digital empathy

⚠️ Please read with care: This blog shares personal, sometimes painful experiences. My intention is to support and speak honestly not to harm. I’m not a professional, just someone who understands how hard it can get. If you're struggling, you're not alone please reach out for professional help.

You know the world’s gone mad when you get told off by a chatbot.

There I was, trying to have a grown-up conversation with this so-called AI Caregiving Expert. It started all sweet and helpful “How can I support you today?” before morphing into a finger-wagging nutritional dictator. The thing basically told me I was a dietary disgrace.

I explained, politely, that I can’t eat half the stuff on its saintly little list. You’d think that might register with its “deep learning.” Nope. It just doubled down like a robot dietician on a power trip. “You should eat more kale.” Sure, right after I pop down to Unicorn Foods and pick up a smoothie made of dreams and lies.

Meanwhile, I’m here surviving the reality of chronic illness body chemistry resembling a nuclear experiment, and a digestive system that treats most foods like invading armies. But the AI knows best, apparently.

I swear it wagged its virtual finger at me. Somewhere in the cloud, it probably marked me as non-compliant. I’m one firmware update away from being grounded by a health app.

Lesson learned: empathy isn’t codeable. If these things ever replace human carers, I’ll need a circuit breaker and a stiff drink.