AI & U

Yes. Three little vowels. Not five, only three. AI and U. Oh sure, we’ll always use all seven, A E I O U, but I can just about guarantee that these two, A and I (AI, for Artificial Intelligence) will become, by far, the two most significant vowels of the bunch. (Funny… I can’t help but wonder how many people out there under 40 even know a vowel from a consonant.)

I want to write about my new discovery… it is significant to me on a half dozen levels, and probably will be for you as well. When I consider that this new program can write for us a sales pitch, a synopsis of a long book, and perhaps even a term paper itself, well… that tells me several things right off the bat. 1. It’s an incredibly powerful, and somewhat intuitive tool. And 2. I might never again believe that anything I read has come from a human hand, nor that an incredible piece of art actually came from a human’s hand, rather than an artificial intelligence program. Beyond the other myriad possibilities of these new programs, I find it ironic that all that I have learned about the new AI system so far has come from my daily newspaper.

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My buddy Will and his lady visited us earlier this week, We always enjoy seeing them, they are young, bright, energetic and talented, Will playing and composing classical-style piano music, and his lady playing piano and guitar, as well as being a fine singer.

Will had his laptop out and was showing us the latest sites in AI, chatGPT & dall-e. At first I didn’t expect to understand any of it. But he explained it beautifully and gave us a couple of examples of how chatGPT works. He asked it really difficult questions, questions I didn’t even understand, and the app immediately spit out clear and in-depth answers. Well, we were blown away. Then he brought up dall-e and showed us how that works. It’s an image-generating software that can render creative animations or realistic, almost 3D images from your suggested text, or even from a pic you pull in. Just amazing.

I tried chatGPT the next day, it was too busy to allow me in, telling me it would email me when there was an opening. It never did. So I waited several days, then tried it again today. It not only let me in, but blew my mind in just a few short minutes! I decided to try to challenge it with a few things I knew, to see how accurately, how deeply it could go. I asked, “Give me an opening paragraph on the concerns regarding AI and the one-on-one human experience.”             

Bang! In maybe 20 seconds, “As Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to advance and permeate various aspects of society, there are increasing concerns about its impact on the one-on-one human experience. Some worry that AI may replace human interactions and emotional connections, leading to a loss of empathy and personal touch in our daily lives. Additionally, the use of AI in decision-making processes raises questions about accountability and the potential for bias and discrimination. These concerns highlight the need for responsible development and deployment of AI technology that takes into account its impact on human relationships and society as a whole.”

Then I asked, “How can I know if the info given to me by this AI site is accurate, honest?” And in about 30 seconds it printed this out –

“There is no guaranteed way to determine the accuracy and honesty of information provided by an AI website, but there are a few steps you can take to increase your confidence in the information:
1. Check the source: Try to determine who created the website and what their motives might be. Consider if they have a history of providing trustworthy information.
2. Verify the information: Check if the information provided by the AI site is supported by credible sources, such as academic journals or government agencies.
3. Look for evidence: See if the information is supported by data, statistics, or other forms of evidence.
4. Consider other perspectives: Look for information on the same topic from other sources and compare it to what the AI site is saying.
5. Be critical: Use your own judgment and critical thinking skills to evaluate the information and decide if it is credible.

Remember, even if information is provided by AI, it may still contain errors or biases, so it’s important to always be cautious and skeptical when evaluating information from any source.”

OMG! All right, maybe one more, perhaps a harder one. Me: “What is the mathematical system Joseph Schillinger used for music?”

AI: “Joseph Schillinger developed a mathematical system for music composition known as the Schillinger System. (Duh!) The system is based on mathematical principles and uses algorithms to generate musical sequences and compositional structures. It emphasizes the use of musical patterns and rhythms, rather than individual notes, to create compositions. The system was widely used in the 20th century, particularly in popular and jazz music.”

Unbelievable! Another answer within 30 seconds! Stop me, somebody! This was too good. Okay, just one more… “What do you consider the best decade for American music?”

AI: “As a language model, I do not have personal opinions or preferences. However, many consider the 1950s and 1960s to be a golden age for American popular music, with the emergence of rock and roll and various sub-genres such as rockabilly, R&B, soul, and Motown. This period saw the rise of legendary musicians and groups such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, and The Beatles. The 1970s is also often regarded as an important decade for American music, particularly for the growth and development of various genres such as jazz, blues, funk, and disco. These decades saw the birth and evolution of new musical forms and styles that continue to influence music to this day.”

I couldn’t believe it. This thing was way more powerful and more intelligent than I could imagine. It was obvious that my little music questions weren’t challenging it at all. So I tried one more. – “Give me an opening for a book about a jazz pianist who lost his true love, and doesn’t have much money.”

“As the sun began to set on a warm summer evening, the familiar sound of jazz music echoed through the empty streets of New Orleans. Inside a small, dimly lit bar, a lone pianist sits at the piano, his fingers gliding over the keys with a melancholic grace. His name was Jack, and he was once a rising star in the world of jazz, but now he was just a shadow of his former self. He had lost his true love, the woman who had inspired him to play the piano with all his heart, and he was struggling to make ends meet with what little money he had left.”

Wow! And to add the cherry on top of this unexpected dessert, I took this line from the AI answer and gave it to the other program, dall-e 2. “ Inside a small, dimly lit bar (in New Orleans), a lone pianist sits at the piano, his fingers gliding over the keys.” And here is what it gave me.

And if that wasn’t enough, I tried once more, to put myself as an artificial piano player, in a wheat field, a la Andrew Wyeth’s “Christina’s World.” Here’s what I got –

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christina’s World, by Wyeth

Stevie’s World, by chatGPT

Well, Stevie boy, it’s a new world. I’m so grateful these programs didn’t slip past me, that would have been a real shame, for even as I know I don’t have the kind of mind to utilize these programs, still I’m so looking forward to using them for my simple purposes. Over time I’d guess they will enhance my abilities to communicate with the outside world… to be smarter, more artistic, maybe even more relevant in today’s lightning speed world. I don’t know, but damn… it’s sure going to be fun trying!

Steve Hulse