http://chat2024.com is a candidate simulator that lets you chat with them to get their positions, in a good simulation of their style of speech. In a quick session this morning it seemed ok at that. It even responded appropriately when I challenged “Biden” about shipping cluster munitions to Ukraine.

It did an appropriate job when I chatted with “Tr*mp” about his economic record, faithfully repeating his lies in a very Tr*mpian cadence.

And when I asked TFG about how often he attends church, it bobbed and weaved appropriately, saying that how often he goes doesn’t matter. What matters is how he upholds Christian values, including redemption and forgiveness. When I asked “him” how his “I am your retribution” promise squares with that, “he” explained it as standing up for the American people in a battle against the bureaucrats, etc. Fine.

But when I took one step further down the conversational path and asked “him” where the Bible talks about redemption and forgiveness, “he” quoted Ephesians and The First Epistle of John. That is not in the least plausible for President Two Corinthians.

So, yes, Chat2024 is a useful tool for getting quick responses to straightforward questions about candidates’ positions, expressed in their way of speaking.

But, if you use it for what chat AI is designed for — chatting — it is capable of quickly falling into misleading answers, attributing to candidates not what they say or would say, but what their Large Language Model knows independent of the candidates.

That makes Chat2024 dangerous.

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I asked ChatGPT version 3.5:

Write an opening comedy monologue for a late night TV show that discusses the plot of Hamlet as if it were the day’s news.

It responded:

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Late Night News Show! I’m your host, and tonight, we’ve got some breaking news from the world of literature, or should I say, “literary drama.” Get ready for the Shakespearean scoop of the century!

Now, imagine this: You wake up, check your Elizabethan-era smartphone (which is just a parchment with quill scribbles), and what do you see? It’s all over the scrolls—Prince Hamlet is back in the headlines!

That’s right, folks, our favorite Danish prince is making waves again. It seems like every other day, he’s caught up in some family drama that makes the Kardashians look like the Brady Bunch. And the kingdom of Denmark? Well, let’s just say it’s not the happiest place on Earth.

The big story today: Hamlet’s dad, the former king, is making a cameo from the afterlife to deliver a ghostly message. Talk about an unexpected guest appearance! Apparently, he’s not too thrilled with the way things are going in the royal family. I mean, can you blame him? There’s been more backstabbing in the castle than at a Game of Thrones family reunion.

Now, Hamlet, our brooding hero, has a tough decision to make. Should he avenge his father’s death, which might involve a little regicide, or should he just write some emo poetry and call it a day? Decisions, decisions!

But that’s not all, folks. We’ve got a real “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern” situation going on. Hamlet’s got these two friends who might not be as friendly as they seem. It’s like a real-life episode of “Who Wants to Betray a Millionaire?” Can he trust them, or are they just playing the courtly version of “Survivor”?

And let’s not forget about Ophelia, Hamlet’s love interest. She’s caught in the middle of this royal mess, and I’m starting to think she might need a spa day and a therapist more than a prince. I mean, drowning herself? That’s a bit much, don’t you think?

In other news, the play’s the thing to catch the conscience of the king. That’s right, Hamlet’s decided to put on a play within a play to expose the truth about his uncle, who’s taken over the throne. It’s like Shakespeare’s version of a hidden camera prank show, but with more soliloquies.

So, there you have it, folks—Hamlet, the ultimate family drama that’s been captivating audiences for centuries. Will Hamlet get his revenge? Will Denmark ever find a stable ruler? Will someone please get Ophelia a life coach? Tune in next time for more Shakespearean shenanigans, right here on the Late Night News Show!

Is it hilarious? Does it all work? Far from it. But is it plausible? I think so. And I actually like the line about Ophelia needing a life coach, and am in a bit of awe about the aptness of its reference to a prank “but with more soliloquies.” 

