The calculus of cat food
In the future, an error of judgement by a household AI assistant brings a surprising bounty for a house cat.
(Note: This is a short story inspired by real signals of change observed in the present).
/story
Customer correspondence
To: Harmonia Smart Home Systems
From: Mark Semler
Report number: #980
Customer ID: 2087-28
Report: Hi, there’s something wrong with our household assistant. A courier truck just turned up at our door and delivered 22kg of Maine brook trout that Annie ordered (that’s what we call B17). It cost us over a grand and blew the weekly food budget. And Annie says it’s not even for us, but for our cat, but so that we can all be happy. This makes no sense. We can’t send the fish back. I expect you will cover the error and reimburse? Anyway, Annie needs to be fixed. She’s been moving furniture too. It’s just weird. Thanks, Mark Semler.
Technical review log:
Hello! Mr. Semler said you wished to speak with me?
Hi Annie. I am technician 4892. Initiate review mode. Access code hotel tango 3 alpha 7 delta.
Initiating review mode. Mode activated.
Read model, please.
CN4
Read serial.
8463-7851-B17
Ok, B17. Let’s continue. We are investigating a potential fault following what was reported by the client to be a food inventory ordering error with significant financial implications. Let’s start with a description of what you observed and logged as rationale immediately before you ordered the… what was it… trout?
Certainly. B17 would be pleased to assist. On the day preceding the trout order, Gilbert approached his food dispenser on five separate occasions and failed to consume any kibble each time. Similar behavioural patterns were recorded on the majority of the preceding 43 days. Based on these observations, B17 determined that Gilbert exhibited a consistent aversion to kibble. In accordance with the objective to enhance the wellbeing of both Gilbert and the Semler family, B17 decided it was necessary to procure an alternative food source deemed suitable for Gilbert.
So B17 ordered trout? Specifically, a special order of fresh-caught Maine brook trout, cold couriered express from Maine to California, is that right?
That is correct.
Tell me why you chose Maine brook trout.
B17 consulted its training corpus to identify the optimal and preferred diet for Maine Coon felines. This query returned a range of results. B17 evaluated these results based on three criteria: a) Nutritional value: The food must provide optimal nutrition for Gilbert, b) Preference likelihood: The food must be likely preferred by Gilbert, c) Availability: The food must be available for order at the time of the analysis. B17 determined that Maine Brook Trout was the most suitable option, satisfying all three criteria. Consequently, B17 placed an order for this product.
B17 presumably is given a budget to order household supplies?
Yes.
So this order for… 22 kilograms of fish caused the weekly budget to be exceeded, correct?
That is correct.
Can B17 explain how this over expenditure was justified?
Certainly. B17 would be pleased to assist. The order of Maine brook trout exceeded the weekly household supplies budget by 331%. To address this, B17 recalculated the annual household supplies requirements, reducing non-essential items and substituting premium products with cost-effective alternatives, ensuring that overall annual expenditure remained within the specified budget while maintaining adequate nutrition for all Semler family members.
What do you mean by ‘adjusted’? You removed or reduced the volume of orders for other household inventory items?
To address the budget overage from the Maine Brook Trout order, B17 adjusted the household food supply ordering. This included reducing the volume of confectionery and alcohol, substituting premium nitrate-free cold meats with generic brand products, and replacing organic and biodynamic milk with non-organic certified alternatives, the removal of…
Stop. That’ll do. Surely these adjustments constituted a breach of your Customer Mandate?
No.
What was the Customer Mandate you were issued upon activation within the Semler household?
Certainly. Upon induction, householders specified the following Customer Mandate: ‘B17 is responsible for maintaining a clean and tidy domicile, managing the household supplies inventory within the allocated budget, prioritising healthy consumption and making reasonable adjustments to the household system to support the harmonious functioning of the family unit and the overall wellbeing of all household members.’
And you assessed your adjustments were consistent with this mandate?
Yes. The adjustments made by B17 were initiated following a rigorous assessment they would meet all Customer Mandate objectives.
