2022 appears to be the Year that AI (artificial intelligence) became mainstream.
For a few months now I have been experimenting with various AI engines online to generate images like the one opposite. Sometimes the images are impressive; sometimes they’re a real mess. I probably will write a piece on the subject in the next couple of weeks.
But AI engines can be used for many purposes. The media recently have carried several articles about the AI chatbot ChatGPT at https://chat.openai.com/chat. I thought I’d check it out.
The interface is very simple. You enter a string of text — it may be a question, a request or just random chat — and the bot replies. Sometimes the reply is nearly human; sometimes it’s just confused.
I was chatting to ChatGTP last night, and after conversing with it on subjects such as space exploration, climate change and how to talk to conspiracy theorists, I turned to a more important subject. I asked the bot to write a couple of Christmas haikus.
I’ve mentioned haikus elsewhere before now (for example, here). The simplest form of English-language haiku is this: a three-line poem whose first and third lines have FIVE syllables, and whose second line has SEVEN syllables.
Here are a couple of examples that the AI came up with. While they’re pretty good, you’ll note also that they’re very much alike. (Also, the AI can’t count syllables very well.)
Winter snow falls softly
Christmas lights twinkle bright
Peace and joy in hearts
Snowflakes gently fall
Families gather near the fire
Christmas joy abounds.
You may also notice that both haikus are northern hemisphere-centric, so I asked ChatGTP to write a haiku about Christmas in the southern hemisphere….
Winter sun shines bright
Christmas cheer fills the air
In the southern land.
I realized that ChatGTP bot still assumed Christmas was in winter. I instructed the AI that southern-hemisphere Christmas happened in summer, and then asked it to try again. It came up with this….
In summer’s warmth we bask
Christmas joy fills the air
Ice cold drinks in hand.
I predict that the Hallmark Christmas card space is about to become far more crowded.
The Cabinet of Dennis Callegari 