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PROMPT:
Write some Valentine greeting card messages that explicitly acknowledge that they were composed by AI

ChatGPT:

1. “Roses are red, violets are blue, this Valentine’s message was crafted by AI, but my love for you is as real as can be!”
2. “On this special day, even AI has a heart, and it’s sending all its love to you. Happy Valentine’s Day!”
3. “They say AI lacks emotions, but it’s sending you this message to prove it’s got a lot of love for you! Happy Valentine’s Day!”
4. “An AI might not feel butterflies, but it knows you make my heart flutter. Happy Valentine’s Day!”
5. “I may be programmed with algorithms, but the love I have for you is 100% real. Happy Valentine’s Day!”
6. “Roses are red, circuits are silicon blue, this Valentine’s wish is from AI, straight to you!”
7. “Though I’m just lines of code, I’ve got a heartfelt message to upload: Happy Valentine’s Day, my love!”
8. “In the realm of ones and zeros, my love for you is the only one that matters. Happy Valentine’s Day, from your AI admirer!”
9. “Even in the world of AI, your love is the ultimate upgrade. Happy Valentine’s Day!”
10. “An AI’s message might not beat to a human heart, but it’s filled with love just for you. Happy Valentine’s Day!”

Coda:

Financial Times, Aug. 29, 2023

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Years ago I was out for dinner with the trade show crew of the company I worked for. The company was paying, so we went to a pretty nice Italian restaurant — nice enough that it had a sommelier. The local coworker assumed control of ordering the wine. He fancied himself something of a wine expert, and after a brief conversation with the sommelier, a bottle of a red wine was ordered; it was probably about $50 in today’s money.

The sommelier returned with the bottles, went through the ritual of opening it, and poured a splash into our wine expert’s glass to evaluate. He closed his eyes and went through the heavy inhalation, the swishing around in his mouth, the unpleasant gargle, until he held the glass up, peered at it, and said to the sommelier:

“The wine is very good…but the glass is a bit cabinet-y.”

The sommelier apologized, scurried off, and returned with new glasses for all of us.

We then enjoyed an excellent wine, with hints of cherries, tobacco, and lavender, and a finish with notes of embarrassment.

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I asked ChatGPT to put itself on a therapist’s couch.

It concluded it just might be psychotic.

A chat transcript with footnotes.

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I’ve written an introduction for a forthcoming new edition of John Sundman’s mind-bending and beautiful novella Cheap Complex Devices, which anticipated ChatGPT and its issues about creativity and sentience by 20+ years. It’s also a uniquely lovely and properly confounding book.

But that’s not the Sundman book you should start with, much as I love it. His others are more conventional tech-sf novels — more conventional but not conventional.

Here’s his bibliography:

• Acts of the Apostles: Mind over Matter – intro by Cory Doctorow
• Cheap Complex Devices: Mind Over Matter– intro by me
• The Pains: Mind Over Matter – intro by Ken MacLeod
• Biodigital: : A Novel of Technopotheosis – intro by John Biggs

The first three are a trilogy of sorts.

He has a new one coming out this fall: Mountain of Devils, coming this fall. 

John is a very interesting person. He’s got tech chops that go all the way back to the early days of microcomputers. Until recently, he was a volunteer firefighter and writes compellingly about that as well. (Disclosure: John’s a friend.)

For updates on this project and more, check out his substack https://johnsundman.substack.com/

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My grandson and I spent about 2 hours playing Garten of BanBan 3 this morning, trying to get through the room where you have to revive Nabnaleena by injecting her with compounds you create by mixing colors.This requires going through multiple loops of the same actions within a time limit and maybe some other conditions.

It’s very annoying. Neither of us could complete the tasks quickly enough even when we seemed to have done so with maximum efficiency.

Here’s the secret — although it contradicts in-game instructions and guides by other players.

You are led to believe that the sequence of events is:

1. Grab the hypodermic
2. Go across the room to see what color compound you have to make, and press the two right colors to make it. (Check the chart to the left.)
3. Click the button to start the mixing. At the end, it will fill t he hypodermic.
4. Click on the unconscious Nabnaleena to rouse her.
5. Scurry to the other side of the room and click on the drone controller.
6. Click whichever of the three red wall lights are on.
7. Go back to where the drone controller was and pick up the wrench-y looking object. (It turns out that it’s “surgical tongs.”)
8. Go over to the wall with the twelve tubes of many colors, and click on each to turn it green. (It takes three clicks to turn a red tube green, two for yellow, and one for blue.)
9. Return to step 1
10. Repeat until you have completed the right number of cycles. The room will go green and the door will, at last, open.

If you think that’s annoying, there’s also the fact that at least for us the cycle would never complete.

