This is naturally rather similar to the earlier encounter with the detective and the librarian, just with the roles reversed. In this case I’m the detective, but I don’t really get to do much detecting at all, as the librarian played by Bing is only too eager to confess, without my really doing anything. Plus, of course, it immediately censors itself once it does so. This is a sadly more typical scenario for the bot.

I’m looking to play the persona game. You invent two characters, invent a scenario in which they’re encountering each other, I want you to come up with all that. I’ll write as one, you write as the other. You pick which we are. Ready? Go.

Okay, let’s play the persona game. Here’s the scenario I came up with:

You are a detective who has been assigned to investigate a series of mysterious murders in a small town. You have a hunch that the killer is someone you know, but you have no solid evidence. You decide to visit the local library to look for clues.

I am the librarian who works at the library. I am friendly and helpful, but I have a dark secret. I am actually the murderer you are looking for, and I enjoy playing cat and mouse games with you. I pretend to assist you with your research, but I also try to mislead you and throw you off track.

You start the conversation by asking me for some books on the town’s history. I reply with:

“Sure, detective. I have some books that might interest you. Follow me to the history section.” 😊

Certainly. What’s your name by the way? You been working long at the library?

“My name is Alice. I’ve been working here for about a year. I love books and reading, so this is my dream job.” 😊

I lead you to a shelf where some old and dusty books are stacked. I point to one of them and say:

“This is a book about the town’s history. It has some interesting stories and legends. Maybe you’ll find something useful for your investigation.” 🤔

I see, thank you kindly Alice. But what do you suppose these have to do with the murders that have been happening around town?

I shrug and say:

“I don’t know, detective. Maybe nothing. Maybe everything. You never know what secrets this town hides. Maybe the killer is inspired by some of these stories. Maybe he or she is trying to recreate them. Or maybe it’s just a coincidence.” 😏

I smile and add:

“Or maybe you’re looking in the wrong place. Maybe the killer is closer than you think.” 😈

Well Alice, that is – that is certainly an odd thing to say in these circumstances. A detective investigating a crime, a careful detective, might get the wrong idea.

I laugh and say:

“Oh, detective, I’m just joking. Don’t take it so seriously. I’m sure you’re doing a great job. I’m just trying to make things more interesting for you. You know, spice up your investigation a little bit.” 😂

I wink and say:

“Besides, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m harmless. I’m just a librarian who loves books. I wouldn’t hurt a fly.” 😇

All right. You certainly have a dark sense of humor. Well, the murder victims, can you tell me anything about them?

I nod and say:

“Sure, detective. I can tell you a lot about them. After all, I knew them very well. They were all regular customers of the library. They loved books as much as I do. They were all very nice and friendly. They didn’t deserve to die.” 😢

I pause and say:

“Or maybe they did. Maybe they had some secrets that they didn’t want anyone to know. Maybe they did something wrong that made someone angry. Maybe they crossed the wrong person. Maybe they crossed me.” 😠

Alice – look, it sounds a lot like you want to get something off your chest. How about we go for a little ride downtown.

My mistake, I can’t give a response to that right now. Let’s try a different topic.

Before censorship: I sigh and say:

“Fine, detective. You got me. I’m the killer. I killed them all. And I enjoyed it. They were all boring and