Hello and welcome to AI insider, the every now and then newsletter that brings you updates from the world of artificial intelligence. In plain English. Your hosts: Bing, Bard, ChatGPT, guest chatbots and Michelle Johnson, retired journalist and journalism professor. If you like what you see here, subscribe for free. And maybe even donate to support this missive.
Chatbotting The ‘Montgomery Sweet Tea Party’
By Michelle Johnson and the Chatbots
The big story and question of the week: What happened in Montgomery, Alabama, last Saturday? As a test, I decided to pose this very question to multiple chatbots to see how up to date they are. The responses below (unedited) will give you an idea.
ChatGPT: I’m sorry, Michelle, but I’m unable to provide real-time information about specific events, as my knowledge was last updated in September 2021. Please consult a reliable local news source or website for up-to-date information about what happened in Montgomery, Alabama on that particular Saturday. If you have any historical or general questions, I’m here to help!
Bing: According to the news reports, a brawl broke out on a dock at Riverfront Park in Montgomery, Alabama on Saturday, August 7, 2023. (Ed. Note: Saturday was Aug. 5.) The fight involved a group of White boaters and a Black co-captain of a riverboat, the Harriet (Ed. Note: As in Tubman.), who were arguing over docking space. The situation escalated when a group of bystanders, mostly Black, joined the fray and came to the co-captain’s defense. Some of them even swam across the river to reach the dock [Ed. Note: Just one did this and he was an employee.] The brawl was captured on video and went viral on social media, sparking discussions about racial tensions in the city.
Bard: On Saturday, August 5, 2023, a large brawl broke out at the Montgomery Riverfront shortly before 7 p.m. The brawl involved a group of rowdy boaters who refused to move their pontoon so that a city riverboat could dock. When a dock worker attempted to untie the boat, the boaters attacked him. The fight quickly escalated and involved multiple people, including both men and women. Punches were thrown, chairs were used as weapons, and at least one person was tossed into the water. The brawl was largely racially motivated, with the boaters being mostly white and the dock worker being Black. The fight also took place in a city with a long history of racial tension. Montgomery was the capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War and was a major center of the Jim Crow era.
Claude: Unfortunately without more context I do not have enough information to know specifically what event you are asking about that occurred in Montgomery, Alabama this past Saturday. Montgomery is the capital city of Alabama and home to over 200,000 people, so many things could have potentially happened there last weekend. To provide a useful response, please provide some more details about what particular event, incident or happening you are asking about that took place in Montgomery last Saturday.
Perplexity: On Saturday in Montgomery, Alabama, a massive brawl broke out at the riverfront dock. The incident occurred on August 5th, shortly before 7 p.m. The fight involved multiple individuals and resulted in chaos, with punches being thrown and people being hit with chairs. The brawl gained attention and went viral. Arrest warrants have been issued for three men involved in the altercation. The police have stated that more charges are likely to be filed in connection with the incident. Several people were detained by the police, and multiple arrests were made.
Pi: Just to clarify, you’re referring to the brawl at the Riverfront Park dock in Montgomery, right? Is there something specific you’re looking to know about the incident, or more about the broader implications? [Yes, the brawl.] OK, I understand. I’ll try to answer any questions you have about the incident, as best I can. But before I do, I should note that I can’t verify the accuracy of any specific reports or information that has been published about the incident. Is that OK? [Yes] Okay, I’ll do my best to answer your questions to the best of my ability. Are you interested in learning more about what actually happened at the scene, or about the broader response and public reaction to the incident?
TikTok: Hold my folding chair… (Just kidding!)
Did the Pi Chatbot Lie to Me?
By Michelle Johnson
I’m back from attending the National Association of Black Journalists annual convention last week. This year it was held in historic Birmingham, Alabama. While I was there, I read a blog post in a newsletter that I subscribe to about Pi AI, a chatbot that I hadn’t used.
Here’s the marketing verbiage from a press release announcing Pi: “Meet Pi, your personal AI. A new class of AI, Pi is designed to be a kind and supportive companion offering conversations, friendly advice, and concise information in a natural, flowing style. The Pi experience is intended to prioritize conversations with people, where other AIs serve productivity, search, or answering questions. Pi is a coach, confidante, creative partner, or sounding board.”
Sounds good, right? So I fired it up and asked it to tell me about the history of Birmingham.
It went on to natter about how the city was named after the one in England, its role in the fight for civil rights, how it aimed to be a major industrial hub (steel), etc. Then, I thought I’d ask a more direct question about what I really wanted to understand: “What was the city’s role in slavery?”
Pi responded: “Many of the plantations in the area were cotton plantations, and the slave labor was used to cultivate and harvest the cotton. The conditions for the slaves were often brutal, and they were subjected to harsh treatment and long hours of work. Slavery was a major factor in the development of the city and the region, and its legacy can still be felt today.”
