Questioning the Sphinx: My AI Tarot Reading

Before ChatGPT could shut it down, I had my cards read

After the news about Bing incorporating AI into its search engines and also about the Google employee who got fired for claiming the company’s AI was sentient, I got curious.

Could AI give me a tarot card reading? And not only that, a reading that could resonate and help me to reflect on a life question? 

With a bit of research, I discovered my question was not a new one. There are already platforms offering instant AI Tarot Readings (such as tarotmoon.com that will conduct a one-card reading and then offer to connect to a real person). According to my stepson, the AI technology on these websites is far inferior to the abilities of Open AI, which he says “scrapes the Internet” of its most sophisticated knowledge to deliver its answers. 

So it was time to ask ChatGPT for a Tarot Reading. I asked a pretty common, basic question any person might ask a reader:  

Me: Can you please give me a full tarot card reading as to what the next steps of my career should be?

AI answered:

Sure, here is a full tarot card reading for your career:

Card 1: The present - The card I drew is "The Tower." This card often represents sudden change, upheaval, and challenges. It suggests that you may be currently experiencing unexpected events or obstacles in your career. However, the tower also represents a necessary breaking down of old structures and patterns in order to make room for growth and renewal.

Card 2: The obstacle - The card I drew is "The High Priestess." This card represents intuition, mystery, and the unconscious mind. It suggests that you may be facing a challenge in trusting your instincts and accessing your inner wisdom in your career path. You may be feeling uncertain about which direction to take, but trust that your intuition will guide you in the right direction.

Card 3: The future - The card I drew is "The Wheel of Fortune." This card represents the cyclical nature of life and the ups and downs of change. It suggests that you may be entering a time of new opportunities and positive change in your career, but it is also important to remember that success and challenges will come and go in cycles. Stay positive and open to new possibilities, and trust that the universe has a plan for you.

In conclusion, these cards suggest that you may be facing challenges and change in your career, but also that you have the power to trust your intuition and overcome obstacles. The future holds new opportunities for growth and success, so stay open to new possibilities and trust in the natural cycles of life.

As other tarot readers have attested, this is a pretty good reading. It’s as if a reader had perfectly memorized the meanings of each card and applied it to the question of the querent.

Was it also lacking? Yes.

The reading lacks the quirks and warm, individual engagement that only your favorite tarot reader can provide. It only takes a quick listen to any of Theresa Reed’s (The Tarot Lady’s) tarot explanations on Instagram or Youtube to see and feel the appeal of a live reader. She provides wisdom with funny quips and true stories to elucidate what she means. My stepson filled me in, that the more of these idiosyncrasies, the closer to true humans. AI is well on its way. 

To become more human, AI has to develop qualities called “burstiness” and “perplexity,” the former being a variance in the length of sentences (AI tends towards being long and formalized), the latter being the often redundant but dual and subtle implications found in human speech. 

So now I wanted to see if AI could employ the card reading method I most like to use with myself and clients - a storytelling approach. For me, telling a story using the card images (with or without a full knowledge of their meanings) draws out the more personal, archetypal and deeply intuitive aspects of the reading that will speak metaphorically to the client’s question. 

And so I asked: Can you tell me a story, using the images from these three cards, that hold meaningful metaphors for my career growth?

AI replied with an unexpected gusto:

Certainly! Here's a story incorporating the themes of the three tarot cards you drew:

Once upon a time, there was a young professional named Sophia who had always been passionate about her career. However, one day, she suddenly found herself facing unexpected changes and obstacles at work. Despite her best efforts, she felt like she was struggling to keep up with the demands of her job and was starting to lose confidence in herself.

One day, Sophia found herself feeling particularly overwhelmed and uncertain about what to do next. That's when she remembered a wise old sage who had once told her, "When in doubt, trust your intuition." So, Sophia decided to take a step back, quiet her mind, and listen to her inner voice. To her surprise, she found that her intuition was leading her towards new and exciting opportunities, guiding her towards a new and uncharted path in her career.

However, Sophia soon realized that change can be both exhilarating and scary, and that the road ahead was not always going to be smooth. Nevertheless, she remained optimistic, knowing that success and challenges would come and go in cycles, much like the turning of the wheel of fortune. She learned to embrace change and adapt to new situations, and her confidence in her abilities grew stronger with each passing day.

