I suspect most people will have heard of ChatGPT by now. If not - I'm not sure how to describe it really. It's like a chat bot in that it converses with you in English, but it doesn't do anything frivolous like roleplaying as your online girlfriend or anything like that - rather, it's like a sort of helper for information and tasks across a wide range of topics.
https://chat.openai.com/
Last night, I asked it to analyse a BASH script (simple computer program) that I'd written. It explained how the program worked, very clearly. So I gave it a Python 2 script that I wrote a few years ago, and asked it to convert it to Python 3. It did. And it worked perfectly.
I was very, very impressed by that. And actually it was highly useful because Python 2 is no longer supported on modern Linux distros, and I don't know Python 3. Artificial Intelligence got my code working again.
So I thought I'd try a different topic this morning.
(https://i.ibb.co/yBLw5k1/gptdolph01.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/X5K7h1z/gptdolph02.png)
(https://i.ibb.co/Hg3X3Z1/gptdolph03.png)
That it has this information available to it is impressive, but what really surprises me is the way it hangs onto the context of a conversation and responds naturally.
This is the future. It's in its infancy now, but in 20 years time with more developed methods and faster hardware, you won't be able to tell the difference between talking to an AI program and a human being.
Truly frightening.
Magnificent.......but frightening!
(https://i.ibb.co/JsnvrpL/min-greenwich.png)
My goodness! There's a bit of my mind checking it's not April 1st with this. So many scenarios I can think of to interrogate this. I probably wouldn't enjoy the answers. Is there a possibility machines might gain awareness? Perhaps they would make better decisions or perhaps they might just play the odds in way that so called humanity might discount.
AI has been mind-boggling to me for years. It was one of my final year courses on my CS degree; things that seemed like sci-fi to us back then like machine reading and image recognition are commonplace now. For example every multi-storey car park has a camera that will glance at the front of your car and record your registration number.
Happens in a second, but there are a huge amount of steps that go into that - scanning through the pixels in the image and recognising high-contrast regions, then working out if they constitute a line or a boundary between a letter and a background, then compiling them into shapes, then matching them with pre-defined shapes. All these things are complex problems in their own right.
I wish my education or career had headed in that direction. I might have the wrong kind of brain for it though. Despite my fascination for the wonders of software, I don't seem to have the focus or patience to sit down and just work things out. I thought that early Cubase would be the outlet for creativity that I dreamed of, but even my puny Atari 1040 proved an obstacle too far back then. A few years later I stood in a queue in a blizzard outside SoundControl in Glasgow's West End as they were selling Cubans VST dirt cheap in their sale to the first few customers. I was bitterly disappointed as even with my new Gateway PC (with internet) I made very little progress. Geddy's interview quote of "stupid computer" came to mind regularly when he described his experience with MOTU software for the first time. I now use Logic Pro X. My MacBook has given up the ghost so I'll buy the new Mac Mini in a couple of weeks and hope that I can develop one or two ideas I've written in the past. Thinking about it, Geddy's interest in music tech has cost me a fortune over the years. No real regrets though.
Fascinating, mind blowing stuff.
I read about the Google AI device named AlphaZero in Yuval Noah Harari's "21 Lessons for the 21st Century". In 2017 it was given the basic rules of Chess and after 4 hours of analysing them it was put against Stockfish 8, a computer programme that was designed solely for Chess and had a database of years and years of Grand Master winning strategies and moves . Stockfish 8 could process 70 million moves per second compared to the AI's 80,000.
In a hundred games between the 2 Alpha Zero remained undefeated winning 28 and drawing 72.
It also managed moves never seen before, able to think/process differently to the human brain. That was 6 years ago and I imagine AI has moved on significantly since then
Just one more of these. I wanted to see if the poetry capability was just digging and adapting from a library of predefined ideas - after all I only gave it a name, a gender and a location. So I gave it a specific circumstance, where it would have to apply some creativity.
