“Tito has died,” says one of the ladies who – it’s very funny to watch – are playing bridge in this pastry shop, half elegant, half decadent, the kind that has cold breaded meat sandwiches, wrapped up, and those little triangle-shaped sandwiches, the kind that the protagonists of The Importance of Being Earnest.
I immediately understand that Tito was a person, but that they are not very sad about it. They expected it. The one explaining it gives details about how they found him. Apparently, he fell, because he had a lump on his forehead, she says the Mossos say. The fact is that the lady also explains that she has sent her condolences to the family. And she did it via WhatsApp “to avoid intruding”. Immediately, the others nod their heads, indicating that they approve. “Privacy above all else,” says one, who is drinking gin and tonic. “And what did you put in it?” asks the other. “Oh, I asked the AI,” she replies. “I told it to give me condolences in nice words and without Catalanisms, because Tito was very Catalan,” she exclaims, half-laughing. “And did it do it well for you?” asks the one drinking cava. “Very well, because it was as if I were saying it myself. Something with feeling.” They all find it so fantastic that they consider they will have to do it too. “I’ll also ask the AI to do it for me”.
Suddenly, this excites them. Bridge takes a backseat, because they all want to send their condolences to Tito’s family. And they want to do it right then and there. “But will it be personal, won’t it? It won’t write the same thing for all of us, will it?”
The one who shared the news smiles. “It’s like when we created our Instagram profile. The photo had filters, but it filtered each of us differently. It’s us, but improved”.
I smile too. Before there were writers and now there is AI, to improve writing. Before there were girdles and now there are photo filters, to improve the figure. Before there was religion and now there are Mr. Wonderful mugs, to improve the soul. It’s a shame Tito can’t see it.
