. I believe that mindset is a large part of the cause of some of the biggest problems we face today: the climate crises and biodiversity collapse. The reality is that we rely on the ecosystem we are part of to provide and support the lives we live and the economy we have created.

If we are to successfully tackle major issues such as climate change, waste crises and biodiversity loss, the linear economy has to change. We must transform all elements of the take-make-waste system: how we manage resources, how we make and use products, and what we do with the materials afterwards.

Technology, created and implemented with care, is a vital enabler for this transformation. Therefore, I have become passionate about using my software engineering and entrepreneurship experiences to be a positive part of the transition.

I see. So you believe that digital technology and software can play a key role in helping to transition to a circular economy, by enabling more efficient resource management and the reuse of materials. Can you give some specific examples of how this might be achieved?

One of my favourite examples is a Scottish start-up who's easy-to-use software helps businesses launch and scale reusable packaging systems. This requires a complete change to existing processes – and existing software is a barrier to that change. Their platform puts reuse at the centre, which means that the software is the vehicle for transformation. Their approach also includes an Open Data Standard to help address the gap in business understanding and provide a foundation on which these new processes can be optimised – eventually reaching the same level of efficiency as the linear process, but with all the upsides of circularity.

That's a great example. It sounds like the software is helping to facilitate a shift towards more sustainable business practices, by providing a platform for the implementation and optimization of reusable packaging systems.

However, some critics might argue that while digital technology and software can certainly help to enable the transition to a circular economy, they can also contribute to resource depletion and waste if not used responsibly. For instance, the production of electronic devices requires significant amounts of energy and raw materials, and e-waste is a growing problem. How do you respond to these concerns?

Great question. It is true that e-waste is a huge problem & there are some terrible consequences to the production of electronic devices. There is even a real challenge with the growing energy demand from data centres and digital technology.

However, circularity offers one part of the solution to these problems. By keeping electronic devices in use for longer, designing for modularity and repair we could reduce the resources needed in the first place. We could also move away from the linear process which is creating all this hard to recycle e-waste, significantly reducing the quantity while also making it easier to extract the valuable materials for the next use. 

It is also important to understand that a circular economy relies on the energy transition away from fossil fuels.

Another vital part of the circular transition is to rethink the fast paced production & consumption mindset that results in a single use, short life span product. Focusing on the value and levelling up the user experience of high quality, modular and repairable electronic devices could be better for everyone.

None of this is easy. But the status quo is not an option. So that is exactly why we need to rethink much of the software that runs our current economy.

I see your point. It does seem that digital technology and software can play a crucial role in helping to facilitate the transition to a circular economy, by enabling more efficient resource management and the reuse of materials, and by promoting more sustainable business practices. At the same time, it's important to consider the potential negative impacts of digital technology and to address them in a responsible manner, such as by focusing on energy efficiency, reducing e-waste, and promoting the use of more sustainable materials.

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[Interview 2 ends]

Looks like I convinced it ;)