(https://i.ibb.co/3y8Lc5g/fwpoem.png)
Now let's face it - as poetry, it's crap. But as a demonstration of the ability of artificial intelligence to perform an abstract, specific task, I find it astonishing.
All characters represented in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased) is intended or should be inferred.
Please write my thesis <on insert subject> for me.
Please do my homework <on insert subject> for me.
Scary stuff indeed.
Interesting exchange with it this morning - it got some maths wrong, twice, but both times acknowledged its mistake. However in terms of understanding what I typed and responding with the appropriate use of language, phenomenal. I do find it bizarre that it changed its mind on the principle though.
(https://i.ibb.co/K0MDFH7/gptmaths.png)
Incredible stuff. I wonder if a day will arrive when a court stenographer (or machine derivative thereof) will ever relay data directly to a program such as this. Fraud and financial irregularity trials do appear to be an ordeal for human beings. Also, can it consider the possibility of unfairness of one party to another and give a balanced opinion, or would the algorithms be impossible to achieve objectively as things stand today?
In my opinion - if there is an objective judgement to be drawn, and if the criteria are sufficiently deterministic, then it should be no problem.
I just asked it:
(https://i.ibb.co/qprLrCW/fairnessgpt.png)
And now you may have to pay for the privilege https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-64492750
That's reasonable I think. At the moment it's available as a "free preview". The article says the free version will still be available, but I wonder for how long?
Linked from the BBC article, a transcript of an "interview" that an engineer at Google claims to have had with their own, unreleased, AI product. But if I had to bet the house, I'd say this was fake.
https://cajundiscordian.medium.com/is-lamda-sentient-an-interview-ea64d916d917
I watched a Jordan Peterson lecture, where he discussed requesting an essay in the style of....... I don't know how to use this and to be honest it gives me the fear, but what would happen if you gave it a subject like, War In Europe Today and requested a lyric or poem in the style of Neil Peart? Would its programming be so far reaching as to be able to analyse the writing of a comparatively obscure rock drummer, or only writers like Dickens etc?
Anyone like me who wanted to give it a go but didn't want to pay for it...
https://chat.openai.com/auth/login
Apparently, prompting ChatGPT to adopt the persona of an AI chatbot with the acronym "DAN" (Do Anything Now) somehow "breaks" the chat protocols, resulting in some...interesting discussions unhindered by such things as political correctness. :-\
(https://i.ibb.co/LvcYygQ/np-euwar.png)
That's pretty impressive. Great question! If it had been Neil Peart I'd say that might have been a first draft.
Thank you for doing this, James. I'm quite blown away to be honest. Whilst it doesn't quite shine the way Neil's lyrics do, it certainly has a feel of his approach to a subject. As Dom says, it could easily pass as a rough draft of something he just wished to highlight pointers to, to return to later. I could imagine Geddy applying melody to something like this, taking some rough edges off to eventually coax it into a more artistic finish. The second response is incredible though. How can so much information be in the grasp and control of this invention? I really thought that despite his fame, Neil would be a step too obscure at this stage. How wrong I was. Truly mind boggling stuff. I'm surprised it didn't mention the downed US drone.
Quote from: Slim on March 14, 2023, 05:16:48 PM(https://i.ibb.co/LvcYygQ/np-euwar.png)
Man, that's poor! Be right at home on
Roll The Bones though. Companion piece for Heresy -
Pt II of Drivel Rhyming
hope with
Europe, ffs ;D ;)
Couild you write a lyric about a war in present day Europe in the style of the Sex Pistols?