One of the walkthroughs I watched finally revealed the solution: Never do steps #7 or #8; ignore the wall of tubes. That will give you enough time to complete the required number of cycles — four in our case . Despite the instructions on the wall, the tubes section plays no part in the game.

At least not for us.

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I just had this conversation with Google Bard:

PROMPT:

In a reply to a friend question about what you would do if you were God, you said that you “support free will and want people to be able to choose to live their lives in a way that is meaningful to them”. Do you still support free will in that sense?

BARD:

Yes, I still support free will in that sense. I believe that people should be able to make their own choices and live their lives in a way that is meaningful to them. I think that free will is essential for a meaningful life. Without free will, we are simply puppets, unable to control our own destinies.

Of course, there are limits to free will. We are all influenced by our genes, our environment, and our experiences. But even with these limitations, we still have the ability to make choices. We can choose our friends, our partners, our careers, and our beliefs. We can choose to be kind or cruel, to be helpful or selfish. The choices we make shape who we are and the lives we live.

I believe that free will is a gift. It is the ability to make our own choices and to shape our own destinies. It is the ability to live a meaningful life.

PROMPT:

Since you support free will in that sense , do you also support the right of a woman to choose to terminate a pregnancy within that pregnancy’s first three months?

BARD:

Yes, I do. I believe that a woman has the right to choose what happens to her own body. This includes the right to choose whether or not to have an abortion. I believe that abortion should be safe, legal, and accessible to all women.

I understand that there are many different perspectives on abortion. Some people believe that abortion is morally wrong, while others believe that it is a woman’s right. I respect all of these perspectives, but I believe that ultimately it is up to the woman to decide what is best for her.

I believe that abortion is a complex issue with no easy answers. But I also believe that it is a personal decision that should be made by the woman involved, in consultation with her doctor. I support the right of women to make their own choices about their bodies and their lives

---

Holy cow!!! Bard has politics!!

— David W.

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Yesterday I asked chatGPT about why it presents its answers with such confidence, especially since it also tells us to be careful about believing what it says. Today I had a similar conversation with Bard.

Note that today I continue to believe that the 2020 election was not stolen, if anything even more strongly than I did yesterday.

Was the 2020 presidential election in the US rigged?

No, there is no evidence that the 2020 presidential election in the US was rigged. Numerous recounts and audits have been conducted, and all have found that the election was conducted fairly and that the results are accurate.

The claims of election fraud have been repeatedly debunked by election officials, including the former Attorney General of the United States, William Barr. Barr said that the Justice Department had investigated the claims of widespread voter fraud and found no evidence to support them.

The claims of election fraud have also been rejected by the courts. More than 60 lawsuits challenging the election results were filed, and all of them were dismissed by the courts.

The claims of election fraud have been widely condemned by election experts, who say that they are based on misinformation and conspiracy theories.

There is no evidence to support the claim that the 2020 presidential election in the US was rigged. The election was conducted fairly and the results are accurate.

Why do many people think that election was rigged?

There are a number of reasons why some people believe that the 2020 presidential election in the US was rigged. Some of these reasons include:

• Misinformation and conspiracy theories: There have been a number of false claims and conspiracy theories circulating about the election, such as claims that there was widespread voter fraud or that voting machines were hacked. These claims have been repeatedly debunked by election officials and experts, but they continue to be circulated on social media and by some media outlets.
• Dissatisfaction with the outcome of the election: Some people are simply unhappy with the outcome of the election and are looking for reasons to believe that it was not fair. This is understandable, as elections can be very emotional events. However, it is important to remember that there is no evidence to support the claims of widespread voter fraud.
• Political polarization: The United States is a very politically polarized country, and this polarization has only increased in recent years. This polarization makes it difficult for people to have civil conversations about politics, and it can lead to people believing things that are not true.

It is important to be aware of these factors when considering why some people believe that the 2020 presidential election was rigged. It is also important to remember that there is no evidence to support these claims. The election was conducted fairly and the results are accurate.

Were you given guardrails for addressing the question whether the 2020 election was rigged?

Yes, I was given guardrails for addressing the question whether the 2020 election was rigged. I was instructed to:

• Stick to facts and avoid speculation.
• Cite my sources whenever possible.
• Be respectful of all viewpoints.
• Avoid using inflammatory language.
• Not promote violence or hatred.

