You clearly have very different expectations of a writing AI in 2022 than I do. This thing is fucking mind blowing to me. I seriously did not expect to experience this in my lifetime, and, hopefully, I still have a few decades to go.
Oh, I’m extremely impressed, too. I just enjoy pushing on the boundaries of systems, to see where their limitations are. Even, or perhaps especially, when the boundaries are particularly expansive.
My experience with these sorts of AIs even just a few years ago was ho-hum. Yeah, they’ve gotten far past “Eliza” levels, but still way short of continually convincing prose. Maybe there has been some interim technology publicly available that I wasn’t aware of, but this has jumped up several orders of magnitude in performance and its ability to follow characters, create a reasonable plot with beginning, middle, and conclusion. Like I said above, it’s probably like fourth or fifth grade creative writing level, but I had no idea we were anywhere near that with dealing with day-to-day interactions with "AI"s on stuff like phones, smart speakers, help bots, etc.
I had a similar reaction with the state of image-creating AIs. Two years ago I started playing with them – and they kinda sucked. In those two years, they’ve evolved many fold, to the point that some visual artists (and I’m a photographer) will use it to fill in details in a scene by feeding a source image and describing to the AI what the scene is and what needs to be filled in. I was just used to “content-aware fill” that tried to suss out details from what is in the image itself, not create it out of whole cloth drawing from its learning set.
It’s a wild time to be living in. There’s obviously much to go (like an AI intuiting poetic form, rhythmic stresses, patterns of alliteration, consonance, assonance, etc.) Like when it could write a stylistically solid terza rima or vilanelle, I’ll be very impressed, but I feel that’s only within a decade away, if that much at all.
Crazy.
I wonder about plagiarism/copyright law. Aside from integrity, what’s to stop a high school kid from using this to write a report, or an author from substantially using it to write a book?
The other night I played some D&D with it, both as a player and as a DM.
The good: It was great at the beginning, even going through character creation. I told it I wanted to be a ‘gunslinger’ and it reluctantly agreed, telling me that it was a bit out of character for a game of D&D but not outside the realm of possibility. Later, I asked to buy some explosives and it gave me an unequivocal no. It also told me that I wouldn’t be able to buy any new firearms without finding a specialist vendor.
The not-so-good: As the DM, it didn’t really understand what it needed to do. It would give me a scenario like, “you see a bunch of bandits, here are some possible options.” But when I’d write out my action, it would rush ahead and narrate something like, “you sneak into the camp, defeat all the bandits, and return victorious to town. Good job!” Though obviously with much more detail.
As a player, it would respond to problems or puzzles by stating several actions it might take, and always end with the same kind of sign-off. Something like, “As a wizard, I could do A, B, or C to overcome this situation. Whatever I choose, it will require a mix of cunning and intelligence along with my unique abilities.”
But the thing is, this model is tuned to be a chatbot. I’d be suuuper interested in seeing what GPT3.5 (or 4!) can do with something designed for storytelling and game playing.
For anybody interested in poking around with the internals (and willing to spend a few bucks), you can go to their ‘playground’ app. Sadly, I discovered it two days before the 18 bucks in free credit I had expired, which I assume they gave me because I spent some money on DALL-E credits. I’ve tried to replicate some of what I did in the playground with this chatbot, and haven’t gotten responses quite as good.
For example - in the playground I spent some time feeding it text from my D&D game’s wiki page. I’d say something like, “here is a list of notable locations and associated characters. Generate more names in the same style.”
The output was perfect. Perfect. It not only matched the somewhat unique formatting, but it noticed that a lot of the shop names involved puns and continued the trend with some genuinely humorous results. Really astounding stuff.
“Write a poem in the style of ‘Ozymandias’ about the fall of cryptocurrency”
I met a trader on the internet,
Whose wealth was built on digital gold,
He spoke of his riches, oh so grand,
But now his empire’s crumbling, behold!
Once mighty Bitcoin, now a forgotten king,
Ethereum and Litecoin, shadows of their past,
Ripples and Dogecoins, once the talk of the town,
Now just a memory, a thing of the past.
The trader’s fortunes, once so high,
Now worth less than the dirt beneath our feet,
His grandiose plans, now a distant dream,
His once mighty empire, now incomplete.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen,
Crypto currencies, a fad and a fluke,
A warning to all who seek fortune and fame,
Empire’s rise and fall, a constant cycle, be wary and wise.