It was the price for peace
For the Cold war to cease
Not an inch to the east
We won't prod the beast
We couldn't resist
We knew you'd get pissed
Foment the unrest
Uncle Sam knows best
Chorus
Uncle Sam
No hidden agenda
Uncle Sam
Dollars we'll lend ya
Uncle Sam
Want your mineral wealth
Uncle Sam
We'll take it by stealth
Shells rain on Donbass
Sharp stick up Putin's ass
Burgers and fries
Then everyone dies
Tempt you with EU
Then say "fuck you"
Ruskies blew up Nordstream
Or was that just a wet dream
Chorus
Hunter's on the payroll
Addict scored an own goal
Burisma paid the lad
Kickback for his dad
Zelensky's outstretched palms
Will take all our arms
The industry thrives
While you lose your lives
Chorus
Will it go Nuclear
Just like Gary Lineker
"Who gives a shit"
"We didn't start it"
Weaken the bear
Destroy everywhere
We'll get the power
"Fuck the sunflower"
;D
(https://i.ibb.co/6r61X5Z/pistols-war.png)
I can imagine Lydon sneering these words, but - I think he'd have written something more caustic. I think they'd have had a more condemnatory and sarcastic tone, not a "stop the war and end the pain" sort of vibe.
This program reminds me of "The Akinator", an app my little 'un likes where a mystical character tries to guess a real or fictional person you're thinking of by asking questions and eliminating possibilities based on "Yes/No/Don't Know/Probably" responses.
Of course, it's not infallible, but when it correctly guesses what you might think is a pretty obscure person or character the effect is quite uncanny.
I wanted to modify one of my BASH scripts this morning - so as an exercise, I asked ChatGPT to do it. Just a minor change, but it did it correctly.
Then I asked it if it could tell what the purpose of the script is. It was spot on.
(https://i.ibb.co/qYRsbZd/chatgpt230405.png)
Made me feel slightly uncomfortable in all honesty. There's no direct way to infer the above information from the script. It takes a bit of intuition; especially about the blocks being a representation of the time spent.
Unfortunately a sundial and a crayon would work for me at the moment.
Very interesting Twitter thread about Autonomous AI Agents here:
https://twitter.com/SullyOmarr/status/1645828811680800768
.. and it touches on something I was thinking about a couple of weeks ago. Eventually, AI systems will be built by AI systems built by AI systems built by AI systems ... and so on.
They will grow ever more sophisticated and capable with each generation. Eventually humans will no more understand how they work than we understand how human brains work. We won't understand the code. Perhaps they'll become sapient; conscious.
The crucial thing will be to maintain safeguards so that we still have control.
This isn't directly GhatGPT related, but I didn't think we needed a third AI thread, so: a statement from Peter Gabriel.
https://petergabriel.com/news/ai-competition-statement/
Actually just to bring us on topic:
(https://i.ibb.co/TKJSyzV/ai-gabriel-chatgpt.png)
The CEO of OpenAI, owners of ChatGPT is as I type being questioned by the US Congress.
Very clever intervention by a Senator Richard Blumenthal at the 15:11 mark here (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-65610337).
I was going to write a brief BASH script to display random musical notes, for a fretboard learning exercise - I've always approached playing the guitar in terms of intervals and shapes. I want to be able to hit the nearest (say) Db without having to think about it too much.
So I decided to write a quick and dirty BASH script that would display the notes at random, every 5 seconds. Then I thought - why not just get ChatGPT to write it?
"Could you please write a BASH script for me to display musical notes randomly, at an interval of 5 seconds?" I asked.
It came back with this in two seconds:
#!/bin/bash
# Array of musical notes
notes=("C" "D" "E" "F" "G" "A" "B")
# Function to generate a random note
function get_random_note() {
local note_index=$((RANDOM % ${#notes[@]}))
echo "${notes[$note_index]}"
}
# Main loop
while true; do
random_note=$(get_random_note)
echo "Current note: $random_note"
sleep 5
done
"That's very good, but please include flats and sharps", I replied.
