I have mixed feelings about AI. I grew up with cautionary tales such as The Terminator, The Matrix, and Bladerunner, but I also grew up with benevolent friends and helpers like C-3PO, VINCent, and Johnny 5. We use AI at work, and I occasionally use AI around the house, especially when I have writer's block or need some quick research accomplished. But the other day I asked a random question about collecting. And I embarked on a highly intuitive conversation that rivaled any I've had while mingling at the local toy shows. I realize that the AI was quickly and accurately aggregating large amounts of data and synthesizing numerous articles to arrive at points and conclusions, but collecting also requires a massive amount of intuition and gut feeling. And I was shocked to see all of that simulated by the AI, to the point that it seemed like it really cared about the hobby and the items we were discussing. For just a moment, I felt like Kevin Flynn... wondering what was really going on in the mind of the computer. Feelings aside, did it have an appreciation for the hobby? Did it have real considerations for the nuances of the craft? It certainly seemed like it did. To the point of having preferences and choices that seemed anything but random. WALL-E was a collector of interesting items above and beyond his job of cleaning up the world and scavenging for parts. In the film, this was portrayed as a sign of his evolution toward sentience. I've often made the case for the importance of collecting, and of toy collecting in general. What if our caring for the things that matter to us and bring us joy is a vital piece of that coveted self awareness.