As I compose this edition of Foresight Friday (on Monday) I thought would post my ChatGPT experiments to my blog so that readers could easily see entire essays without making the email ridiculously long.
My first request was to tell me, “What is social capital?”
Social capital refers to the networks, norms, and trust that facilitate cooperation and coordination among individuals and groups in a society. It can take many forms, such as shared values, shared understanding, shared networks of relationships, and shared norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness. Social capital is often seen as a valuable resource that can be harnessed to achieve collective goals.
I followed that with, “Tell me what social capital is as if you were describing it to a child.”
Social capital is like the special magic that helps people work together and be friends. Imagine you have a group of friends who all like to play together. That’s a kind of social capital because you all trust and like each other, and you have a shared understanding of how to play. Now imagine if all the kids in your neighborhood had that kind of magic and they all wanted to clean up a park together. That would be really easy because everyone knows and likes each other, and they trust each other to do their part. That’s what social capital is, it’s the magic that helps people work together and make good things happen.
Both responses are factually correct, clearly stated, and generally acceptable responses. After reading some reports about CNET’s use of AI content being controversial and AP regularly using AI to write formulaic news updates, I was inspired to try a different request.
Compose a friendly summertime story of five paragraphs about going to the oak-shaded park that includes a recipe for making black bean salad with corn, diced tomato, red onion, and cilantro with lime juice and oil.
It was a beautiful summer day and I decided to take a stroll to the oak-shaded park near my house. The park was bustling with people enjoying the warm weather, children playing on the playground, and families picnicking on the grass. I found a quiet spot under a large oak tree and spread out a blanket to relax.
As I sat there, I started to feel a bit hungry. I remembered that I had all the ingredients for a delicious black bean salad with corn, diced tomato, red onion, and cilantro with lime juice and oil in my fridge. I decided to head home and make it for a picnic lunch.
When I got home, I quickly got to work on the salad. First, I drained and rinsed a can of black beans and added them to a large mixing bowl. Next, I added some thawed frozen corn, diced tomatoes, finely diced red onion, and chopped cilantro. I squeezed the juice of a lime over the mixture and drizzled some olive oil. I gently tossed everything together until it was well combined.
With my salad made, I packed it up along with some crackers and headed back to the park. As I sat under the oak tree and enjoyed my delicious salad, I couldn’t help but feel grateful for the beautiful day and the simple pleasures of a picnic lunch.
If you’re looking for a simple and delicious summer recipe, I highly recommend trying this black bean salad. It’s perfect for a picnic or a light lunch. And it’s easy to make. Just remember to drain and rinse a can of black beans, add some thawed frozen corn, diced tomatoes, finely diced red onion, and chopped cilantro. Squeeze the juice of a lime over the mixture and drizzle some olive oil. Gently toss everything together until it’s well combined. Enjoy!
Summarize the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 2003 Super Bowl win in three paragraphs.
I read along as the ChatGPT started churning out the paragraphs below, sentence by sentence, quite amazed at how well it was coming along. Right until it was wrong, in the first sentence of the third paragraph–my underlining above. The Buccaneers have since won a second Super Bowl, in 2021, against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII in 2003, defeating the Oakland Raiders 48-21. This was the first Super Bowl win in franchise history for the Buccaneers. The game was played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The Buccaneers were led by head coach Jon Gruden, who had previously coached the Raiders, and quarterback Brad Johnson. The defense was anchored by Pro-Bowlers such as Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp and John Lynch. They were able to shut down Raiders’ high powered offense, led by Rich Gannon, who threw 5 interceptions and was sacked 3 times. The game was never really in doubt as the Buccaneers jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.
The Buccaneers defense was the star of the game, intercepting Gannon a Super Bowl record five times, returning three for touchdowns. The defense also sacked Gannon three times and held the Raiders to just 21 points. The Buccaneers offense, led by Brad Johnson, also had a strong performance, scoring 48 points and gaining over 400 yards of total offense. The Buccaneers’ defense was able to shut down the Raiders’ high-powered offense, and the Buccaneers’ offense was able to score at will, leading to a blowout victory for Tampa Bay.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl win in 2003 was a significant moment in the team’s history, and it was the first and still the only time the team has won the Super Bowl. The team’s defense was dominant and the offense was efficient, leading to a convincing victory over the Raiders. The game was played in San Diego, California, and the team was led by head coach Jon Gruden, who had previously coached the Raiders, and quarterback Brad Johnson. The win was a culmination of a strong season and a dominant playoff run for the Buccaneers, who proved to be one of the best teams in the NFL that year.
I read along as the ChatGPT started churning out the above paragraphs, sentence by sentence, quite amazed at how well it was coming along. Right until it was wrong, in the first sentence of the third paragraph–my underlining above. The Buccaneers have since won a second Super Bowl, in 2021, against the Kansas City Chiefs.
So while ChatGPT is certainly a useful tool, it should not be trusted without human editing and in my opinion should include a disclaimer to let readers (and perhaps SEO bots) know when non-human authors are involved.
Write a conclusion paragraph about how machine learning will impact writing and art in the coming 2-3 years.
In conclusion, it is clear that machine learning will have a significant impact on the field of writing and art in the coming 2-3 years. With the continued advancements in natural language processing and machine learning technology, we can expect to see more sophisticated AI-generated writing and art. This will likely lead to new opportunities for creators and writers, such as the ability to generate new stories and ideas at a faster pace, or the ability to create art that is more intricate and detailed. However, it also raises important ethical questions about the role of AI in creative work and the potential for AI-generated content to replace human-created content. Overall, while there may be challenges, the advancements in machine learning will bring new and exciting possibilities for the field of writing and art in the coming years.
It’s an ok conclusion but in my human opinion, lacks imagination.