While sipping a cocktail barefooted I query AI what is most valuable in life. The automated chatbot on my phone hesitates for a moment, as if it’s staring into space, figuring out what on earth a human life is all about. Are these the countless dreams, desires and adventures people indulge in? Are these the moments where people merge, give birth or part? Is it about trying to be a good forebear? Or are these the moments where people realise they are indispensable to others?
The chatbot remains awfully quiet. After a long reflection an answer pops up: ‘the most valuable is Apple, with a value of 2.64 trillion U.S. dollars’. Followed by an exposé on exchange-traded funds. I put my phone away, grab an ice cube from my glass, let it melt in my mouth and slump down in the chair.