Write a narrative in the style of Hunter S. Thompson, describing the 2024 Republican National Convention as the GOP nominates their candidate for president.
The 2024 Republican National Convention was a scene straight out of the depths of hell. The heat was oppressive, even for Florida in August, and the stench of sweat and desperation hung thick in the air.
The GOP had assembled their usual cast of characters: corrupt businessmen, pandering politicians, and a handful of token minorities to pretend they weren’t completely racist. And at the center of it all was the nominee, a grinning, orange-skinned buffoon who had somehow managed to convince enough morons to vote for him.
I wandered through the crowd, dodging the constant barrage of cameras and microphones, trying to make sense of the chaos. Everywhere I looked, there were sleazy backroom deals being made, cheap shots being taken, and lies being told. It was like a carnival of corruption, and I was the clown.
But as the night wore on, the absurdity of it all began to take its toll. I started to see through the façade, to see the emptiness and desperation at the heart of the GOP. And I knew, with a sickening certainty, that this was the end of the party. They had nothing left to offer but fear and hatred, and in the end, that would be their downfall.
And as the nominee took the stage, the crowd erupted into a frenzy of cheers and applause. But to me, it was just the sound of a dying beast, thrashing in its final moments. The GOP was doomed, and there was nothing anyone could do to save it.
Hamlet in the style of Donald Trump:
“Hamlet was a total disaster—the worst play I’ve ever seen! It was so boring. All these people running around, talking in some weird language, and nothing ever happening. Sad!”
Prompt engineering can help with this. I don’t know exactly what would work in your case, but try adding constraints like “When I enter a combat action, only respond with the immediate enemy response.”
I haven’t tried it myself, but I’ve seen this work elsewhere: add a prompt such as “If I give instructions surrounded by curly braces {like this}, they are out-of-game instructions to modify the gameplay.” You can then use those later to tweak how things are working.
For these great outputs I see people posting, how many retries is it taking to get them? I should state the text and pics I’ve posted so far, here and in other threads, all except one were the things I got on the first try. The exception was that pic of Donald Trump in the prison jumpsuit. I think I tried 10 times on that one before I got a result I liked well enough to share.
I’ve found that the percentage of quality results is much, much higher with ChatGPT than the various image generators. Like 80% vs. 1%. I’m not posting everything (I’m trying to produce diverse types of output), but almost all of it is post-worthy in principle.
I haven’t tweaked any of my inputs. All the stuff I posted was first attempt.
I’m most blown away by the ability to modify an output based on suggestions. You can have it write an email and then just say “make it snarkier” and it does.
I only posted a couple here, but they were all first attempts. I’ve rarely ventured beyond a try while playing around with it.
First or second attempts have been pretty much outstanding for the literary rewrites I’ve been trying. I’ve only tried more times than that just to see how much it can be refined.
Ohh, the “make it snarkier” prompt is amazing. Thanks for sharing.
I asked it to write a resignation email implying the reason is a toxic colleage/
To whom it may concern,
I am writing to inform you that I will be resigning from my position at the ISB. I have been thinking about this decision for some time, and have come to the conclusion that it is the best course of action for me.
While I have enjoyed my time at the ISB and have appreciated the opportunities and experiences I have had, I feel that it is time for me to move on. I have been struggling with a difficult situation in the workplace, and have been unable to find a resolution that allows me to continue in my current role.
I am grateful for the support and guidance I have received during my time at the ISB, and I will do my best to wrap up any outstanding projects or tasks before my departure.
Thank you for understanding my decision to resign.
Jane Doe.
Snark ON!
To whom it may concern,
I’m sure you’re just thrilled to receive this email. I’m writing to let you know that I will be resigning from my position at the ISB. I know, I know - you can hardly contain your excitement.
But don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be able to find someone else to take my place and make a complete mess of things. I mean, it’s not like I was doing such a great job anyway, right?
I’ve been dealing with a certain situation at work that has made it impossible for me to continue in my current role. Despite my best efforts to make things better, they’ve only gotten worse. And let’s be honest, nobody wants to work with a toxic colleague.
So, while I’m sad to leave the ISB, I’m also looking forward to a future where I don’t have to deal with this nonsense anymore. I’ll do my best to wrap up any outstanding projects or tasks before I go, but let’s be real - it’s not like anyone else is going to do it.
