💬 Natural Intelligence Took ChatGPT's Place for a Day in Chile

On January 31, environmental activists from Corporación NGEN teamed up with residents of Quilicura to launch Quili.AI—a chatbot where real people, not AI, answered users' questions. About fifty locals took turns responding to prompts from users around the world.

To make the experience feel like using an AI assistant, the organizers brought together people with different backgrounds: an artist, a chef, a translator, a soccer fan, a dating expert, and even a kid whose job was to "explain things like you're five" (he's actually nine).

Over the course of 12 hours, the human-powered chatbot handled more than 25,000 requests from users in 68 countries. Volunteers suggested travel destinations, shared recipes, and one artist even drew a yeti–octopus hybrid.

💦 Why Do It?

In Chile's capital region, where tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon have built dozens of data centers, fresh water is in short supply. The organizers wanted to remind people that every chatbot query uses real resources to operate and cool servers.

They're not calling for an AI boycott. Instead, they encourage more mindful use of these tools and greater appreciation for human connection.

"If you need a cupcake recipe, maybe it's better to ask your neighbor instead of a chatbot," says campaign co-organizer Lorena Antimán.

Who would you turn to with a simple question?

🤔 — I'd ask AI
👍 — I'd ask friends
❤️ — I'd call my mom

@hiaimediaen