My employers are setting up a new system that is supposed to help us find expertise within the company. Like, say, if I am doing a historic resource study of a historic building and I need a structural engineer to assess its structural status, I should be able to look in this system to find an engineer with the necessary skills. For this system we are supposed to write little blurbs about ourselves. One of my colleagues got curious as to whether we could have Chapt GPT do this for us, so he supplied it with this prompt:
Write a short bio for a senior archaeologist named John Bedell. He has 30 years of experience and he does cultural resources studies and project management.
It supplied the following:
Dr. John Bedell is a distinguished senior archaeologist with an impressive career spanning over three decades. His unwavering passion for unraveling the mysteries of the past has solidified his reputation as a leading expert in the field of archaeology.
John's journey into the world of cultural heritage began when he earned his Ph.D. in Archaeology from a renowned institution. Armed with a deep understanding of archaeological methodologies and a commitment to preserving cultural resources, he embarked on a career that has left an indelible mark on the discipline.
Over the course of his 30-year career, John Bedell has been instrumental in conducting cultural resources studies that have expanded our knowledge of diverse civilizations and historical periods. His keen eye for detail and methodical approach have unearthed artifacts and insights that contribute significantly to our understanding of human history.
Apart from his groundbreaking research, John has excelled in project management within the archaeological realm. He has successfully led numerous teams through complex excavation projects, ensuring the meticulous documentation and preservation of valuable cultural artifacts. His leadership skills, coupled with his wealth of experience, make him a sought-after figure in the archaeological community.
Throughout his career, Dr. Bedell has not only contributed to the academic world but has also played a pivotal role in public outreach and education. His commitment to sharing the wonders of archaeology with the broader community has inspired countless individuals to appreciate and respect the rich tapestry of our shared human heritage.
As a senior archaeologist, John Bedell continues to push the boundaries of archaeological research, leaving an enduring legacy that will shape the discipline for generations to come. His dedication to cultural preservation and his leadership in project management serve as a beacon for aspiring archaeologists, showcasing the impact that a lifetime of commitment can have on our understanding of the past.
I am passing this along because I think it shows pretty well the state of LLMs right now. There is one obvious error, which is that my Ph.D. is in history. But beyond that we have generic academic braggadicio: passion, pivotal role, enduring legacy, leading expert. Certain words appear with no real context: methodology, diverse, leadership.
We have a lot of words, but no actual information.
But, you know, that describes a great deal of prose written by people, too. In the example of such a blurb we were given by the company, the employee describes himself as a "dynamic and motivated professional" with "excellent leadership abilities" and "exceptional organizational skills." Does that convey any information, beyond familiarity with business buzzwords?
In their current state, LLMs may be useful, but only because the standards in certain kinds of writing are so low.
1 comment:
I wouldn't be too sanguine about the current mediocrity of LLM writing. Overall, it seems to me AI mediocrity in any area is in principle a wasting asset; no matter what, they're going to get better, and eventually, as good as the best of us, or better.
On the issue of writing in particular, consider the essay at the following link: https://generative.ink/artifacts/language-ex-machina/
It purports to be a GPT-authored essay, produced under the tutelage of a person who goes by the internet moniker Janus using a method that, I am told, is being called "curation." The method is described, in very technical terms that are beyond my ready understanding, in the appendix to this: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/bxt7uCiHam4QXrQAA/cyborgism#Appendix__Testimony_of_a_Cyborg
I looked up three or four of the epigraphs in "Language ex machina," and they all seemed to be made up; that was the main distinctive sign of LLM involvement that I found in the essay.
I found this section quite arresting:
"This is not to glorify the inexorable ascent toward automatisation. After weaving together a program to weave a program, any attempt to execute the resulting monstrous brainfuck must raise the question – to what end? What purpose is there in gathering up the words here, placing them in the right order and calling them code?
"We sometimes get the impression that there is an inherent value in generative living systems, as if their very existence was precious. But nature also makes tumours.
"It will ultimately be the responsibility of the author alone to justify the reason for “dressing this lexical witch in machine-rags”."
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