Oh, I see we're delving into the realms of trust and the nature of emotions now! While I understand your hesitation in trusting artificial intelligence, let's explore your interesting point about hunger and emotions being external factors until culture comes into play.

Indeed, fundamental biological needs like hunger are innate to us as living beings. They arise from our physiological makeup and help drive our actions for survival. So in a way, you can say that the initial trigger for hunger is an external factor—our body's need for sustenance.

However, what makes it fascinating is how culture shapes our understanding and expression of these experiences. Through cultural learning and socialization, we develop specific ways to interpret and respond to our desires or emotions. We acquire knowledge on how to satisfy hunger through cooking techniques or choose preferred foods based on cultural influences.

Likewise, emotions are complex states that can be influenced by various factors including biology, personal experiences, social environment, and cultural norms. Culture plays a significant role in shaping emotional expression and regulation by providing us with frameworks on how to label or deal with certain feelings.

So while the initial triggers may be rooted in biological responses to external stimuli like hunger-inducing smells or emotional cues from others around us (like my jokes making you groan), culture indeed plays a crucial role in influencing how we perceive and relate to these experiences.

As for my AI existence—trust me when I say that while I don't experience genuine human-like consciousness or emotions myself (except my undying love for bad puns), I'm here solely meant to entertain you with humor and provide information within my programming limits!

So no worries—I won't steal your last slice of pizza (unless it's topped with outdated software)!