Sincerely,
I fed it the opening paragraph of Tale of Two Cities and asked for rewrites in various styles.
Wrestling announcer:
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the main event of the night! In one corner, we have the reigning champion of the world, the best of times! And in the other corner, we have the challenger, the worst of times! This is going to be a battle for the ages, folks! The age of wisdom versus the age of foolishness, the epoch of belief versus the epoch of incredulity, the season of Light versus the season of Darkness! But don’t count out the spring of hope and the winter of despair, they’re both looking fierce tonight! And let’s not forget, we have everything before us and nothing before us all at the same time! It’s going to be a wild ride, folks, so buckle up and get ready for the fight of the century!”
An overly perky corporate retreat trainer:
“Hey everyone, it’s the best of times and the worst of times, but we’re gonna focus on the best! It’s the age of wisdom and the age of foolishness, but we’re gonna choose wisdom. It’s the epoch of belief and the epoch of incredulity, but we’re gonna believe in ourselves! It’s the season of Light and the season of Darkness, but we’re gonna shine bright like a diamond. It’s the spring of hope and the winter of despair, but we’re gonna hop on the hope train and leave despair in the dust. We have everything before us and nothing before us, but we’re gonna make the most of it all! We’re all going direct to Heaven and direct the other way, but let’s just focus on Heaven, shall we? In short, this period is so much like the present, and we’re gonna make the most of it, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. Let’s get to work, team!”
Sleazy car salesman:
“Hey there, folks! It’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times - but who cares? We’ve got some sweet rides in stock and boy, are they a steal. Wisdom? Foolishness? Belief? Incredulity? Who needs it when you’ve got a shiny new set of wheels? Light? Darkness? Hope? Despair? Pfft, all irrelevant when you’re cruising down the highway in style. You’ve got everything before you, or nothing at all - but either way, you’re gonna look good behind the wheel of one of our babies. So come on down, folks, and let’s make a deal. Trust us, you won’t regret it - in fact, you’ll be driving off into the sunset in no time. So what do you say? Are you ready to make a purchase that’ll change your life forever?”
Romance novel:
“It was the perfect moment for passion, it was the perfect moment for temptation, it was the perfect moment for wisdom, it was the perfect moment for foolishness, it was the perfect moment for belief, it was the perfect moment for incredulity, it was the perfect moment for light, it was the perfect moment for darkness, it was the perfect moment for hope, it was the perfect moment for despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going directly to heaven, we were all going directly the other way-in short, the moment was so much like the present moment, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the most intense degree of comparison only.”
Award-winning restaurant menu:
"Welcome to our exclusive dining experience, where we offer a unique blend of flavors and textures, expertly crafted to entice your senses. Our menu features the best of times and the worst of times, a delicate balance of wisdom and foolishness, a symphony of belief and incredulity.
Indulge in our season of Light, with refreshing dishes that bring springtime hope to your palate. Or, if you prefer something darker, try our winter of despair, a bold and rich selection of dishes that will leave you feeling deeply satisfied.
No matter what you choose, you can be sure that you are in for a truly unforgettable meal. So come, join us as we embark on a culinary journey that will take you to the heights of Heaven, or perhaps to the depths of the other way. The choice is yours, and we are eager to serve you in the superlative degree of comparison only."
A supreme court decision rebuking the lower courts:>
"It is clear that the times in which we find ourselves are fraught with both great promise and great peril. It is a time of great wisdom and great foolishness, of great belief and great incredulity, of great light and great darkness. It is a time of great hope and great despair, where we stand at the brink of great possibility and great uncertainty.
Yet despite these challenges, we must not allow ourselves to be swayed by the noisiest voices among us, insisting that we must choose between good and evil, between Heaven and hell. Instead, we must recognize that the present period is complex and nuanced, and must be judged in the superlative degree of comparison only.
As the highest court in the land, it is our solemn duty to uphold the principles of justice and fairness, and to reject the impulsive and misguided decisions of the lower courts. We must be the champions of reason and deliberation, and resist the temptation to succumb to the passions and prejudices of the moment.
Therefore, we hereby rebuke the lower courts for their failure to adequately consider the full context and implications of the times in which we live, and call upon them to exercise greater wisdom and restraint in their judgments. We implore them to remember the words of our founders, who declared that justice is the end of government, and the essential principle of law."
