Jarvising A near-ubiquitous reference, or aspiration, for AI agents is J.A.R.V.I.S., the supercapable computer helper in the Iron Man movies. “Finally building my own JARVIS!” is a popular refrain among enthusiastic AI tinkerers. (Not least because it’s flattering: “If my computer is Jarvis, I guess that makes me Tony Stark … ”)
However, the most common application of a personal Jarvis seems to be … tinkering with one’s personal Jarvis. “Gotta get my tools just right” isn’t a new phenomenon, of course, but/and it’s useful to notice its recurrence here.
So I just want to say: Jarvis wants to help you DO something! Or make something, or investigate something.
Continuing a happy rewatch of Star Trek: The Next Generation, I’ve been struck by the prescience and appeal of the crew’s collaborative relationship with their ship’s great anonymous Computer. As cool as Jarvis is, I’ll argue that this bravura scene from TNG is actually a much richer picture of what might be possible with computer collaborators. Geordi solves a mystery using the Computer and the holodeck together — go watch, it’s great.