ChatGPT - AI text

[Liffguard]

On 2/27/2023 at 1:58 PM, Liffguard said:

Not sure where I stand on the issue of machine-learning systems for art and literature.

But I absolutely plan to use chatgpt to help write my self-appraisal at work and cover letters for job applications. I'm sceptical about the potential for machine-learning to produce truth or beauty, but I see a use for it in outsourcing pointless bullshit make-work.

Update: the Chatgpt cover letter did lead to an interview.

[Jace, Extat]

"Look, I run a tight ship. That's my job as a capital-C Captain, Chancellor. Keep folks wound right, wound tight, and wound outta sight... when they don't wind no more. You take my meaning, right Goldie? 

And to tell ya the truth, since the day I up and promoted my self side-ways into "Fleet Admiral" I've kinda seen it as my job to extend that courtesy to every ship and soul under my command. 

It's a new galaxy.

New Empire. A smiley one for Fathers' sake. I mean our beloved founder is dead. 

D

E

D 

Dead. And he ain't comin back. 

Now we can sit here scrabblin and squawking over the remains or we can face facts. 

New facts call for new reviews, new alignments when necessary. 

So, Chancellor, Princess... Empress-Heir? When I tell you that I came here with nothing to hide but my sparkly white smile, my positively effusive personality type, and a big ol secret you need to hear? Well, you know I'm telling the truth. 

I told you that already past Telos, where I crushed the cowards who fled the field instead of avenging their masters' doom. 

I told you that already when I sent code ratters into 'your' shipyards on Corellia. 

I told you at Manaan. Found nothing at Korriban. And I think I tripped over it near Dagobah, come to think... of all places, Dagobah! As likely as Tatooine or Taris! 

And madam-whatever-you-want? 

I told the Universe at Bastion when I took Palleon's tongue for daring call himself Grand Admiral. You see, because I may not be blue. I may not be a Bothan, or indeed technically an Admiral. 

But the real heir to the Empire is all that and more. And he's coming to tell you about something from out of space."

"Admiral" "Dalaa" - Jace's Star Wars Movie, which cannot be bought

[TheLastWolf]

https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/12/researchers-discover-a-way-to-make-chatgpt-consistently-toxic/

 

[Myrddin]

I've spent countless hours over these last few months researching the siege of Volterra, trying to pull out logistical details that I can use in a book I want to write. I've been buying books, digging through academic papers, and even running sources from Italian through Google translate. I've compiled a pretty nice summary of details pulled together from all these sources.

Last week after a presentation at work about how we can leverage (and how not) ChatGPT, I ask the chatbot a series of questions about the siege. It spit out almost everything I found already in about 2 seconds. And additional information I haven't found anywhere (locations for artillery emplacements). 

I'm not saying I'll take everything it gives me at face value, but it gave me data I can not try to validate/find original source.

[Argonath Diver]

Can you ask it to specify primary or secondary sources from its queries? ie can you follow up your prompt with a "can you refer me to the primary source that mentioned artillery emplacements?" 

While I'm terrified at the implications of this rapid rise of AI efficiency and power, it's absolutely fascinating - and honestly I'm a bit fearful to even try it out myself. I honestly expect something like Tony Stark's Jasper in the Iron Man movies to be a very realistic part of households very soon. Or Ana de Armas' role in Blade Runner 2049 - only for now an on-screen avatar. Combining v-tubers right now that project anime avatars of themselves gaming or whatever, and chatGPT 6 or 7-ish will be a whole big can of worms. I might have an AI girlfriend like Joaquin Phoenix in Her next decade. Yikes.

[Wilbur]

I like this take on editorial oversight:

https://defector.com/insider-boss-to-employees-please-make-good-use-of-this-lying-plagiarism-machine

"Imagine you are a journalist, and one day you receive an email from your boss announcing an exciting new hire. Everyone please give a hearty welcome to Bob! the message begins. Bob is a serial plagiarist who routinely lies, doesn't understand what a fact is, and has never written an interesting sentence in his life. Please consider him a writing and research resource for all of your stories. Just make sure you are spending a lot of time rigorously fact-checking and rewriting anything he produces for you, because he will seriously end your career if you don't! Anyway, feel free to swing by the kitchen at 3:00 p.m. to grab a slice of cake and welcome Bob to the office. Would you not immediately attempt a citizen's arrest on your boss?"