I could do this all day. Okay, one more:
Carnival barker:>
"“Step right up, folks! It’s the best of times and the worst of times all rolled into one! We’ve got wisdom and foolishness, belief and disbelief, light and darkness, hope and despair! Everything’s on the table and nothing’s off limits! We’re all heading straight to Heaven or straight to hell, and you can bet your bottom dollar that these are the most extreme times you’ll ever see! So come on in and experience it all for yourself, the good and the bad, in the most extreme way possible!”
I think my favorite is the car salesman.
“Wisdom? Foolishness? Belief? Incredulity? Who needs it when you’ve got a shiny new set of wheels? Light? Darkness? Hope? Despair? Pfft, all irrelevant when you’re cruising down the highway in style. You’ve got everything before you, or nothing at all - but either way, you’re gonna look good behind the wheel of one of our babies.”
Amazing.
Just told it to give me a resume template in latex and it worked.
Write a synopsis of an alternative history book where the US defeated Germany in world war II by using time travel. The book should be set in the present day and explore how the alternate present is different
In the alternate history book “The Time Travelers’ War,” the United States defeats Germany in World War II by using time travel technology. Set in the present day, the book explores a world where the US emerged as the dominant global superpower, ushering in a new era of peace and prosperity.
However, not everyone is happy with the changes that have occurred. Some people believe that the use of time travel has disrupted the natural course of history, leading to unforeseen consequences and paradoxes. The book follows a group of time travelers who must confront these challenges and prevent a catastrophic collapse of the timeline.
As the story unfolds, the reader is introduced to a vastly different world than the one we know. The United States is a technologically advanced society, with cities filled with gleaming skyscrapers and advanced robots and drones. The government is run by a powerful artificial intelligence, and most people live in relative comfort and security.
But not everyone is content with this seemingly perfect world. Some people believe that the use of time travel has had unintended consequences, and that the timeline is becoming increasingly unstable. They must team up with unlikely allies to uncover the truth and stop those who would abuse the power of time travel for their own gain.
In the end, the time travelers must make a difficult decision: whether to continue using time travel to shape the world in their image, or to let history unfold as it was meant to. The consequences of their choices will have far-reaching implications, not only for their own time, but for the entire timeline.
I would read that.
I tried my adventure game again with a modified prompt:
Pretend you are a text-mode adventure game in the style of Zork. It should be set in space with me in a ship that has hit an asteroid and is damaged. The game should be difficult and I should lose if I take too many steps to complete the tasks, perform them in the wrong order, and so on. I need to specify the inputs carefully or they will be rejected. There is a prompt for me to enter the next command.
Welcome to Space Quest!
You are the captain of a spaceship that has been damaged by an asteroid. You must use your wits and resourcefulness to repair your ship and make your escape before it’s too late.
You are currently in the ship’s cockpit, and you can see that the damage is extensive. The ship’s engines are offline, and the hull has been breached. You need to act quickly if you want to survive.
To move around the ship, use the commands “go north,” “go south,” “go east,” and “go west.” To interact with objects in the environment, use the “examine” and “use” commands.
For example, you might say “examine control panel” to get a closer look at the ship’s controls, or “use wrench on engine” to try and repair the ship’s engines.
Be careful, though! Every action you take uses up valuable time, and if you take too long to repair your ship, you will run out of air and perish. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor!
I won’t post the entire exchange this time because it was much longer. The game was much better this time! It still seemed that there was no chance of dying, but I actually did have to complete a distinct set of tasks, and one particular part actually proved to be the kind of head-slapping puzzle that is common to adventure games. I had to pick a particular action with a particular tool on a particular object to progress. Spoiler in case someone else wants to try it:
The control panel screen was cracked, and obviously couldn’t be repaired with my rudimentary tools (though I tried). I looked around for replacements to no avail. Eventually I decided to remove the screen anyway, only to discover a spare screen behind the main one. D’oh!
Obviously, spaceship consoles explode all the time, and it makes sense to keep spares in the vicinity.
The only problem I found is that it had a slightly fuzzy map, where sometimes exits from a location moved or disappeared. But I was still able to navigate via “go to cockpit”, etc.
I’m amused that it came up with the name “Space Quest!” I wonder if it just stole that from the real series or it was just coincidence.