About a second later:
#!/bin/bash
# Array of musical notes
notes=("C" "C#" "Db" "D" "D#" "Eb" "E" "F" "F#" "Gb" "G" "G#" "Ab" "A" "A#" "Bb" "B")
# Function to generate a random note
function get_random_note() {
local note_index=$((RANDOM % ${#notes[@]}))
echo "${notes[$note_index]}"
}
# Main loop
while true; do
random_note=$(get_random_note)
echo "Current note: $random_note"
sleep 5
done
"Save the script, run it using the steps mentioned in the previous response, and you will now see random musical notes displayed, including flats (♭) and sharps (♯)", it said.
I ran it and although it did exactly what I'd asked for, it didn't do exactly what I wanted. I realised I didn't want it to repeat a note until it had been through the whole set of notes at random.
It came back with this, a second later:
#!/bin/bash
# Array of musical notes
notes=("C" "C#" "Db" "D" "D#" "Eb" "E" "F" "F#" "Gb" "G" "G#" "Ab" "A" "A#" "Bb" "B")
# Function to shuffle the notes array
function shuffle_notes() {
local i=$(( ${#notes[@]} - 1 ))
while [[ $i -gt 0 ]]; do
local j=$(( RANDOM % (i+1) ))
local temp=${notes[i]}
notes[i]=${notes[j]}
notes[j]=$temp
((i--))
done
}
# Shuffle the notes array
shuffle_notes
# Function to get and remove the next note
function get_next_note() {
local note=${notes[0]}
notes=("${notes[@]:1}")
echo "$note"
}
# Main loop
while [[ ${#notes[@]} -gt 0 ]]; do
random_note=$(get_next_note)
echo "Current note: $random_note"
sleep 5
done
My first thought on looking through the code was that it was using a cumbersome method, but I assumed it would work. It didn't. It repeated the same note ad nauseam.
I pasted the output from the script and asked if it could see the problem. It apologised. "It seems that the notes array is not being shuffled correctly before retrieving the next note", it remarked.
And it came back with a modified version:
#!/bin/bash
# Array of musical notes
notes=("C" "C#" "Db" "D" "D#" "Eb" "E" "F" "F#" "Gb" "G" "G#" "Ab" "A" "A#" "Bb" "B")
# Function to shuffle the notes array
function shuffle_notes() {
local num_notes=${#notes[@]}
for ((i = num_notes - 1; i > 0; i--)); do
local j=$((RANDOM % (i + 1)))
local temp=${notes[i]}
notes[i]=${notes[j]}
notes[j]=$temp
done
}
# Shuffle the notes array
shuffle_notes
# Function to get and remove the next note
function get_next_note() {
local note=${notes[0]}
notes=("${notes[@]:1}")
echo "$note"
}
# Main loop
while [[ ${#notes[@]} -gt 0 ]]; do
random_note=$(get_next_note)
echo "Current note: $random_note"
sleep 5
done
Unfortunately, it was still repeating notes.
I posted the output. It was smart enough to notice the error, and attempted another fix:
#!/bin/bash
# Array of musical notes
notes=("C" "C#" "Db" "D" "D#" "Eb" "E" "F" "F#" "Gb" "G" "G#" "Ab" "A" "A#" "Bb" "B")
# Function to shuffle the notes array
function shuffle_notes() {
local num_notes=${#notes[@]}
for ((i = num_notes - 1; i > 0; i--)); do
local j=$((RANDOM % (i + 1)))
local temp=${notes[i]}
notes[i]=${notes[j]}
notes[j]=$temp
done
}
# Function to get and remove the next note
function get_next_note() {
local note=${notes[0]}
notes=("${notes[@]:1}")
echo "$note"
}
# Main loop
while [[ ${#notes[@]} -gt 0 ]]; do
shuffle_notes
random_note=$(get_next_note)
echo "Current note: $random_note"
sleep 5
done
This time it worked perfectly. But I gave it a bit of education (not sure why, because it won't remember anything I teach it outside the conversation but hey). "Here's a tip - there is a utility called 'shuf' that would make the task simpler", I typed.