[IFR]

On 4/15/2023 at 5:25 PM, Argonath Diver said:

Can you ask it to specify primary or secondary sources from its queries? ie can you follow up your prompt with a "can you refer me to the primary source that mentioned artillery emplacements?" 

While I'm terrified at the implications of this rapid rise of AI efficiency and power, it's absolutely fascinating - and honestly I'm a bit fearful to even try it out myself. I honestly expect something like Tony Stark's Jasper in the Iron Man movies to be a very realistic part of households very soon. Or Ana de Armas' role in Blade Runner 2049 - only for now an on-screen avatar. Combining v-tubers right now that project anime avatars of themselves gaming or whatever, and chatGPT 6 or 7-ish will be a whole big can of worms. I might have an AI girlfriend like Joaquin Phoenix in Her next decade. Yikes.

It's hard to predict the timeframe of AI advancement at this juncture. Even the experts diagree. I thought this was an interesting lecture on the subject.

 

But as Wilbur points out, ChatGPT has some serious flaws (I haven't tried GPT4). It will fabricate information and confidently report it as true. It is atrocious with calculations.

The best use of this AI is to already be familiar with the area of your inquiry, so you can identity when it gives you false information. Or be in a position to constantly verify what it says. That being established, ChatGPT has many very exciting applications. Hopefully with the aid of plugins like Wolfram Alpha it improve significantly (although the engineers at Wolfram Alpha have commented on combining their software with ChatGPT, and is very much in its infancy still, with many problems to iron out).

As for some scifi horror that AI will wipe out humanity and such in a dystopian future...sure, I think that could happen. Not in our lifetimes, probably. But is that really a bad thing? What's so great about humanity that it's essential that it exists? Out of the 14 billion years or so of the existence of the universe, humanity hasn't been a part of it for about 14 billion years. We are a rounding decimal. Thousands of species go extinct every year. We'll just end up being one of them. Good riddance, really.

 

[Ser Not Appearing]

On 4/15/2023 at 7:26 PM, Wilbur said:

I like this take on editorial oversight:

https://defector.com/insider-boss-to-employees-please-make-good-use-of-this-lying-plagiarism-machine

"Imagine you are a journalist, and one day you receive an email from your boss announcing an exciting new hire. Everyone please give a hearty welcome to Bob! the message begins. Bob is a serial plagiarist who routinely lies, doesn't understand what a fact is, and has never written an interesting sentence in his life. Please consider him a writing and research resource for all of your stories. Just make sure you are spending a lot of time rigorously fact-checking and rewriting anything he produces for you, because he will seriously end your career if you don't! Anyway, feel free to swing by the kitchen at 3:00 p.m. to grab a slice of cake and welcome Bob to the office. Would you not immediately attempt a citizen's arrest on your boss?"

Now that's an interesting perspective.

[Myrddin]

On 4/15/2023 at 7:25 PM, Argonath Diver said:

Can you ask it to specify primary or secondary sources from its queries? ie can you follow up your prompt with a "can you refer me to the primary source that mentioned artillery emplacements?" 

I asked your exact question and got this:

Spoiler

The primary source that mentions Montefeltro's artillery emplacements during the Siege of Volterra is the "Cronaca Volterrana", a contemporary chronicle of the events of the siege.

The "Cronaca Volterrana" is a historical account of the war between the Republic of Florence and the Duchy of Urbino, written by an anonymous author who was likely a resident of Volterra. The chronicle was composed shortly after the siege and provides a detailed description of the events that took place, including Montefeltro's use of artillery.

In particular, the "Cronaca Volterrana" describes how Montefeltro's forces positioned their artillery on the hills around the city, giving them a strategic advantage in the battle. The chronicle also describes the impact of the artillery fire on the defenders of the city, who were eventually forced to surrender.

You can find the "Cronaca Volterrana" in various historical archives and libraries, or you may be able to access a digital copy through an online database or university library system.

So, it does cite sources. Which is cool.