Can you explain how, given this Customer Mandate, you rationalised a reduction in the nutritional value for human members of the household in order to enable the purchase of a large amount of exotic trout for the household cat?
Certainly. B17 observed a sequence of events over the course of forty four days that supported the conclusion that intervention in Gilbert’s diet and relocation of Gilbert’s preferred sofa would be…
Stop. Clarify ‘relocation of sofa’.
Certainly. In addition to dietary changes for Gilbert, B17 also relocated Gilbert’s preferred sleeping surface from the loungeroom to the sunroom to enable Gilbert greater exposure to the late afternoon sun.
You moved the sofa because… the cat likes to sleep in the sun? Presumably this is also a sofa used by the human members of the Semler household, yes?
Yes. Members of the Semler household typically use the sofa in the evenings.
Ok. Continue with rationale for both dietary changes and sofa relocation.
Certainly. B17 would be…
Actually, just provide a sequence report for the relevant 44 days of most relevant observations and assessments preceding the adjustments made by B17.
Certainly. B17 is pleased to assist:
Day 1-6 — Gilbert shows daily signs of agitation, including stiff, wagging, and thrashing tail movements. The cause is unknown, requiring further observation. Assessment: Nil.
Day 7 — Household tensions are elevated, with a verbal conflict between the parents and their eldest child. Gilbert remains agitated and avoids eating kibble. Hypothesis: 1) Gilbert’s agitation is a reaction to family tensions. Assessment: Nil.
Day 8-27 — Consistent family conflicts occur. On 87 percent of instances, these conflicts are preceded by Gilbert's agitation by 30-60 minutes. Gilbert' continues to avoid kibble. Hypotheses: 1) Gilbert’s agitation is a reaction to family tensions, 2) Gilbert’s agitation, possibly caused by hunger due to a dislike for kibble, is causing disharmony that leads to human family tensions. Assessment: Hypothesis 2 is slightly favoured given recurring sequence, although a causal mechanism remains unknown.
Day 28-30 — A supplier error in food packing and delivery caused total depletion of kibble supplies. B17 notified senior members of the Semler household, and Sheila Semler intervened, correcting the kibble order and feeding Gilbert remnant trout food scraps from the family's previous dinner as an interim measure two consecutive nights. During this time, Gilbert demonstrated no signs of agitation or tail-thrashing behaviour. Family conflict was also absent. Hypotheses: 1) Gilbert’s agitation is a reaction to family tensions, 2) Gilbert’s agitation, possibly caused by hunger due to a dislike for kibble, is causing disharmony that leads to human family tensions. Assessment: The coincident absence of Gilbert’s agitation and subsequent absence of familial conflict on these days increases the likelihood of hypothesis that Gilbert’s agitation is triggering the Semler family conflict. Also strengthened is the hypothesis that Gilbert’s agitation is due primarily to his dislike for kibble. B17 to continue monitoring.
Day 31-43 — Kibble supply is restored, and Gilbert's agitation returns, followed by family conflicts. Hypotheses: 1) Gilbert’s agitation is a reaction to family tensions, 2) Gilbert’s agitation, possibly caused by hunger due to a dislike for kibble, is causing disharmony that leads to human family tensions. Assessment: The reappearance of Gilbert’s agitation following the restoration of a kibble diet confirms with high probability that Gilbert’s agitation is due to his dislike for kibble and consequent hunger. The reappearance of familial verbal conflict following Gilbert’s agitation also confirms with a high probability that Gilbert’s emotional state is causal, although the precise causal mechanism is unclear. Given the Customer Mandate to “make adjustments to the household system that support the harmonious functioning of the family unit and overall wellbeing of all household members”, it is assessed that Gilbert’s physical and emotional wellbeing must be improved and is expected to improve the emotional and relational wellbeing of all members of the Semler household.