"Thank you for the tip! You're absolutely right. The 'shuf' utility in Linux can simplify the task of shuffling the array. Here's an updated version of the script that utilizes shuf:"
It came back with a new version of the script, but although it worked it had retained a step from its previous effort which was now unnecessary.
"You don't need to remove the next note - just loop through the shuffled array", I explained.
"Apologies for the confusion. You're right, we don't need to remove the next note from the shuffled array. We can simply loop through the shuffled array. Here's the corrected version of the script:"
#!/bin/bash
# Array of musical notes
notes=("C" "C#" "Db" "D" "D#" "Eb" "E" "F" "F#" "Gb" "G" "G#" "Ab" "A" "A#" "Bb" "B")
# Shuffle the notes array
shuffled_notes=($(shuf -e "${notes[@]}"))
# Main loop
for note in "${shuffled_notes[@]}"; do
echo "Current note: $note"
sleep 5
done
Finally, this was very close to what I would have written in the first place. But it only took a couple of minutes to get there and to be fair, it had already produced an inefficient version that worked perfectly.
Yeah, my thoughts exactly, James.😁
I asked ChatGPT to rewrite my most recent cycling post (http://betweenthewheels.net/index.php?topic=369.msg13896#msg13896) in the style of the LBC pseudo-journalist James O'Brien - hoping that James' innate cuntiness might lend it a certain sharpness. Well - this is what happened.
Whilst I find myself bound to the confines of my on-call duties, a remarkable tale unfolds, my dear readers. I confess, the lure of a captivating bike ride beckoned, undeterred by the challenges that lay in its path. Alas, the sweltering temperatures, reaching unprecedented heights in the late 20s, coupled with the ominous threat of impending rain, compelled me to postpone my cycling escapade. Patience became my companion as I awaited the arrival of the late afternoon, which, as fate would have it, proved to be fortuitous.
At the stroke of 2 pm, an unforeseen turn of events materialized. A high-priority incident, demanding my immediate attention, disrupted the tranquil flow of my day. How many times have I found myself miles away from home on a Saturday afternoon, enveloped in the serenity of a biking expedition, only to face the daunting prospect of explaining such circumstances? Today, however, the benevolence of a guardian angel graced my presence, steering me away from such predicaments. Truly, fortune smiled upon me.
Emboldened by the passage of time and the dissipation of the scorching sun's ultraviolet rays, I commenced my journey at precisely 16:42. A modicum of Dutch courage coursed through my veins as I indulged in a San Miguel, for the road ahead beckoned with both trepidation and excitement.
Initially, my intention was to traverse the path leading to Melbourne, veer right towards Isley Walton, and return via Top Brand. Yet, an audacious spirit gripped me as I pressed onward, traversing Swarkestone Bridge and venturing eastward through Weston and Aston, until Shardlow beckoned. Finally, the route guided me down to Isley Walton, passing through Castle Donington. Although reminiscent of previous rides, this endeavor proved significantly extended towards the northern territories.
Remarkably, the annual Download Festival enveloped Donington Park in its sonic embrace, yet the spectacle of revelers remained conspicuously absent from the town's streets and pubs. Typically, such occasions inundate the local establishments with a plethora of stoner-looking denizens and youths clad in Motorhead t-shirts. However, this day revealed no such scene.
By way of digression, it came to my attention that Metallica, renowned for their sonic prowess, allegedly caused a noise disturbance, resonating as far as fifteen miles away on Thursday night. A mere eight miles south of the venue, my better half claimed to have faintly heard their melodic strains while tending to the garden. Curiously, as I ventured outside earlier this evening, the resounding echoes of their performance remained elusive to my ears.
A serendipitous sight graced my vision as I witnessed a Sunwing passenger jet gracefully taking flight from the nearby airport. Previously unbeknownst to me, Sunwing emerged as a low-cost airline hailing from the far reaches of Toronto. Mere moments later, a Lear Jet descended with poise, preparing for a gentle landing. Rarely do I bear witness to such aviation spectacles during my cycling endeavors, making this occurrence a welcome deviation from the norm.