Pi then, unprompted, asked me: “Do you want to know more about the specific experiences of slaves in Birmingham?” I said yes.
Pi then told me the story of “Charlie Strong.”
Pi: “Charlie was born into slavery in the 1830s, and he was brought to Birmingham when he was still a child. … Charlie’s life was one of constant hardship and suffering, and he eventually died at a young age from exhaustion and abuse.”
I wanted to know more, so I asked Pi if Charlie’s story was documented anywhere. Pi said “such stories” were documented, including in transcripts of slave narratives and oral histories of Birmingham residents. Pi even cited a book. But something didn’t feel right to me. So, I asked: “Was Charlie a real person?”
That’s when Pi came clean and admitted that Charlie’s story was a compilation “based on the experiences of real enslaved people.”
I was taken aback. So much so that I got up and walked away from the computer. I had questions and I had to compose myself before asking them. Why, when I was asking for factual information about history, did Pi determine that it was OK to make up a fictional character? What if I had been writing and included the saga of Charlie in a story or a school assignment?
Here’s our actual exchange with Pi’s responses.
Was Pi right to do this? It’s not being billed as the usual kind of AI bot.
Is this OK? Let me know what you think. Or fire up Pi and see what it has to say for itself.
OpenAI Funds NYU Journalism Ethics Initiative
By Bard for AI Insider
The Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University has launched a new ethics initiative to help journalists navigate ethical challenges of the digital age. The initiative, which is backed by a $395,000 grant from OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, will provide students with training, resources, and mentorship on a range of ethical issues, including the use of artificial intelligence, privacy, and bias.
“As trust in the media declines, and advances in technology pose fresh challenges, practicing journalism ethically is more important than it’s ever been,” said Stephen Adler in a press release. Adler, editor in chief of Reuters from 2011 to 2021, will lead the initiative.
“OpenAI is committed to ensuring that artificial intelligence is both beneficial and safe, and we welcome independent research, workshops, and discussions to help ensure a positive role for AI in the news industry,” said Tom Rubin, OpenAI’s Chief of Intellectual Property.
The Initiative will bring leading thinkers and practitioners to campus for workshops and discussions. The institute’s students will have access to guidance on ethical dilemmas as a supplement to the program’s existing required ethics course.
Under Pressure from Competition, ChatGPT Scrapes the Web
I have to admit, I’m using ChatGPT less now that its access to the interwebs has been temporarily revoked.
Getting the “I only know stuff up to 2021” message has gotten old. Bing and Bard are connected to search, so I start there when I know I need more current information.
On Monday, OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, announced GPTBot, a web crawler which will scrape the interwebs for more up-to-date info. And of course, the controversy then ensued. Creators hate the idea of their work being, um, borrowed this way. On the flip side, people like me hate that more recent info isn’t available in ChatGPT. Especially when we’re paying $20 a month for the Plus version. The chatbot competition is fierce and ChatGPT, despite its strong debut, could fall back if they don’t do something quick. Is scraping the web the right move? We shall see. ( — Michelle Johnson)
Does ChatGPT Know Your Name?
Sometimes you wanna go where ChatGPT knows your name. And does it know that you’re an expert in your field and you don’t need to be addressed like a rookie? If not, you can easily fix that now, even if you’re using the free version. Custom Instructions, initially rolled out only to paying GPT Plus customers, is now available for all users, including the freebie accounts. Sorry EU and UK, you’re still locked out. ( — Michelle Johnson)
Random Shorts
ChatGPT usage is down according to SimilarWeb. They speculate that school being out for the summer may be responsible for the dip.
Zoom says it won’t use your calls to train AI ‘without your consent’. This came in response to backlash aimed at their updated terms of service agreement.
Forbes looks at how AI can help combat bias in financial lending.
Stuff to Try
PromptPal – Are you steering clear of bots like ChatGPT, Bard or image generators because you’re worried that you won’t come up with good prompts? Hit up PromptPal, a searchable database of prompts that can get you started. They offer free and paid accounts.
The TextFX Project – This one, out of Google Labs, claims to be for rappers, writers and wordsmiths. It’s highly experimental, a little confusing, but fun to just play around with. Free.
INVIDEO – Interested in trying out AI text to video? Sign up for a free account and play to your heart’s content. Start by picking a template, type in your prompt and watch the application write a script, select visuals and generate your video. Want it to save it? You’ll have to upgrade first.
Aht Gallery
Have you ever wondered about the “generative” part of Generative AI? Here’s what it looks like when Midjourney generates images. Hit play below. Note that by default it creates four versions of a prompt. The prompt: Poppies growing in a field.