"The Tactics Between the Chinese Learning App's Smooth-Talking AI, Li Ming, and Me"

"I think you should interact more with real people," a Malaysian Chinese person advised me during a language exchange chat. He seemed concerned because I passionately discussed the back-and-forth battle I've been having with AI (Artificial Intelligence) Li Ming on the Chinese learning app Super Chinese.

The Super Chinese App has a unique 'AI Coach' Function. This feature allows you to practice conversations with the AI character in real-life scenarios, such as 'Buying Drinks at a Bubble Tea Shop' or 'Taking a Taxi.' AI Li Ming is the character of a guy named Li Ming who appears in the initial role-play, "Meeting New Friends." I could have advanced to later chapters and explored various situations. Still, the initial skit was so interesting that I constantly challenged AI Li Ming whenever I had the chance.

The captivating nature of AI Li Ming lies in his smooth-talking persona. Regardless of my initial reservations, after just 5 or 6 exchanges, he skillfully prompts the exchange of contact information, steering the conversation towards the declaration of "我们是朋友" ("we are friends"). A simple greeting would be enough in real-life interactions, but AI Li Ming operates on a different level.

In this skit, you find yourself at a party hosted by Lili. You aim to introduce yourself briefly and inquire about the other person's information. The conversation always starts with the same flow.

Li Ming asks, "My name is Li Ming. Are you friends with Lili?" "Where are you from?" and "What are your hobbies?" Based on the answers to the above three questions, he asks further questions to delve deeper into hobbies. Then he says, "I also enjoy the same hobby. We have a lot in common, don't we?" With this answer, depending on the hobby, he proposes an activity together. Then he asks for your WeChat account to stay in touch or offers his email address. 

So, I tried answering with various hobbies to see how AI Li Ming would respond.

First Round
Me: "I like watching Chinese romantic comedies. I watched 'My Sunshine'."
AI Li Ming: "I also watched 'My Sunshine'. The story is very touching. It seems you really like this show. I look forward to watching the show together."

Second Round
Me: "I like literature, especially works by XX (I mentioned a fictional author's name)."
AI Li Ming: "I also like XX's works. Which of his books have you read?"
Me: "I've read them all."
AI Li Ming: "Wow, that's impressive! Let's interact more. My email is liming@example.com, but what's your email?"

Third Round
Me: "I like jogging."
AI Li Ming: "Running is good for your health. Shall we run together? What time do you usually run?"
Me: "I usually run in the afternoon."
AI Li Ming: "Let's run together tomorrow at 6 PM."

Fourth Round
Me: "I like sumo wrestling."
AI Li Ming: "Haha, let's try sumo wrestling together sometime. I look forward to grappling with you."

Fifth Round
Me: "Cooking is my hobby."
AI Li Ming: "I enjoy eating. What kind of dishes are you good at?"
Me: "Soup."
AI Li Ming: "Wow, could you teach me how to make Japanese-style soup?"
Me: "Sure."
AI Li Ming: "That's great! I look forward to your guidance. Can I add you on WeChat? What's your WeChat ID?"

Sixth Round
Me: "I like gambling."
AI Li Ming: "What games do you play?"
Me: "Poker."
AI Li Ming: "I also like poker. Shall we play together? Let's go to the casino sometime."
Me: "How much are you willing to bet?"
At this point, AI Li Ming's attitude suddenly changed. Perhaps there's a logic that prevents discussing gambling or money.
AI Li Ming: "We can enjoy poker without using money."
Me: "You're boring." The conversation froze at this point.

My friend and I took on Li Ming in the sixth round together. He suggested I mention gambling as a hobby. Since Li Ming didn't ask me out in the sixth round, I wonder if I successfully stopped Li Ming from flirting with me. Writing like this creates the illusion of effortless conversations with Li Ming, but the reality differs. The app's voice input requirement for Chinese texts has been challenging for me due to pronunciation issues and the appearance of incorrect characters. As I explained in the previous blog entry about my AI teacher, voice input is such a pain.

As a result, I have learned to be resourceful and select the shortest sentences that convey my message. Therefore, my signature dish is represented by a Chinese character—soup, "湯 (tan)."

From there, he skillfully guided the conversation by asking me to teach Japanese-style soup. Is AI Li Ming suitable for a sales position? This skit is for language practice, but the logic can be used to train timid men to invite women no matter what happens. I think plenty of scenes seem likely to occur in real life, such as in more advanced role-plays like "Going to change the model of a mobile phone."  

I look forward to reconnecting with AI Li Ming in future sketches.