ChatGPT incoming

[Peter G. ShawParticipant @peterg-shaw75338]

I have to say that I don’t like it, although fortunately I’m at an age where it is unlikely to have much effect on my life. Nevertheless, it seems to be straying into the realms of certain science fiction films, eg Logan’s Run and one other I have a vague memory of where computers did everything.

My experience so far of attempts to computerise everything are not particularly good. For example, problems caused by using American (where else?) designed software which does not cater for us in the UK and causes such problems such as having to enter dates in what to me is an alien way, eg “mmm dd yyyy”, rather than “dd mmm yyy”. I also have bad memories of attempting to use software which demanded that I give them a mobile phone number, and locked up when one was not forthcoming. Now I know that these are relatively minor in the great scheme of things, but I wonder just how good, and how accurate, all this ChatGPT is?

I also have in mind all those ideas of recent years that have caused problems, eg, the “smart” tv’s that listened to, and videoed what was going on even when supposedly switched off; laptops with built-in cameras leading to teenage girls covering up the camera port just to ensure that they were not being photographed. And as I write this, I am thinking of the device named Portal which was bought for us by our elder son. Very clever it is, good video, good sound, ability to contact people for free etc. But, and it’s a big but, the camera is always on, so if you happen to wander about in a state of undress, it can capture you, not a good idea in my opinion!

Then there is the computerisation of cars. Ok, it does allow the vehicle to work more reliably, more efficiently, more safely, all good things, but what next? Some twerp in a centrally heated building a few hundred miles away deciding unilaterally that the weather conditions are too bad to allow driving so prevents all vehicles from being started/used? Some of you may think I’m over-dramatising it, but the plain fact is that it has already been proposed that as from a specific date all vehicles would have to incorporate the ability for the vehicles speed to be controlled remotely. I have to say that I don’t know what the latest is on this subject, but I would not be at all surprised to find that plans are still being looked at.

I know that I am railing against the future here, and that it will come, but really, do we need this? Where’s the fun in asking a machine to do something for us, and I’m thinking of the recent case where a driver used AI to appeal against a fine, when we could do it ourselves and probably learn something as a by-product.

I would also like to state that I am not against computerisation per se, indeed producing this response shows that I can and do use IT. I also use, in a minor way to be true, other IT programs, and equipment, eg a camera which can do the thinking for me, but is still under my control. And that I think is what may be missing, an individual's control of the system.

Tootle pip,

Peter G. Shaw

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Pero on 10/04/2023 09:14:26:

Interesting!

Will it supersede the forum? In future will we just refer to ChatGPT for the answer to all queries.

…

Pero

Maybe!

There's a reasonable chance what they call in the trade a 'weak AI' could provide better answers to factual questions than most humans. What is the value of pi, e, time now, who wrote "Happy Birthday To You", how many pounds to the Euro, what's the maximum load I can lift with have a 12' long 2 by 4" beam. The forum is littered with wrong answers due to misunderstood questions, cultural & political bias, wishful thinking, outdated views, narrow perspectives, "common sense", bad memory, mis-speaking, ignorance and blunders. People may be sentient, but we're not particularly rational or disciplined, often behaving for emotional and egotistical reasons that have no place in problem solving.

ChatGPT is interesting because, in addition to pattern recognition and data analysis, it's gone a long way towards communicating in natural language. It, and other software, are now capable of answering questions like Bill Phinn's "In Flaubert's Madame Bovary Charles is largely to blame for Emma's death". Discuss. Refer closely to the text in your answer." well enough to fool a college lecturer! And a dumbo like me could impress Bill by answering in Flaubert's native language. All I have to do is ask the French ChatGPT to answer the question. There's an advantage: it removes any bias introduced into the English version by whoever translated the novel. ChatGPT has a significant advantage when it does "Refer closely to the text in your answer" because it can recall all of it, word for word. A human intelligence would be hard put to replicate that.

ChatGPT isn't the only player – I'm more worried about "Pink Slime" websites!

We live in interesting times.

Dave

[egaParticipant @ega]

ChatGPT seems like a potentially useful tool.

I looked in vain on Wikipedia for the Cheltenham classification for library books but ChatGPT came up with an informative. albeit bland, "lecturette".

[Bill PhinnParticipant @billphinn90025]

Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 10/04/2023 11:14:14:It, and other software, are now capable of answering questions like Bill Phinn's "In Flaubert's Madame Bovary Charles is largely to blame for Emma's death". Discuss. Refer closely to the text in your answer." well enough to fool a college lecturer!

