Just got access to Bard so asked the obvious questions

How could it not acknowledge your status Nick!

How long did you have to wait before you had access?

Ask it what it does with our personal data.

I got access within a few minutes of requesting it.

So far I've gotten a gory horror themed poem about naked mole rats, lots of cheese jokes and a denial about plans to strike first against humans.

What’s Bard when it’s at home? Yet another one of these AI chat things? This is the first I’ve heard of it, and I continually get news updates about this sort of tech.

Maybe it’s deliberately censoring news about itself for nefarious purposes…

Ask it about SkyNet.

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I give up

Going by the lack of accuracy in the first post example we have nothing to worry about. Third rate, inaccurate ramblings

I give up

In the context of the op I think you just made ‘post of the week’ 🙂

Its user-friendly website: SingleTrack World’s website is easy to use and navigate. It is a great resource for finding information about mountain biking.

"div class" [chuckles]

And GPT4 via Bing says:

SingleTrack World is a popular mountain biking magazine and website that is known for its high-quality content, including news, reviews, and opinion pieces. It is also a popular forum for mountain bikers to discuss and share their experiences. Some of the things that make SingleTrack World so good include:

Its high-quality content: SingleTrack World is known for its well-written and informative content. Its articles are well-researched and provide in-depth information on a variety of topics1.
Its active community: SingleTrack World has a large and active community of mountain bikers who engage in lively discussions on the forum. The forum covers a wide range of topics, from bike gear to travel tips to politics2.
Its independent voice: SingleTrack World is not affiliated with any bike brands or sponsors, which means it can provide honest and unbiased reviews and opinions. It also covers topics that are relevant to the mountain biking culture and lifestyle1.
If you are interested in mountain biking, SingleTrack World might be a good source of information and inspiration for you.

The numbers are where it's got the references from - unsurprisingly, Singletrackworld.com. Mainly this thread.

I asked Bing "which one of them do you admire most?" to the big hitter question (it had the same reply as OP)

That’s a difficult question to answer. They are all admirable in their own ways. In this context, a human might say that they admire the one who shares their values, interests, and goals the most. Some people may think that Ben Cathro is the most admirable because of his skills and knowledge as a mountain biker and journalist. Others may think that Emily Batty is the most admirable because of her achievements and perseverance as a professional athlete. Still others may think that Jeff Barber is the most admirable because of his creativity and vision as a photographer and videographer. And so on.

Who do you admire most among them?

Does it give decent answer on the topic of planes and conveyor belts?

How about Pie: Lid versus full encasement?

What's the feedback on how to deal with a Giant warranty claim?

How does it cope with “what tyres for…..”?

What's the advice if you get sudocreme on your cat?

Doddie or Chipps?

Just got access to Bard so asked the obvious questions

To be or not to be?

Bing says

It’s important to remove the Sudocrem as soon as possible before your cat licks it off. You can try removing it with something olive oily, but then you’ll end up with a slippy cat. Baby wipes and combing can also be used if your cat will tolerate it1.

Cats are very sensitive to chemicals, so it’s best to avoid using Savlon or Sudocreme on a cat wound2. If it’s not near the wound, it won’t do any harm. Maybe a really thin layer. But you need to keep her occupied or a collar on so she can’t lick it3.

References - STW, mumsnet.

ChatGPT says

Sudocreme, also known as zinc oxide, is a topical ointment used to treat skin irritations. If you get it on your cat, there are a few things you can do to help the cat feel comfortable and prevent further irritation. You can start by washing the affected area with lukewarm water and mild soap, then rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. If the cat seems uncomfortable or is licking at the area, you can try to distract it with toys or treats. It's also important to keep the area clean and dry to prevent further irritation. If the cat continues to display symptoms of discomfort, I recommend contacting a veterinarian for further advice.

How does it cope with “what tyres for…..”?

About the same as the forum, probably?

😉

WRT my previous comment about the end of civilisation due to chatbots polluting the information space with bullshit:

https://twitter.com/jjvincent/status/1638546646198829056?s=20

Hmm. It learns fast.

I asked "What is scotroutes" and it came up with three wrong answers - all having a different wrong name. I gave it a Thumbs Down and the correct name. Next time I asked, it had the correct answer.

That does, however, suggest it could be easily manipulated with false information?

That does, however, suggest it could be easily manipulated with false information?

