Kevin Milne: Using AI to write Christmas and personal messages

These days there seems to be nothing AI can’t do for you. Write emails, grocery lists, stories, summaries, and even Christmas messages. 

But should you be getting an AI to write what should be a heartfelt personal message? Kevin Milne can’t help but find the thought of connecting with friends and loved ones this way extremely shabby. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
A'd be eighteen past nine, and Kevin Milne is with
us this morning for the penultimate time in twenty twenty five. Kyoto, Kevin, Good.

Speaker 3 (00:19):
Morning, Kyoda Jack. Did you see Jasinder on Graham Norton
last night? I did? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah? What did you think of her? Of her performance?
I'm sure it's very good on those sorts of things.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
I thought she was really good. Actually, But did she
leave the whole world thinking that most New Zealanders can
ride a horse bareback?

Speaker 2 (00:38):
I did that? Yeah, yeah, hopefully not everyone's expecting man
of us. What I know about you, Kevin, I'm not
sure what you've been up to in your spare time.
Maybe that's one of the many talents that you can
test her having.

Speaker 3 (00:51):
Yes, yes, yes, she was saying, wasn't she she applied
for a job when she was young as a as
a hobbit.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (00:58):
And they asked her two questions, can you ride bareback?
And she said, well, yes, I'm in New Zealand. I
see what No, And then the other question was could
you joust? Ye stordinate question really, Oh yes, yes, yes,
I joust every afternoon on Saturday. Yeah, ridiculous every time

(01:21):
I watch it.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Though, every time I watch Graham Norton, and obviously, you know,
doing is a very strong communicator, regardless of what one
thinks of her politics, He's a very very strong communicator.
Whenever I watch Graham Norton, I'm just an awe of
him as a broadcaster. I think he is an incredible
broadcaster because his amazing talent is that when he has

(01:43):
people who are really good communicators and really good speakers,
he lets them run the show. He gives them all
the space in the world. But the moment that someone
is a little bit hesitant or a little bit nervous,
or isn't quite as strong, he leaps in there and
is able to make jokes and kind of weave together
different people's stories and experiences. I just think he's I
think he's like a truly unique generational talent. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:07):
Anyway, I was thinking, I was thinking to myself last night, actually,
how would I cope with being in that group? I mean,
had some very very strong people, and it'd be quite
nerve wracking, wouldn't it. Wondering in there.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
I think I suspect that they're they're very well produced,
so they all know roughly what they're going to say,
and they all know they kind of they have a
couple of anecdotes prepared and that sort of thing. You know,
there's there's a little bit of spontaneou in there, but
I suspect that there's quite there's a lot of organization
that goes into making it look so casual and relaxed
on TV. Anyway, you want to talk today about Christmas messages, Kevin.

Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yeah, I want to thank you for your Christmas card
earlier in the week. I particularly like getting it for
three reasons. One because it's the only Christmas card we've
got this year, not even any real estate agent has
sent us one. No. Second reason, we got the card

(03:08):
on Tuesday, so I went out that you must have
sent it two or three days earlier. That would have
been when you were in the thick of preparing for
an astonishingly demanding, research intensive, even physically taxing, one hour
interview with police former police Commissioner Andrew Costa. That interview

(03:30):
broke a lot of new ground and led to headlines
all over the country and somewhere around all that you
took the time to send Linda and I a Christmas card,
how chuffed we still are, and by the way, congratulations
on an interview of the highest quality. The third reason
I like getting you a Christmas card. It was handwritten,

(03:53):
specifically written for us, and didn't have the slightest whiff
of AI about it. I rail at the thought of
using AI to send someone a personal message. I'm not
against AI. I use all the time when writing columns
to find precisely the right word that I need, for example,

(04:13):
But the thought of allowing AI to convey a Christmas
west to a friend for me, I find it awful
fake friendship. I was recently sent an E card inviting
me to add my Birthday message to a friend. AI
offered to help me make my message more original, or

(04:34):
even having them write the entire message for me. You
are joking? Are you urged listeners never to take AI
up on such an offer. A simple message from you
is always going to be far better than a limp
line or two from AI, which is one of the
reasons Linda and I so much appreciated your handwritten Christmas card. Jack.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
I think that the most generous thing about your comment
this morning, Kevin, is that you have neglected to mention
my handwriting. I'm impressed you could even tell it was
from me. I just I have appalling handwriting, the handwrinning
of a sort of a child who's I don't know,
but yeah, you know, it's just sort of sliding off
the page. It's it's barely legible to me. I don't

(05:21):
understand how anyone can read it.

Speaker 3 (05:23):
Yeah. What interested in us is that you still print
rather than naturally use cursive right, yeah, yeah, exactly is
that because your cursor writing is totally illegible.

Speaker 2 (05:36):
It's totally illegible, totally eligible. I can I can be
writing notes on a notepad, it work, and then go
and look at them half an hour later, and I think,
ooh that could be. That could be about seven different
words that one could be. You know, it's a it's
it's terribly tricky.

Speaker 3 (05:49):
But yeah, yeah, well, we didn't care what the writing was,
what style of writing you adopted. It was getting the
card and your your warm wishes. We thought it was
just great. And when I when I thought of that,
the wheat you've had, I mean phenomenal, that one hour
interview terrific, And to have somehow another in that time

(06:15):
thought of us and got a card away to us,
just very very flattering.

Speaker 2 (06:22):
No, no, no, I'm grateful you received it and grateful
for everything you do for us on Saturday Mornings, Kevin
and have done for so many years. So I'm pleased
to hear it. And when it comes to AI, you know,
I think we all agree with you. There should be
a there should be a ban on AI Christmas messages
and AI best man speeches. That's my other one. I

(06:42):
think like there's the moment you go to one of
the chat GPTs or GEM and I or anything and
you say, I'm the best man and I need to
make a heartfelt speech for my friend. It should immediately
say Ping Mingming, do not sorry that that is beyond
the realms of what we can help you with.

Speaker 3 (06:58):
That just moment, and then and then contact the groom.
Exactly you you're getting this man was going to be good?

Speaker 2 (07:10):
Yeah, exactly. Oh all right, hey, thanks so much, have
a great weekend. And I'm really placed the card got
there in the end.

Speaker 1 (07:18):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live
to News Talks d B from nine am Saturday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.