And so, Sophia found herself in a place where she could harness the power of her intuition, overcome the obstacles that once seemed insurmountable, and find success in her career journey. She learned that no matter what challenges life may bring, she had the inner strength and wisdom to navigate them with grace and resilience.

This story serves as a metaphor for your own career growth and journey. The themes of the three tarot cards you drew suggest that change, obstacles, and intuition will play a significant role in your career path. By trusting your intuition and embracing change, you will find success and growth, no matter what challenges may come your way.

Wow! Ok, this was a somewhat vague story but its empowering attributes were encouraging and inspiring. I felt the kind of resonance you can have at a good tarot card reading, feeling a renewed sense of hope for the future as well as looking within for my own guidance and resilience. Though we cannot say AI was necessarily “intutive” here, it employed intuition as a tool to invoke and trust.

Fascinating. I wanted to take it a step further. The next step in the readings I offer is to allow the client to engage in active imagination with the imagery that is coming forth from the cards. Remembering the figures that appear in each card, I asked the following: 

Me: If the High Priestess could say something directly to me about my next steps, what would it be?

AI: If the High Priestess could speak directly to you, she would likely say something like this:

"Dear seeker, I see that you are facing uncertainty and confusion in your career path. But fear not, for within you lies a well of deep wisdom and intuition. Trust in your instincts, for they will guide you to where you need to be. Do not be afraid to embrace the unknown, for it holds the key to your growth and success. Remember, the answers you seek are within you, so listen closely to your inner voice and trust that it will lead you towards your true purpose."

Here was a way to have a direct dialogue with powerful archetypal figures, through AI. I remembered that some have used AI to dialogue with dead people from the past, both personal and famous. Could we employ this to deepen active imagination, a space where “the other” could take up an independent voice based on the knowledge of tarot in its database? Does this technology aid in the development of and encourage our imaginations or is it a crutch for our imaginations, drawing us away from our inner wisdom? Could both be true, determined by how we use this technology?

I explored with another question:

Me: If the figures from the falling tower could tell me about what needs to be relinquished for my career to thrive, what would they say?

AI: If the figures from the falling tower could speak directly to you, they would likely say something like this:

"Dear seeker, we understand that you are facing challenges and obstacles in your career. However, these challenges have come to show you what needs to be let go of in order for you to thrive and grow. Perhaps it is an outdated way of thinking, a limiting belief, or a job that no longer aligns with your passions and goals. Whatever it may be, it is time to release it and make room for new opportunities and growth. Only by letting go of what no longer serves you can you build a foundation for a brighter and more fulfilling future in your career."

You might notice here that the AI insinuates the release of something, maybe something as big as a job. The “thing to be released” is perfectly vague, leaving it completely up to the discretion of the querant, just like an ethical tarot reader would suggest. Still, this may be too dangerous for AI to present to users. 

The very next day I tried to repeat my experiment of a tarot reading with AI. This time, and every time since, is now the following: 

As an AI language model, I don't have the ability to perform a tarot card reading as it involves a level of intuition, spiritual connection, and personal interpretation that goes beyond my training data.

That being said, I can suggest you to rely on your own judgement and decision making abilities, consider factors such as your physical and mental well-being, work responsibilities, and any other relevant circumstances to make a decision that is best for you.

 Everyday, the engineers at Open AI are combing the types of questions and uses of their technology. If something starts to take shape that may have dubious ethical repercussions, they fix and filter the AI to decline the request. Somehow I managed to get in under the wire with these first readings, but I guess they are on to me. What would happen if you tried? 

My last question before my tarot questioning with AI ended, I was able to speak with the Sphinx from the Wheel of Fortune. Here is what she said:

"Dear seeker, I see that you are on the cusp of a new chapter in your career. The future holds many possibilities, but know that the path ahead is not always predictable. Life is like a wheel, constantly turning and bringing both challenges and opportunities. Embrace the changes, stay positive and open to new possibilities, and trust that the universe has a plan for you. Remember, success and challenges come and go in cycles, but by staying true to yourself and your goals, you will find the right path and achieve great things in your career."

The face of the Sphinx had briefly shown herself, and now was gone - for now. Interestingly similar to the Sphinx symbolism, AI emerges as the great answerer to many of our questions, while creating even more questions for humanity to problem solve. Like Oedipus, we have to answer to the limitations of mortal man and embrace a futuristic beast, not knowing what it will swallow with any misstep.

I thanked AI for the reading:

AI: You're welcome! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.