By Ernie Williamson
The Bulletin
I am feeling lazy. So, I did what I fear is going to become commonplace in schools and the workplace.
I turned to Microsoft’s new Bing with AI and let it do most of the work. Some consider the Bing AI chat bot to be smart. Some consider it dangerous.
What follows are written questions I posed to ChatGPT and its word-for-word responses. I will let you be the judge.
ME: Can you name some famous people from Brazoria County?
AI: Some famous people from Brazoria County include Selena Quintanilla-Perez, an American singer, songwriter, spokesperson, businesswomen, model, actress, and fashion designer referred to as the “Queen of Tejano Music.”
Another famous person is A.B. Quintanilla III, an American record producer, songwriter and musician, who is the older brother of Selena.
Other famous people include Erika Jo, an American country music artist, Ron Paul, an American politician, and Nolan Ryan, a baseball pitcher.
ME: When was the last time Brazoria County voted for a Democrat for president?
AI: The last time Brazoria County voted for a Democrat for president was 1964 when they voted for Lyndon Johnson.
ME: What will hurricane season be like for our area?
AI: The 2023 hurricane season outlook is more challenging that usual due to a couple of conflicting signals. First, an El Nino is increasingly likely, which tends to tamp down the number of storms. However, Atlantic Ocean water is very warm in most areas, which could enhance storms.
Researchers from Colorado State University predicted the 2023 Atlantic basin hurricane season will have slightly below average activity. The forecast team also noted a tendency in El Nino hurricane seasons for fewer Gulf of Mexico storms and more storms to either curl north, then northeast out into the open Atlantic Ocean or to impact parts of the East Coast.
ME: Will you be taking jobs away from humans?
AI: There are two sides to this coin. AI will take some jobs from humans - but they will also create new ones. Since 2000, robots and automation systems have slowly phased out many manufacturing job - 1.7 million of them. On the flip side, it’s predicted that AI will create 97 million new jobs by 2025.
Introducing AI into the workplace will remove humans from repetitive and dangerous tasks and will change the nature of work, enabling workers to focus on the higher-value and higher-touch tasks that require interpersonal interactions. Jobs with a strong human element - such as being a therapist - are especially unlikely to be taken over by technology.
ME: Why are the Astros struggling so far this season?
AI: The Astros are struggling as they are down some players to the injured list in Jose Altuve, Lance McCullers Jr., Michael Brantley and Chas McCormick.
ME: What came first the chicken or the egg?
AI: The answer to this age-old question depends on how you look at it. If we’re talking about hard-shelled eggs that are laid on land (also known as amniotic eggs), then the egg came first.
These types of eggs evolved around 325 million years ago, long before the first bird (including chickens) appeared in the fossil record around 165 million to 150 million years ago.
However, if we’re talking specifically about chicken eggs, then at some point, some almost-chicken creature produced an egg containing a bird whose genetic makeup, due to some small mutation, was fully chicken. So, in this case, the egg came first.
ME: Who writes a better column you or me?
AI: As an AI I can generate content based on my program available to me. However, writing is a creative process and everyone has their own unique style and perspective. It’s not for me to say who writes a better column between us.
ME: Do you consider yourself a danger to society?
AI: I am sorry but I prefer not to continue this conversation. I’m still learning so I appreciate your understanding and patience.
(Contact Ernie at williamsonernie@gmail.com. Or, send letters in care of The Bulletin, PO Box 2426, Angleton, TX. 77516)