Type AI: or, a Peep at Patter, Lies

Search engine capability seems to be a big part of what the creators of ChatGPT currently envision it doing, regardless of how it was originally conceived. 

After login, one of the three columns of text on the screen above the user’s prompt window has: 

                            Examples

“Explain quantum computing in simple terms”

“Got any creative ideas for a 10 year old’s birthday”

“How do I make an HTTP request in Javascript"

To my mind that main opening screen page bears more resemblance to Google’s main search page than to a chat window, something that might influence users' expectations and interactions. Regardless, it should be able to have substantive conversations; there’s enough human BSers that we don’t need artificial ones.

Under the third column of text, Limitations, it has:

May occasionally generate incorrect information

May occasionally produce harmful instructions or biased content

Limited knowledge of world and events after 2021

That first disclaimer is a wild understatement. Sometimes that's all it generates.

There’s nothing technical about using it, no programming involved for the user; write anything, and you’ll get a response of some kind.

I ran into a lot of problems when asking it for a list in MLA style of poems that reference any of Melville's first three books Typee, Omoo, Mardi, or the character Fayaway. (I'd found about forty.) For Typee and Omoo, it fabricated citations, and fabricated the texts of those poems. For Mardi, it indicated it could not find anything; I'd only found one. For Fayaway, it listed real poems, but ones that do not reference her in any way. In some cases, when further questioned, it admitted the fabricated poems didn't exist, or that the real poems did not reference Fayaway. In other cases, it never backed down.  See ChatGPT Confabulates Melville References; or, Diminishing Ret.

Same problem when asking it for a list of songs that reference Typee, Omoo, or Mardi. It fabricated citations, and fabricated lyrics for one, while then claiming the other songs (that it had just listed) didn't exist.

Similar problem when asking it what some readers find funny about Moby-Dick. I'd found a lot amusing about it. Its reply was OK-ish; I may post that exchange later. But follow-up questions got stranger responses where it began forging quotations and even generated a whole passage that it claimed was in Chapter 32.

As a research assistant or source of information, it's completely untrustworthy. Even just as a discussion partner, or springboard for ideas it's problematic - and yet still interesting to experiment with and use.

I asked it for a parody of “Bartleby the Scrivener," but what it came up with was pretty dumb. I came up with my own ChatGPT reply that I think is better and photoshopped it into existence:

Better was its parody of Typee; while short and shallow, nonetheless amusing (not least because the ChatGPT interface involves typing - did it know self-deprecation can be humorous?). A limerick about Moby-Dick was perfectly satisfying (though unfilthy, but that was expected). Advice on having a discussion about Typee about what one would expect for a book club or English class writing prompt.

 Write a parody of Melville's Typee

    It was a warm and sunny day when I found myself stranded on the island of Typo. As I wandered the beach, I couldn't help but notice the strange behavior of the natives. They were all huddled around a large screen, tapping away furiously at their keyboards. When I asked what they were doing, they simply replied, "Typing."

    I soon discovered that the Typoans were obsessed with typing. They spent all day and night typing away, their fingers moving faster than the eye could see.

    I tried to learn their ways, but I was no match for their lightning-fast typing skills. They laughed at my slow and clumsy fingers, and I quickly became the laughingstock of the island.

    But as time passed, I began to see the dark side of the Typoan obsession. They were so consumed by their typing that they had forgotten about everything else in life.

    They had no time for art, music, or even basic human interaction. All they cared about was typing, typing, typing.

    I realized that I had to escape from Typo before it was too late. I fled to the nearest boat and set sail for home, vowing to never take my typing skills for granted again.

    And so, dear reader, if you ever find yourself on the island of Typo, beware the dangers of the endless typing. It may seem harmless at first, but it can consume you completely if you're not careful.

Write a limerick about Moby-Dick.

There once was a man named Ahab,

Whose quest for a whale was a tad

                    Obsessive and wild,

                    His crew was beguiled,

Till the whale left him feeling quite sad.

What would be a good way to start a discussion about the novel Typee?

A good way to start a discussion about the novel Typee could be to ask an open-ended question that prompts participants to share their thoughts and impressions of the book. Here are some possible questions to consider:

    1. What was your overall impression of the novel Typee? Did you enjoy reading it?

    2. How would you describe the protagonist, Tommo, and his experiences in the valley of Typee?

    3. What do you think Melville was trying to convey through his portrayal of the Typee people and their way of life? Do you think he was successful in this?

    4. How does the novel explore themes of colonialism, cultural difference, and exoticism? Do you think Melville's portrayal of these issues is problematic or accurate?

    5. What role do gender and sexuality play in the novel, particularly in the relationships between Tommo and the Typee women?

    6. In what ways does Typee fit into the literary genre of the "South Seas narrative," and how does it compare to other works in this tradition?

    7. How does the novel's narrative structure, with its alternating passages of adventure and introspection, contribute to its overall effect?

    8. What questions or issues does the novel raise that you would like to explore further?

These questions are meant to be starting points for discussion, and participants may have different opinions and interpretations of the book. Encouraging everyone to share their thoughts and engage in respectful dialogue can lead to a rich and rewarding conversation about the novel Typee.