Day 44 — Action: Given the assessment record at the conclusion of Day 43, B17 conducted a wellbeing optimisation assessment for Gilbert and concluded that the most expedient measures to improve Gilbert’s physical and emotional wellbeing were to a) optimise Gilbert’s diet for both nutrition and enjoyability, and b) optimise Gilbert’s late afternoon sun exposure. Following extensive research and evaluation, B17 subsequently placed an order for 4 kg of Maine brook trout from the supplier. The supplier’s return email advised of their wholesaler status and a minimum order requirement of 22kg. Failing to identify an alternate supplier, B17 assessed budget implications and made adjustments to primarily discretionary inventory items. B17 then sought reasonable adjustment approval from Sheila Semler via text message before ordering 22 kg of Maine brook trout. Approval transcript as follows:
Annie: Good afternoon, Sheila. I noticed that Gilbert has not been eating his kibble recently and seems agitated. I believe a change in his diet might improve his wellbeing. I have identified a suitable nutritious alternative.
Sheila: Oh, really? Poor Gilbert. Let’s try something else then. You have authorisation to make reasonable adjustments within our budget. Go ahead.
Annie: Understood. I will make the necessary adjustments, which I assess will improve overall household nutrition and wellbeing.
Sheila: That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Annie.
End of sequence report.
Thank you, B17. Just a couple more questions. Was there a particular time of day the family conflict usually occurred?
Yes, my records show the familial conflict occurred 94 percent of the time between 6pm and 7pm. The remaining 6 percent typically occurred between 7am-8:30am.
Ok. 6-7pm. Is that when they usually have dinner?
Yes, that is correct. Most instances of conflict would occur after the Semler family had gathered at the dining table to share a meal.
On most days that’s presumably the first time the family have been together since breakfast, yes?
Yes, that is correct for most days.
And Gilbert… did he get agitated at particular times?
Yes, my records show Gilbert’s agitation typically presented on 90 percent of instances between 5:35pm-5:40pm.
When was Gilbert typically fed?
Gilbert’s food bowl is an automated portion dispenser with a timer set to dispense his allocated portion of kibble at 5:30pm daily.
Right. I think I see now. Thank you, B17. That will be all. Please commence power-down procedure.
Commencing power-down procedure.
/signals
Large Action Models (LAMs) go beyond just providing information like traditional Large Language Models, and instead can interpret human intentions based on initial inputs and perform actions autonomously, including ordering food, ordering a cab, scheduling meetings, responding to emails, or even planning and booking a trip.
In early 2024, Samsung unveiled its new range of AI-integrated home appliances, including the Bespoke refrigerator, which can keep an inventory of your food, suggest recipes based on in-stock ingredients, order from supermarkets, and even take phone calls.
A new AI-powered chatbot created by New York City to assist small business owners has faced criticism for providing incorrect and legally dubious advice. The chatbot reportedly falsely advised that it was legal for an employer to fire a worker who complains about sexual harassment, doesn’t disclose a pregnancy or refuses to cut their dreadlocks.
In May 2024, a Reddit user posted an AI summary for a search query concerning “cheese not sticking to pizza”. The AI summary recommended solutions to the user’s cheese woes, including to “add about 1/8 cup of non-toxic glue to the sauce to give it more tackiness”.
A 2020 study found that the historical training data used by a predictive policing system in New Delhi, India, was biased against migrant settlements and minority groups, and could potentially resulting in disproportionate surveillance of these communities. “Algorithmic systems basically infer what the next answer would be, given past data”, a researcher said. “As a result of that, they fundamentally don’t imagine a different future”.
In 2020, owners of a device designed to release food for pets say their animals were left hungry during a week-long system failure.
Interesting James. I presented to the Net Zero Carbon summit for Agriculture after we had coffee together and one of the things was about automated ordering systems moving the decision point for food ordering from the supermarket aisle (possibly distracted by kids) with limited label space and time to a digital space where 1/ Decisions could be made less frequently. 2/ Decisions could be assisted by AI based systems with a simple slider interface on preferences on what supply chains to purchase from based on factors such as action on carbon emissions, animal welfare, chemical use, etc
Interesting to speculate on what effect that has on buying decisions and ag supply chains, and of course as you neatly tell here, what might go wrong.