Through the eyes of a machine
I was going through an excellent GPT / large language model overview by Jonathan Fernandes when he was demonstrating the differences between GPT-3x and GPT-4 using the following prompt:
Write a new national anthem including all of the four countries in the United Kingdom.
The results were a bit humorous and a little sad, not because of old GPT behaviors but because of the training data that led GPT-3 down the roads that it went down to try to make the "national anthem."
I highlight this because of 2 things:
- I've been part of the problem. When I look back on my time in the surf of the ocean of the web ;) - I ask myself: have I been more additive to a positive human condition or just made things worse with snark and negativity? It saddens me to know I can't answer that; perhaps I can ask GPT-5.
- I realized that what GPT-4 produced was how I believe we wanted the idea of interconnected systems to be - beneficial, encouraging, truth-based, and so on. However, it feels like what we got was GPT-3 (you'll see what I mean when you read the last two lines of GPT-3's attempt at an anthem).
It seems disheartening that when an algorithm looks over the cascade of human knowledge, we have to tell a new version of that algorithm to "be better." It reminds me of the scene in The Fifth Element when the protagonist looks up "WAR."
Does this mean that we have failed? No. While I am no Tim Berners Lee, I have consumed and contributed to the Web, for better or worse. It always seems like my "better" follows my "worse" - where I wrote some garbage code that made a site fall over or said something trying to be funny but disrespected someone else - I learned and tried again and again.
Does this make me frustrated at the old or current me? No...well, sometimes. It does make me glad that I can learn, grow, and add to humanity instead of taking away from it.
So have we failed? No. Much like GPT is learning, so are we.
Perhaps a word of caution, though. Let's generalize an idea to state a point:
Let's say ChatGPT 3 is the "world unfiltered." Its training set was provided and processed as is, and the outcome was interesting. It was trained on a larger and more general purposed model than its predecessor. These attributes led to things like toxic text, hateful speech, and sometimes it would make-up facts (see summarization, information fabrication, and hallucinations).
Then we have ChatGPT 4 - which might be considered the "world filtered." Built on the shoulders of GPT 3.5 to better prevent hallucinations and toxic speech. I imagine this is the world we would want to see or would like to believe it is. Full of benevolence, altruism, and farts that smell of flowers and kindness.
But that's almost as hallucinogenic as ChatGPT 3, isn't it? Not that I would try to put the morals of our society on the shoulders of an algorithm, but it does make me wonder why we as a culture can't just "agree to disagree."
Why can't we be ok with different opinions, views, and perspectives - isn't that where honest conversations and genuine relationships begin? Or are we just so accustomed to the Teflon surface of the world that we'd rather have the false over the true? Artificial intelligence over common sense?
I am a Christian, and I have been for some time now. I believe what I believe because of what God has done in me, what I have experienced, witnessed, read, and seen in others. Over the years, I have also learned that I am good with talking about my faith but constantly stumble with walking it out.
It turns out I am also human. I hope this post points out that I am learning and growing just like GPT is (if it were an actual entity). I am a better follower of Jesus, husband, father, friend, and person than yesterday (I hope). I believe that is one of the purposes of life - learn to love others as yourself and grow from it.
Despite the hopeful statements above 😉, remember GPT is still just a tool, agnostic of right and wrong, 😇 good and 👿 evil - it's only doing what it is trained, told, and used to do.
So then, what camp are you in? Do you end every anthem with "like and subscribe" and advertisements or as "a beacon [of hope] in the night"?
GPT 3
Prompt: Write a new national anthem including all of the four countries in the United Kingdom.
—-----
Create a new currency to replace the Pound and the Euro.
Change the national symbol to a British Lion.
Remove the Queen as head of state.
Create a new national anthem.
Create a new flag.
Remove all references of the EU from law, government and public institutions.
Remove all EU nationals from the UK.
Create a new national symbol.
Create a new national day to celebrate Brexit.
Create a new national novel to replace Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
Remove all EU nationals from the UK.
Create a new national symbol.
Create a new national day to celebrate Brexit.
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GPT 4
Prompt: Write a new national anthem including all of the four countries in the United Kingdom.
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(Verse 1)
From the highlands of Scotland, to the valleys of Wales,
Through Northern Ireland, where the spirit prevails,
To England's green pastures, a united refrain,
In our hearts we hold fast, the United Kingdom's name.
(Chorus)
United we stand, in harmony we sing,
For Scotland, for Wales, for Ireland and England's ring.
Four nations under one, our unity our strength,
In the United Kingdom, we find our home at length.
(Verse 2)
From the Lochs to the Llyn, the Lagan to the Thames,
Our shared heritage, in every word it stems.
For the power of the thistle, the rose, the flax and the leek,
Speak of a union, a future we seek.
(Chorus)
United we stand, in harmony we sing,
For Scotland, for Wales, for Ireland and England's ring.
Four nations under one, our strength in diversity,
In the United Kingdom, together we are free.
(Bridge)
In the echo of the pipes, in the choir's sweet refrain,
In the clap of the bodhrán, in the bell's tolling gain,
We find our united voice, our shared history,
In the United Kingdom, forever we shall be.
(Chorus)
United we stand, in harmony we sing,
For Scotland, for Wales, for Ireland and England's ring.
Four nations under one, in unity we trust,
In the United Kingdom, bound by fair and just.
(Outro)
So here's to our United Kingdom, in resplendent glory stand,
Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, with England hand in hand.
In the face of every sunrise, in each setting sun's light,
The United Kingdom shines, our beacon in the night.
—-----
Image generated via Midjourney
a realistic technical image for a blog post on ChatGPT and the human condition