The Thing About ChatGPT

As it turns out, the free version of ChatGPT that I signed up with is version 3.5 and comes with a cut-off date limitation on its knowledge base. How did I know?

Me: To date, what is the most powerful quantum computer in existence and who owns it?

ChatGPT:

As of my knowledge cutoff in September 2021, the most powerful quantum computer is the 113-qubit quantum computer developed by Google called Sycamore. However, it's worth noting that the field of quantum computing is rapidly advancing, and there may be newer, more powerful quantum computers that have been developed since then.

It's also worth noting that while Sycamore is a powerful quantum computer, it's still in the research and development phase, and is not yet available for commercial or practical use. As for ownership, Google is the company that developed and owns the Sycamore quantum computer.

So it seems that I'll have to do some digging around with Google and YouTube to find the most up-to-date technical information that I may need to include in my novel, barring none.

Unless of course, I subscribe to the paid version. Grrr...

 

Name That AGI, ChatGPT

The topmost thing in my mind now is to find a suitable title for the book. So I logged in to ChatGPT and asked:

Me: Can you suggest a suitable name for an AGI, preferably female?

ChatGPT: EVE

It wasn't what I expected at first glance. I thought it should at least be a two-syllable word to sound interesting or futuristic. So I asked:

Me: Give a reason for your choice.

ChatGPT:

I chose this name because it has a strong association with creation and the idea of the first woman, which could be fitting for an AGI that is capable of self-awareness and consciousness. Additionally, the name EVE has been used in literature and popular culture to represent curiosity, intelligence, and free will, which are all qualities that could be relevant to a fictional AGI with a developed personality.

Fair enough. On second thought, the name could be used to convey the idea of a new form of life that is both intelligent and empathetic, as well as to explore the ethical implications of creating a sentient AI. I can go with that.

Me: What about an acronym for EVE?

Instead of giving me one...

ChatGPT:

Here are some possible acronyms:

1. Enhanced Virtual Evaluator
2. Electronic Virtual Expert
3. Encrypted Virtual Entity
4. Experimental Virtual Engine
5. Empathetic Virtual Evaluator
6. Enhanced Visionary Entity
7. Evolving Virtual Expert
8. Exceptional Virtual Intelligence
9. Expressive Virtual Entity

Which one do you like best?

I can't believe it. Is ChatGPT crazy or over-enthusiastic? Going through the list, I couldn't find a suitable one to use.  Now I see why some ChatGPT users expressed frustration at the LLM's proliferation of uncalled for answers or solutions. To humor it, however:

Me:

No. 6. However, I was thinking of EVE as a super quantum computing system which analyzes big data from various sources (internet, email, phone conversation, CCTV, etc.) to detect potential breaches in national security and advises on the course of action to take. Can you suggest something along this line?

ChatGPT:

Based on this new information, here are some possible acronyms:

• Enhanced Virtual Enforcer
• Expert Virtual Evaluator
• Extrapolating Virtual Engine
• Executive Virtual Examiner
• Evolved Virtual Entity
• Effective Virtual Expert
• Efficient Virtual Evaluator
• Empowered Virtual Emissary
• Enhanced Vigilance Engine

Which one do you prefer?

Sigh! This is going to be a long day... In the end, I decided it's best not to depend too much on it for my own good. After some careful surmising——

Evolutionary Virtual Entity

Now that's more to my liking!

 

ChatGPT

I've heard a lot about OpenAI's ChatGPT, how students use it to help do their assignments and homework, companies and employees leverage on its power to get their projects and work done, and even writers depend on it to overcome their mental blocks.

So is ChatGPT the magic bullet or pill that will solve whatever problem that is being thrown at it? I'm not so certain about that, though I would probably give it a try with at least one task I'm not good at——giving names to the characters in my story. Heck, why not?

As a first cut, I signed in and posted my first question:

Me: Can you suggest a name for a young Jewish prodigy for a sci-fi novel I'm writing?

ChatGPT: David Friedman

Well, I know the name David is Jewish. but Friedman? I'm Chinese and I like my fried rice. But Friedman sounds kinda weird, so I did a Google and here's what I found:

Milton Friedman

An American economist and statistician who received the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and the complexity of stabilization policy.

After some digging around Wikipedia, I found that his parents were immigrant Jews from Beregszász. OK, so Friedman seems legitimate for a Jewish family name. I can accept that.

Me: What do you call an AI with a personality and exhibits self-consciousness and empathy?

ChatGPT: 

An AI with a personality and exhibits self-consciousness and empathy can be referred to as an artificial general intelligence (AGI) or a sentient AI. This type of AI is capable of not only processing information and completing tasks, but also of experiencing emotions and exhibiting human-like behavior. AGI is still largely a theoretical concept, and while progress has been made in developing AI with some degree of empathy and self-awareness, achieving true AGI remains a significant challenge in the field of AI research.

Not bad at all. ChatGPT gave me what I need to know so that's a promising start to my story writing. Somehow, at the back of my mind, I sensed an inadequacy in me to embark on a novel that include these fascinating yet foreign elements. Perhaps ChatGPT will help fill my lack and get me up to speed. We'll see.

I'm beginning to sympathize with Lorrie Moore:

But that inadequacy, or feeling of inadequacy, never really goes away. You just have to trudge ahead in the rain, regardless.