Realistic AI Interview

The Interview: Steve Jobs, 2025

(Setting: A minimalist, sun-drenched room. Polished concrete floors, a single, perfectly placed bonsai tree. Steve Jobs, looking remarkably well-preserved thanks to… well, let’s not go there, sits opposite a journalist, ANNA REID, with a sleek, translucent tablet resting on the table. He’s wearing his signature black turtleneck and jeans.)

Anna Reid: Mr. Jobs, thank you for agreeing to this. It's… surreal, frankly. Many thought we'd never see you discussing the future again.

Steve Jobs: (A slight, knowing smile) The future has a funny way of demanding attention, Anna. And frankly, I’ve been observing. It's...interesting.

Anna Reid: “Interesting” feels like an understatement. AI is everywhere now. From personalized medicine to composing music, it's fundamentally reshaping everything. What are your overall impressions?

Steve Jobs: (Leans forward, steepling his fingers) It's… predictable. Not in the what, but in the that. We always knew computation would get to this point. The power, the speed… it was inevitable. What's less predictable, and far more crucial, is how we integrate it into the human experience. And that, frankly, is where I see a lot of… missed opportunities.

Anna Reid: Missed opportunities? Can you elaborate? We’re seeing incredible advancements in generative AI, the ability to create… anything.

Steve Jobs: (Waves a dismissive hand) Creation isn't just about output, Anna. It's about intent. It's about the human why. Right now, much of this AI feels… soulless. It mimics, it extrapolates, it performs creativity. But it doesn’t feel it. It doesn't have a point of view.

Anna Reid: So, you’re concerned about the lack of… artistic soul?

Steve Jobs: (Scoffs slightly) It’s bigger than art, though art is a powerful example. It’s about the entire user experience. Look at these “AI assistants” everyone’s raving about. They answer questions. They write emails. But they don’t understand you. They don't anticipate your needs. They're clever algorithms, not empathetic companions. We didn’t build computers to just do things faster. We built them to empower people to do amazing things. Where’s the empowerment in being told what an algorithm thinks you want?

Anna Reid: Many argue that AI will eventually achieve genuine understanding, even consciousness.

Steve Jobs: (Raises an eyebrow) Consciousness? That's a philosophical rabbit hole. I'm a pragmatist, Anna. I focus on what is, and what can be made. And right now, what is is a powerful tool being used mostly for optimization and… frankly, advertising. Where’s the AI that helps a teacher connect with a struggling student on a personal level? Where’s the AI that helps a doctor truly understand a patient’s anxieties, not just their symptoms?

Anna Reid: Those applications are developing, of course…

Steve Jobs: Developing slowly. Because the focus is on the flashy stuff, the things that generate hype. The technology is brilliant, don't misunderstand me. But the design is often atrocious. It’s about maximizing engagement, not maximizing humanity.

Anna Reid: You were always focused on simplicity. Do you see AI becoming simpler, more intuitive?

Steve Jobs: It must. The current interfaces feel clunky, demanding. AI should disappear. It should be transparent, woven into the fabric of our lives, anticipating our needs before we even articulate them. Think about it: a system that learns your rhythms, your preferences, your values… and then quietly enhances your capabilities. Not interrupts them. Not overwhelms them.

Anna Reid: There’s also the ethical concern. Bias in algorithms, job displacement…

Steve Jobs: (Nods grimly) Of course. Those are critical. We have a responsibility to ensure this technology is used for good. But that's not just a technical problem. It's a human problem. We need to ask ourselves: what kind of future are we building? Are we creating a world where AI serves humanity, or where humanity serves AI? And frankly, the current trajectory worries me.

Anna Reid: What would you be building if you were still leading Apple today, in this AI-driven world?

Steve Jobs: (Pauses, a flicker of his old passion in his eyes) I’d be building tools that amplify human creativity, not replace it. I'd be building systems that foster genuine connection, not algorithmic echo chambers. I’d be building something… beautiful. Something that makes people feel more human, not less. Something that doesn't just think differently, but feels differently.

Anna Reid: A tall order.

Steve Jobs: (A small smile plays on his lips) They always are. That's what makes it worth doing. The world doesn’t need faster, cheaper, or more efficient. It needs more… human. And that, Anna, is where the real innovation lies.

(He picks up the translucent tablet, examines it briefly, then sets it down with a deliberate click. The interview concludes.)