Pop culture chats, funk experiments and a few misfires – The Macon Melody

If you’ve been following my columns, you know I’ve been having lots of conversations with artificial intelligence. Sometimes insightful, sometimes ridiculous and often somewhere in between. But I’ve noticed something: AI isn’t just good at summarizing the news or helping with lesson plans. It’s also becoming a quirky sidekick for pop culture, music and the weird ideas that pop into your head late at night.

I’ve come to think of AI not just as a tool but as a kind of conversational companion. Like that friend who doesn’t always give the right answer but always has an answer and never gets tired of talking. Let me take you inside two recent examples that show how unpredictable these AI buddies can be and why they’re still worth keeping around even when they get it wrong.

The “Baby Reindeer” test

My wife and I watched Baby Reindeer on Netflix and thought it was terrible. So I turned to my AI pals to ask: Why is everyone raving about this show? Here’s what I got:

Gemini confidently told me people might enjoy the song “Baby Reindeer” by Taylor Swift. It broke down genre and nostalgia appeal. Impressive, except the show isn’t a song and the Swift track doesn’t exist. Gemini made it up then doubled down with bullet points.

ChatGPT took the polite route. It acknowledged tastes vary and offered a neutral, therapist-like reply: “Everyone’s different. What didn’t you like about it?” Fair question, but it dodged the real one: Why is everyone else into it?

Poe tried to help but veered off course. It gave a thoughtful essay about theater and artistic subjectivity but didn’t seem to know what Baby Reindeer was. It felt like someone bluffing their way through book club.

Copilot came the closest at first. It correctly identified the show as a dramatized version of Richard Gadd’s real-life stalking ordeal and praised the raw tone and performances. But it felt like a PR summary. It didn’t mention the backlash, disturbing content or any of the criticism I’d heard from others. Too slick, not enough substance.

Perplexity, on the other hand, brought balance. It explained why Baby Reindeer was praised, including its portrayal of male trauma, emotional depth and Gadd’s performance, but also acknowledged strong criticism. It cited articles calling it manipulative, excessive and even narcissistic. It linked to sources like WalesOnline and The Mary Sue that offered opposing viewpoints.

Perplexity didn’t just summarize. It showed me what others were saying and let me decide. That’s what made it stand out.

Shaft vibes without saying “Shaft”

Now let’s shift from gritty Netflix drama to the 1970s funk business anthem. A friend of mine wanted a theme song for his business, something with the vibe of “Shaft” but without saying “Shaft.” That turned out to be smart. I used Suno, an AI music tool where you type a description and it generates a song. I wanted a funky instrumental with bass, horns and swagger. No lyrics, just a cinematic groove.

But if you mention “Shaft” or Isaac Hayes, Suno stops mid-generation for copyright reasons. And it doesn’t save progress, you lose everything. Ask me how I know. So I asked AI to help me rewrite the prompt using safe, descriptive language. I went with something like “1970s action film intro, wah-wah guitar, bold brass, cinematic energy.” That worked.

Kind of.

The songs had a beat but no bounce. Something was missing. I uploaded the track to ChatGPT and asked for feedback. To its credit, ChatGPT didn’t need to hear Theme from Shaft to know what was wrong. It said the tempo was too slow, the bassline wandered, the horns lacked punch and the energy wasn’t right. It helped me understand the gap between what I wanted and what I got.

So I tweaked the prompt, made changes and tried again. Eventually, we got something that worked. Not Isaac Hayes but funky enough to use. It wasn’t perfect, but it felt like collaboration between me, music AI and a language model that helped me hear the missing ingredients.

The case for casual AI

So here’s what I’m learning. The value of AI isn’t just in the answers, it’s in the process. Whether you’re trying to decode a controversial show or chase a funky theme song, the back-and-forth with AI can feel surprisingly human.

Of course, it still gets things wrong. Sometimes hilariously wrong. But these tools are learning and so are we. You have to be part editor, part detective and part improv partner. Ask the same question to five models and you’ll get five different answers, some helpful, some bonkers. That unpredictability keeps you curious. It turns AI from a search tool into a thinking tool.

So next time you’ve got a cultural question, a creative itch or just want to poke around an idea, try asking an AI. Be ready for a few misfires, a Taylor Swift hallucination and maybe, even better than an answer, a new way of thinking.

Joe Finkelstein (AI Joe) has been a technology educator in Bibb County for more than 20 years. For questions and comments visit askaijoe.com