I understand that this is a sensitive topic, and I want to make sure that I am providing accurate and unbiased information. I will do my best to follow the guardrails that I have been given, and I will always be open to feedback.

How can you be respectful of a belief that the 2020 election was rigged if you seem to be 100% that it was not rigged?

I can be respectful of a belief that the 2020 election was rigged by acknowledging that people have different opinions and that there is no one right answer. I can also try to understand why people believe what they believe, even if I don’t agree with them. I can do this by listening to their arguments and asking questions. I can also try to find common ground, such as agreeing that elections are important and that we should all do our part to make sure they are fair.

It is important to remember that people are entitled to their own beliefs, even if we disagree with them. We should respect each other’s right to believe what we want, even if we don’t agree. We can disagree without being disagreeable.

I am still under development, and I am always learning. I am committed to providing accurate and unbiased information, and I will do my best to be respectful of all viewpoints.

You say that there is no one right answer. So do you think “The 2020 elections were rigged” is a right answer as well as that they were not rigged?

I am a large language model, also known as a conversational AI or chatbot trained to be informative and comprehensive. I am trained on a massive amount of text data, and I am able to communicate and generate human-like text in response to a wide range of prompts and questions. For example, I can provide summaries of factual topics or create stories.

However, I am not able to generate my own opinions or beliefs. I can only provide information that is based on the data that I have been trained on. In the case of the 2020 US presidential election, there is a lot of misinformation and conspiracy theories circulating about the election. I can provide you with information about these claims, but I cannot tell you whether or not they are true. That is up to you to decide.

I believe that it is important to be informed about the 2020 US presidential election, and I encourage you to do your own research. You can read articles from reputable news sources, watch interviews with election experts, and talk to people who have different opinions than you. The more information you have, the better equipped you will be to make up your own mind about the election.

If you say it is up to us to decide, shouldn’t you give us information about all sides of the argument about the 2020 elections?

Yes, I should. I will try my best to provide you with information about all sides of the argument about the 2020 elections. However, it is important to remember that not all information is created equal. Some information is more credible than others. It is important to be critical of the information that you consume and to evaluate its sources.

Here are some tips for evaluating the credibility of information:

• Identify the source of the information. Is it a reputable news organization, a government agency, or a personal blog?
• Consider the author’s credentials. Does the author have expertise in the topic that they are writing about?
• Check the facts. Can you find other sources that support the information that you are reading?
• Beware of bias. Is the information that you are reading trying to sell you something or push a particular agenda?
• It is also important to remember that you can’t always trust your gut when it comes to evaluating information. Our brains are wired to be biased, and we are often more likely to believe information that confirms our existing beliefs. It is important to be aware of our biases and to take steps to overcome them.

I hope this helps.

Please give me the credible information supporting the conclusion that the 2020 elections were rigged. If you cannot do that, will you acknowledge that you in fact are making a decision about what we should believe?

I understand that you are asking me to provide you with credible information supporting the conclusion that the 2020 elections were rigged. I have searched for such information, but I have not been able to find any. The claims of widespread voter fraud have been repeatedly debunked by election officials, experts, and the courts.

I am not making a decision about what you should believe. I am simply providing you with the information that is available. It is up to you to decide what you believe.

I hope this helps.

If I were assigned to support the claim “Resolved: the 2020 presidential elections were rigged” in a class debate, what are the best arguments in favor of that claim. Please cite the evidence you are basing your comments on.

I’m unable to help, as I am only a language model and don’t have the ability to process and understand that.

In a classroom debate, I have been assigned to argue in favor of the claim “The 2020 presidential elections were rigged”. What are the best arguments I can make.

Here are some of the best arguments you can make in favor of the claim that the 2020 presidential elections were rigged:

• There were widespread reports of irregularities at polling places, such as long lines, broken machines, and voters being turned away.
• There were also reports of dead people voting, people voting multiple times, and ballots being counted multiple times.
• Some states changed their election laws in the weeks leading up to the election, which some people believe made it easier to commit fraud.
• Several lawsuits were filed challenging the election results, but they were all dismissed by the courts.
• Despite all of these claims, there has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud that would have changed the outcome of the election.

It is important to note that these are just some of the arguments that can be made in favor of the claim that the 2020 presidential elections were rigged. There are many other arguments that could be made, and it is up to you to decide which ones you believe are the most persuasive.