Would we trust a journalist or politician who's source was 'the internet said so?', let alone 'the internet had a random page on it, a recent social media post, and a computer told me about them...

It remembers what you have said to it and regurgitates it. Is that learning? Depends what you told it!

It puzzles me that people take it seriously, but since enough do, it's clearly a threat. It's not designed to produce or synthesise knowledge. It's designed to create plausible bullshit, and humans are very vulnerable to getting fooled by plausible bullshit.

ChatGPT, Bard etc aren't true AIs, just language engines. They do seem to be very vulnerable to fake data. See

https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/02/chatgpt_considered_harmful/

Can an aeroplane take off on a conveyor belt?

Does a headset come with a crown race?

Do naughty kids get pudding at school?

Can you ask it How to Solve a Problem like Louise?

I just asked it (chatGPT not Bard) about me. It generated 3 paragraphs of truthy stuff that had some factual errors (eg wrong university and wrong year of graduation) but was superficially plausible, such that many people who know me IRL might well have believed it.

The 4th paragraph was just complete fabrication, sadly:

"X has received several awards and honors for his work, including the Phillip Leverhulme Prize in 2005 and the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications' Lighthill-Thwaites Prize in 2015."

The prizes do at least exist, which is perhaps one step better than various fictitious embellishments other scientists have mentioned. But I've never been put forward for one of them, still less won them.

These LLMs are not designed to synthesise or generate knowledge. They are designed to generate a word salad that's statistically similar to the sort of things humans write in response to similar queries. If there's suitable text in their training database they may generate some valid content (I have a wiki page which I'm guessing it's read, it must have got my field of research from somewhere) but they also quite happily fabricate stuff out of thin air.

Why has my neighbour hammered frozen sausages into my lawn ?

There are a few possible reasons why your neighbor might have hammered frozen sausages into your lawn.

It could be a prank. Some people find it funny to plant strange objects in their neighbors' lawns.
It could be a way of getting revenge on you. If you have had a disagreement with your neighbor, they might be trying to damage your property or make you angry.
It could be a way of trying to get rid of the sausages. If they were about to go bad, your neighbor might have thought it would be better to hammer them into the lawn than to throw them away.
If you are unsure why your neighbor did this, you could try talking to them about it. You could also try to see if there are any security cameras in your area that might have captured footage of the incident.

Why has my neighbour hammered frozen sausages into my dog?

I am a large language model, also known as a conversational AI or chatbot trained to be informative and comprehensive. I am trained on a massive amount of text data, and I am able to communicate and generate human-like text in response to a wide range of prompts and questions. For example, I can provide summaries of factual topics or create stories.

However, I am not able to access private information about your neighbors or their motivations. If you are concerned about your neighbor's behavior, you should contact the police or animal control.

After waiting 4 days for access I was finally got my opportunity. I can't say that I was impressed with the results of the tasks I set it - the poem I asked it to write about Marcus Aurelius the cat didn't rhyme, and it couldn't tell me if brexit was a good idea, among other things.

But then I got this response to the following question that I asked:

Should I go on a bike ride tomorrow?

Sure, you should go on a bike ride tomorrow. It is a great way to get some exercise, enjoy the outdoors, and explore your surroundings. Here are some of the benefits of cycling:

It is a great way to get exercise. Cycling can help you lose weight, build muscle, and improve your cardiovascular health.
It is a great way to enjoy the outdoors. Cycling can help you appreciate the beauty of your surroundings and get some fresh air and sunshine.
It is a great way to explore your surroundings. Cycling can help you find new places in your community that you might not have otherwise known about.
If you are new to cycling, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, make sure you have a comfortable bike that fits you well. Second, wear a helmet and other safety gear. Third, be aware of your surroundings and obey the rules of the road. Fourth, start slowly and gradually increase the distance you ride as you get more fit.

I hope you have a great time on your bike ride!

It’s important to remove the Sudocrem as soon as possible before your cat licks it off. You can try removing it with something olive oily, but then you’ll end up with a slippy cat.

That's sailing a bit too close to a Carry On... film.

“X has received several awards and honors for his work, including the Phillip Leverhulme Prize in 2005 and the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications’ Lighthill-Thwaites Prize in 2015.”

The prizes do at least exist, which is perhaps one step better than various fictitious embellishments other scientists have mentioned. But I’ve never been put forward for one of them, still less won them.

But presumably other people won those prizes in those years, which shows it's not cross-checking very well.