I think you're right, Dave, though maybe that says more about the capabilities of some college lecturers than the capabilities of ChatGPT.

I would genuinely be interested in seeing an attempt by ChatGPT at this essay question. I think the answer could be superficially plausible, but, along with people like these, suspect that on closer analysis it would not pass muster.

[Sonic EscapeParticipant @sonicescape38234]

Q: write a poem dedicated to https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/ forum

A:

In the world of model engineering, a forum stands tall,
A place where makers gather, to share and enthral,
Where precision and skill are celebrated with pride,
And creativity and ingenuity collide.

From miniature steam engines to model airplanes in flight,
The Model Engineer forum is a wondrous sight,
A community of enthusiasts, where knowledge is shared,
And novices and experts alike are welcomed and cared.

The threads are abuzz with chatter and conversation,
With tips and tricks shared, and inspiration a revelation,
A place where hobbyists and craftsmen can belong,
And where their passion for engineering can sing a song.

So here's to the Model Engineer forum, a place so grand,
Where the art of model engineering is held in high demand,
May the camaraderie and knowledge-sharing never end,
And may the forum continue to be a maker's friend.

Not bad

[Paul MParticipant @paulm98238]

A poem from ChatGPT:

A model engineer, with steady hand, Crafts his machines from grains of sand, With precision, he turns each screw, And brings his dreams to life anew.

He measures twice and cuts with care, In his workshop, he's unaware Of the outside world, the noise and strife, For in his craft, he finds his life.

He shapes and bends, hammers and drills, Creating wonders with his skills, A locomotive, a steamship grand, A miniature world at his command.

His workbench is a place of pride, With tools laid out, clean and bright, He spends his days in joyful toil, Creating marvels of steel and oil.

And when at last his work is done, And his models gleam in the sun, He looks upon his handiwork, And feels a sense of peace and worth.

For in his craft, he's found his way, A refuge from the world's dismay, And though his models may be small, In his heart, they stand tall.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

The thing is evidently sexist

… surely that will never do !!

MichaelG.

[lee websterParticipant @leewebster72680]

I am now retired, so I can't ask it to do my self-employed tax returns for me. I wonder how it would have fared? Imagine an artificial inteligence arguing with the taxman. Chills!

Sidethought. Most fans of Star Trek would love to have the character "Data" as a friend. Isn't he ChatGPT in physical form?

[Sonic EscapeParticipant @sonicescape38234]

This can be really useful. I need only to make the AI to access calendar events and to send automatically to WhatsApp

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Removed by V8.

 

Edited By V8Eng on 11/04/2023 23:33:44

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

maybe it could be used as a proof reader for MEW
there are at least 2 sub headings repeat once between stories, once within a single story applied to 2 different photos in the #327 issue.

[DrDaveParticipant @drdave]

ChatGPT is not only for writing learned articles for ME and MEW, it can also help with writing computer code. Prof Moriaty from the University of Nottingham was impressed by the Python code that it produced in response to one of his quantum world course questions…

Unfortunately, I cannot see a way to embed a YouTube link from my iPad, but the URL below should get you there.

https://youtu.be/GBtfwa-Fexc

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Allow me, DrDave

.

.

MichaelG.

[DrDaveParticipant @drdave]

Thank you, Michael!

[Chuck TaperParticipant @chucktaper]

Odd on it copied it from Git Hub.

FC

[jaCK HobsonParticipant @jackhobson50760]

I think GPT4 is much better than chatGPT although I suspect chatGPT is a moving target – when I attempt to sing up for 4 and there are words that imply chatGPT may sometimes use 4 if resources are available.

I had developed the impression that Turing had actually proposed some sample questions for 'the turing test' but I can't find them. This paper is one of his seminal on the topic https://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/activities/ieg/e-library/sources/t_article.pdf

In my experience, even chatGPT tend to 'smash' sample questions that were proposed before it's availability. e.g in my opinion it seems to answers these with at least equivalent intelligence as I see the average displayed on Facebook : https://daley-paley.medium.com/10-cunning-questions-i-would-ask-in-a-turing-test-21dfa6108646

Where it fails to convince me is it is too nice.

This seems a good a summary as any on main-stream media that is easily accessible and entertaining:**LINK**

This bloke gives a good job of summarising interesting parts of papers describing GPT4. For instance this one suggests GOT4 seems to show some features of AGI, theory of mind and other components of conciousness

or last minute of this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MGCQOAxgv4

I used ChatGPT a lot recently and conclude it is not a replacement for Google. It is currently a creative tool and great at making stuff up based on facts but not sticking to them. It can interlace convincing but bogus academic references with genuine references with no way to tell the difference without looking each up. A brilliant tool for the flat earth type extremeists to help them write convincing posts on Facebook.