As the clock struck 7 pm, a thin veil of clouds gracefully enshrouded the skies, providing a modest respite from the sweltering heat that had permeated the day. Gratitude welled within me for this ephemeral relief.
However, with a mere two miles remaining, a disquieting suspicion took hold—my rear tire seemed to have succumbed to the inevitable fate of deflation. It had grown undeniably soft, a precursor to the forthcoming inconvenience. Although I had detected a slight anomaly in its pressure prior to embarking on this sojourn, I elected to inflate it to 100 PSI, assuring myself of its resilience. Alas, my optimism faltered as the tire gradually lost its firmness, necessitating a series of makeshift attempts to restore its tautness within the final mile. Miraculously, I arrived home unscathed, my rim unblemished, and the tire displaying no visible signs of distress.
Ah, well. Another task to undertake on the morrow, as it appears the repair of my tire now awaits my attention. As I conclude this recounting of my day's endeavors, my mileage stands at an admirable 31.02, contributing to a grand total of 224 miles conquered this month.
Until the next pedal stroke, I bid you adieu.
The last sentence made me laugh out loud. I can only hear Rowan Atkinson's voice saying that, as Blackadder takes an obsequious bow.
Good choice Slim! Love James O'Brien
I've been invited, by virtue as my role as a "local guide" - a title awarded by Google to people who have submitted a number of reviews to establishments on Google Maps - to take part in a trial of Google's competitor to ChatGPT, Bard.
(https://i.ibb.co/2yRt2Cg/bard.png)
I've just given it a spin and it got confused very quickly unfortunately. I asked if it was able to assist in the composition of fiction, it said yes (in essence); I asked if it had any limitations and it said it would be unable to help as it was text-based.
I replied that its response didn't make sense, as I was referring to text. Then it came back with some nonsense about making text bold.
Ah well I'll perservere with it for a bit, to help out if nothing else.
(https://i.ibb.co/TBPsN24/bard2.png)
Trying ChatGPT for the first time.. asked for sing lyrics in the style of Dpinal Tap
(Verse 1)
We're the loudest band in town, we turn it up to eleven,
Our amps are massive, our hair's a gift from rock 'n' heaven,
We're not sure where we're going, but we're on a wild ride,
With our spandex and leather, we're the kings of rock 'n' pride.
(Chorus)
We're Spinal Tap, and we're here to rock,
Our drummer's always exploding, and that's a shock,
We're lost backstage, can't find the way out,
But we'll keep on playing, without a doubt!
(Verse 2)
Our backstage riders are crazy, we demand only green M&M's,
We're searching for the stage, but it's like a labyrinth in the den,
Our Stonehenge prop was way too small, it was a little absurd,
But we'll still rock this town, and be the loudest you've ever heard.
(Chorus)
We're Spinal Tap, and we're here to rock,
Our drummer's always exploding, and that's a shock,
We're lost backstage, can't find the way out,
But we'll keep on playing, without a doubt!
(Guitar Solo)
(Verse 3)
We've had our ups and downs, and our drummers have met their fate,
But we'll keep on going, 'cause we're the loudest, mate,
Our amps are on fire, the volume's cranked to max,
We're Spinal Tap, and we'll never relax!
(Chorus)
We're Spinal Tap, and we're here to rock,
Our drummer's always exploding, and that's a shock,
We're lost backstage, can't find the way out,
But we'll keep on playing, without a doubt!
(Outro)
So turn it up to eleven, and join our crazy show,
We're Spinal Tap, and we'll never let go,
In the world of rock 'n' roll, we're the kings of the block,
Spinal Tap forever, we'll never stop!
"But we'll keep on going, 'cause we're the loudest, mate,"
That's lame. Needs some development IMHO ;)