AI looks at me, and I look back

I finally got a chance — free trial subscription — to try out ChatGPT, and I am impressed, with serious reservations.

I started by asking who is winning the war against Ukraine, and AI said it doesn’t have contemporary information, that details are incomplete, that the battle is political and economical, in addition to military. A pretty good answer. For a nonanswer, I mean.

Then I asked it for five paragraphs on Stu Bykofsky.

This was the response:

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Stu Bykofsky is a prominent journalist, writer, and political commentator in Philadelphia. He has been a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News since 1987 and is known for his direct and opinionated writing style. Bykofsky has been recognized for his work with numerous awards, including the National Headliner Award for column writing in 2005 and the Woodrow Wilson Award for public service in 2012.

In his columns, Bykofsky often tackles controversial issues, such as gun control, immigration, and abortion. He is not afraid to take a strong stance and argue passionately for his position. Bykofsky has also been praised for his work in exposing government corruption and holding public officials accountable for their actions.

In addition to his work as a journalist, Bykofsky has also written several books, including “The Killer Within,” which explores the mind of a mass murderer, and “The Best of Stu Bykofsky,” a collection of his most popular columns from over the years. Bykofsky is also a regular guest on local talk radio shows, where he offers his opinions on current events and political issues.

Despite his controversial opinions, Bykofsky has developed a strong following in Philadelphia over the years. Many readers appreciate his willingness to take a stand on issues that are important to them. Bykofsky is also respected for his investigative journalism and his dedication to uncovering the truth.

In summary, Stu Bykofsky is a well-respected journalist and writer who is known for his direct and opinionated writing style. He has won numerous awards for his work and is a regular guest on local talk radio shows. Bykofsky is a passionate advocate for his beliefs and has developed a strong following in Philadelphia over the years.

——

Not bad, but it gets an F for factual errors, highlighted by underscore.

But first, I asked for five paragraphs. AI cheated with a fifth paragraph that was a summary of the first four. Surely, in my 47-year history with the Daily News (and the unmentioned three years with the inquirer) it could have found references to my age, background, education, and habits.

I have no quarrel with my writing style being called direct and opinionated. Columnists are supposed to be opinionated, and my style often is more meat ax than scalpel. I don’t know where AI got that description of my style. It is not in my Wikipedia entry. AI scours the internet for the material it will organize and regurgitate. It took about 30 seconds for it to come up with mine.

I have no idea where it got the idea I had received the Woodrow Wilson Award for public service in 2012. I won one or two prizes for public service, but never that one. That is a serious error.

The next paragraph says I tackled controversial subjects, such as gun control, immigration and abortion. Give AI two out of three. I seldom wrote about abortion. Another controversial topic that I did write about were bicycles and bicycle lanes, as well as covering Philly’s animal shelter for almost two decades.

The third paragraph goes completely off the rails. 

I never wrote a book called “The Killer Within,” and can’t imagine where AI scraped that up. I did write “Stu Bykofsky’s Little Black Book,” the humorous  “Cats are Supermodels,” and the fictional “Press Card,” none of which were mentioned. (The last two are still available. Ask me at stubyko@gmail.com) Crediting me with a book I did not write is a serious error. And it happened twice. There is no book called “The Best of Stu Bykofsky.”

The next paragraph is so flattering it seems like I wrote it myself. I did not. I seldom engage in gratuitous back patting.)

At some point, I will do a necessarily serious column about AI. This was just putting my toe in the water. 
AI is amazing, but factually unreliable . . . Now.