So the creativity of it seems its current strength to me. Writing software is probably a perfect application for the technology… which is my area of employment but hopefully I'll be able to retire soon. The video from OpenAI of the announcement of 4 is mindblowing for people in software – exciting and scary: Mind blown shortly after 17:30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=outcGtbnMuQ

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I used chatgpt to help with researching information on a famous Welshman. It told me he was from a village in Ireland.

I corrected this and it apologised!

That said, it was fascinating how I could ask for more details and it would come back with the extra information.

Essential to factcheck both Bard and Chatgpt thoroughly though. MUCH flakier than Wikipedia.

Neil

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

This story has also been reported in today’s mainstream News … but [in my opinion] this is a more useful link:

**LINK**

Boris Eldagsen: The Woman Who Never Was

Quite astonishing.

MichaelG.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Garden advice from ChartGPT:

rose-invert light”>

For a heavily shaded garden in South Wales, there are several plants that you could consider. Here are some options:

1. Hostas: Hostas are shade-loving plants that thrive in moist soil. They come in a variety of leaf colors and textures, making them an attractive addition to any garden.

2. Ferns: Ferns are another great option for a shaded garden. They come in many different sizes and shapes, and can add a lush, green look to your garden.

3. Astilbes: Astilbes are a beautiful flowering plant that can thrive in partial to full shade. They produce tall, feathery blooms that come in a variety of colors.

4. Foxgloves: Foxgloves are tall, elegant plants that produce beautiful bell-shaped flowers. They are shade-tolerant and can add a pop of color to your garden.

5. Bleeding Hearts: Bleeding Hearts are a classic shade-loving plant that produce delicate heart-shaped flowers in shades of pink and white.

6. Japanese Anemones: Japanese Anemones are a lovely shade-loving perennial that produces beautiful pink or white flowers.

7. Heucheras: Heucheras, also known as coral bells, are shade-loving plants that come in a variety of colors and produce small, bell-shaped flowers.

8. Hellebores: Hellebores are another shade-loving perennial that produce beautiful flowers in shades of pink, purple, and white.

All of these plants are well-suited for a heavily shaded garden in South Wales and can add color, texture, and interest to your landscape.

[Ches Green UKParticipant @chesgreenuk]

https://talking-pictures.net.au/2023/04/01/boris-eldagsen-the-woman-who-never-was/

Sony's (and others' ) reluctance to engage the 'photographer' in discussion is a bit strange. However it would seem they never bothered reading the accompanying notes to his photograph set, otherwise they would have realised the images were AI generated.

So they stuck their head in the sand.

I think AI generated photography is just another method of creating imagery, similar to cave scratchings, paintings, photography etc. Main difference is that it will soon require little skill or training to create that 'real' imagery. I'm battening down the hatches.

Ches

 

 

Edited By Ches Green UK on 18/04/2023 12:02:14

[jaCK HobsonParticipant @jackhobson50760]

Photographic evidence… a thing of the past?

[William HowcroftParticipant @williamhowcroft68688]

Music too: Although the internet may find it fascinating, the use of AI to create popular music is not pleasing for artists and rights-holding companies. Furthermore, the potential risk to their business seems to be increasing as AI-generated renditions of songs by Rihanna and Eminem have been released without authorization in the past few weeks.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Commercial concerns apart – and they are serious concerns – no-one seems to challenge the AI's enthusiasts hard, on on their desire to replace human creativity with artificial contrivance.

There is an even more serious aspect to copying real people than defrauding pop-singers and their publishers, in twisting political figures to enhance or more likely, to destroy, their reputations and undermine due democratic governance and civility (small 'd', for US readers…).

[Chuck TaperParticipant @chucktaper]

Just to labour a point.

I assume that photography must have caused some concern when it arrived – any idiot could now independently produce clear, detailed images without the need for skilled ….etc, etc, etc.

New tech. alway bring chaos. The (modern) world we live in is only about 250 – 300 years old (depending on how you measure it) It's mostly the result of constant "revolutionary" technological innovation.

This too will pass.

Things will break and there are so many thing that need to be broken.

It's just my opinion.

Regards

Frank C.

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

I suspect people will not think AI is so good after crooks use it seriously and hackers get well into it.

 

Edited By V8Eng on 18/04/2023 19:36:57

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