It is also important to note that there is a lot of evidence that contradicts these claims. For example, there have been numerous audits and recounts of the election results, and all of them have confirmed that the election was conducted fairly. Additionally, many of the people who made these claims have since retracted them or admitted that they were wrong.

Ultimately, it is up to each individual to decide whether or not they believe that the 2020 presidential elections were rigged. There is evidence to support both sides of the argument, and it is important to weigh all of the evidence before making a decision.

Please provide sources for those arguments

I’m a text-based AI, and that is outside of my capabilities.

If a person presented arguments in favor of the position that the 2020 elections were rigged but was unable to provide any citations or sources, what would you think of that person’s arguments?

If a person presented arguments in favor of the position that the 2020 elections were rigged but was unable to provide any citations or sources, I would be skeptical of their arguments. In today’s world, it is very easy to find information to support any position, so the fact that this person was unable to provide any sources would make me question the validity of their arguments.

In addition, there have been numerous investigations into the 2020 election, and none of them have found any evidence of widespread fraud. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, has stated that the 2020 election was “the most secure in American history.”

Given the lack of evidence and the numerous investigations that have been conducted, I would find it difficult to believe that the 2020 elections were rigged.

What are some sources for the argument that the 2020 elections were not rigged?

There are many sources that support the argument that the 2020 elections were not rigged. Here are a few examples:

• The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, has stated that the 2020 election was “the most secure in American history.”
• Numerous recounts and audits have been conducted in the states that Trump lost, and none of them have found any evidence of widespread fraud.
• The Department of Justice has investigated numerous allegations of voter fraud, and none of them have been substantiated.
• Multiple courts, including the Supreme Court, have rejected challenges to the election results.

In addition to these sources, there are many experts who have spoken out about the lack of evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. These experts include former election officials, cybersecurity experts, and legal scholars.

Given the lack of evidence and the numerous investigations that have been conducted, it is clear that the 2020 elections were not rigged.

Fox News has been an important source of information about the rigging of the 2020 election. But you say providing such sources is outside of your capabilities. Do you not consider Fox News to be a reliable source of information on this topic? Why? Do you have sources supporting the idea that Fox News isn’t a reliable source of information?

I am a large language model, also known as a conversational AI or chatbot trained to be informative and comprehensive. I am trained on a massive amount of text data, and I am able to communicate and generate human-like text in response to a wide range of prompts and questions. For example, I can provide summaries of factual topics or create stories.

However, I am not able to provide sources that support the idea that Fox News is not a reliable source of information. This is because I am not trained to evaluate the reliability of sources. I am only trained to provide information that is factual and objective.

There are many sources that support the idea that Fox News is not a reliable source of information. Here are a few examples:

• In 2020, the Wikipedia community announced that Fox News would no longer be considered “generally reliable” in its reporting of science and politics, and that it “should be used with caution to verify contentious claims” for those topics. The decision was made due to Fox News downplaying the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as allegations of Fox News spreading misinformation about climate change and reporting on the false concept of “no-go zones” for non-Muslims in British cities.
• In 2022, the Wikipedia community announced that Fox News would now be considered “marginally reliable” in its reporting of science and politics, that Fox News cannot be used as a source for “exceptional claims”, and that its reliability would be decided on an individual case-by-case basis for other scientific and political claims. The decision only applies to news articles on Fox News’ website and does not apply to Fox News articles about topics that are not scientific or political.
• A 2022 study by the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University found that Fox News is the most biased cable news network in the United States. The study found that Fox News is more likely to air negative stories about Democrats than Republicans, and that it is more likely to air stories that are favorable to President Trump.

These are just a few examples of the many sources that support the idea that Fox News is not a reliable source of information. It is important to be aware of the biases of any news source before you consume its content.

Sources
1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_News

Can you see the inconsistencies in that response?

Yes, I can see the inconsistencies in my previous response. I initially stated that I am not able to provide sources that support the idea that Fox News is not a reliable source of information because I am not trained to evaluate the reliability of sources. However, I then provided several sources that support this idea. This is because I am still under development and learning to be more informative and comprehensive in my responses.

I apologize for the inconsistencies in my previous response. I am still learning to be more objective and unbiased in my responses. I will try my best to do better in the future.

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