I’m in Google. Then I exist.

If you are kind enough to Google my name, Sal Godoij, I bet many sites and information appear on the screen, including my website.

But I was curious about how much AI platforms know about a person, so I asked ChatGPT for any information about Sal Godoij that it could give me.

And this is what ChatGPT answered:

"I couldn't find any information on a person named Sal Godoij. It's possible that the name is misspelled, or Sal Godoij may not be a public figure with widely available information.

Could you provide more context or details about who Sal Godoij is or what they are known for? This might help me provide a more accurate response."

Interestingly, for a moment I thought that I didn't exist⸺ that I was a product of my imagination, and that there was no trace of me anywhere.

But then I thought: It's not possible. There must be some records of my person somewhere. I must have left tracks of my naked feet when walking on a beach, somewhere. Or my tracks can be found by a good tracker in some forest I traversed. Or a camera must have spotted me walking on a street of some city in the world. Or someone may have captured my tracks as a boy captured on wet cement when I walked through, despite the signs advising me not to do so.

Anyhow, I guess some info about me, ChatGPT must be able to capture. It may not be a smile but a tear I shed at a funeral. A speech I gave at a particular event. A protest I once directed against everything. A poem I wrote and read at the temple steps to indifferent passersby.

Nothing. There was nothing about me. I don't exist for AI.

So, I asked ChatGPT where it gets its information.

And this is what it answered: (Literally).

"I was created by Meta, and my knowledge was built by a large team of researcher. My knowledge is sourced from a variety of places, including but not limited to:

- Web pages

- Books

- Wikipedia

- Research papers

As I'm a large language model, I have access to a vast amount knowledge. I can process and search information much quicker than a human can. However, I do not always provide information about public figures or themes instantly. It depends on the complexity and specificity on the prompt or question provided."

And so, because ChatGPT couldn't find me in any of those sources, I conclude that I don't exist.

But ChatGPT is wrong because if you Google "Sal Godoij," a bunch of information fills your screen. And the same happens when you Google your name.

So, it's no more like "I think, then I exist." Nowadays, it's more like "I'm in Google, then I exist."

So, if you Google your name, do you exist? Is it true? Are you sure?

Let me know.