When ChatGPT and similar systems started being available, people noticed right away that they could provide completely wrong answers. But they would do so in language that was so confident and plausible (because that is how they are designed).

Some people started to say “ChatGPT lies about information”.

But somewhat immediately, people started pushing back and saying that it isn’t “lying” because that implies sentience or consciousness. Say it is “lying” is “anthropomorphizing”, i.e. attributing human behavior to something that is very definitely not human.

Instead, some people said, let’s refer to this false information as “hallucinations”, as that is in fact a term used in AI research. So we say instead “ChatGPT hallucinates information.”

I personally like that term. It provides a way to explain to people that these AI tools just make stuff up!

But, as noted in this excellent Ars Technica article by Benj Edwards (that you really need to read to understand all this!), the use of “hallucination” has two issues:

• It also is anthropomorphizing and ascribing human behavior to a non-sentient / non-human thing.
• More importantly, saying an AI “hallucinates” has a nuance of being excusable behavior. “Oh, yes, Fred was just hallucinating when he said all that.” As if it was just random memories or a trip on some kind of drugs. It lets the AI creators off the hook a bit. They don’t have to take responsibility for their errors, because “it’s just the AI hallucinating”!

Which is fine… I can go along with that reasoning.

But… the author then suggests instead we use the term from psychology of “confabulation”, as in:

”ChatGPT confabulates information”

Hmm. While I get that “confabulation” may be more technically accurate, I think it still has the issues:

• It is still anthropomorphizing.
• It still lets developers not take responsibility. “Oh, it’s just the AI confabulating.”

But more importantly… “confabulation” is NOT A WORD PEOPLE REGULARLY USE!

At least, people who are not in psychology.

If we as technologists want to help the broader public understand these AI systems, both their opportunities and challenges, then we need to speak in plain language.

I do think we need to go back to the beginning and just say “ChatGPT lies”.

This has two important aspects:

• All of us understand “lying”.
• It puts the responsibility on the AI system – and its developers – for “behaving” that way.

Yes, it’s anthropomorphizing. No, ChatGPT and other AI systems are NOT human or sentient. No, they can’t really “lie” in the human understanding of it.

But we can use that term to help people understand what is happening here.

ChatGPT and other systems are lying. They are NOT giving you true information.

Let’s call it like it is.

——

P.S. It turns out that Simon Willison, who has been diving deep into the world of AI far more than I, has written something similar: “We need to tell people ChatGPT will lie to them, not debate linguistics” – please read Simon’s post for a another view!

——

Image credit: from Bing Image Create (DALL-E) using prompt “create an image showing an AI that is hallucinating”

After Simon Willison wrote about how accurate questions from ChatGPT were when he asked “I am interviewing Simon Willison. What are some good questions I can ask them?”, I had to give it a try. Simon’s had some questions specific to the areas he works in, web development and open source, so I was curious to see what might be in one with my name.

I was particularly curious because there are so many “Dan York”s out there on the Internet.

Alas, my response from ChatGPT was boringly generic:

I am interviewing Dan York. What are some good questions I can ask them?

1. Can you tell us about your background and how you became involved in your current industry/field?
2. Can you walk us through a recent project or accomplishment that you are particularly proud of?
3. How do you stay current and informed about developments in your industry?
4. Can you discuss a challenge or obstacle you have faced in your career and how you overcame it?
5. How do you prioritize and manage your workload and responsibilities?
6. How do you approach problem-solving and decision-making in your role?
7. Can you discuss a time when you had to adapt to a change or new technology in your field?
8. Can you talk about a team or collaboration experience and the role you played in its success?
9. Can you describe a specific way in which you have contributed to improving processes or efficiencies in your organization?
10. What are your long-term career goals and how do you plan to achieve them?

This could be for any of the many Dan Yorks who are out there. 😀

(But not a bad set of questions…)

So then I decided to try to be a bit more specific. I next associated my name with my employer, the Internet Society. The results were actually decent questions to ask anyone associated with the Internet Society (but not necessarily directly with me):

I am interviewing Dan York of the Internet Society. What are some good questions I can ask them?

1. Can you tell us about the mission and goals of the Internet Society?
2. How does the Internet Society work to promote and protect internet freedom and human rights?
3. Can you speak to the role of the Internet Society in addressing the digital divide and ensuring access to the internet for all?
4. How does the Internet Society work to promote and support a free and open internet?
5. Can you discuss any current initiatives or projects that the Internet Society is working on?
6. How does the Internet Society collaborate with other organizations and governments to advance internet policy and governance?
7. Can you speak to the importance of a multi-stakeholder approach in addressing internet-related issues?
8. How does the Internet Society work to promote and support internet innovation and the development of new technologies?
9. Can you discuss any challenges or obstacles the Internet Society faces in achieving its mission and goals?
10. How can individuals and organizations get involved and support the work of the Internet Society?

Next I decided to try specifying the state where I live, Vermont. Maybe there’s another Dan York in Vermont who owns a business, because I don’t, and so these questions were completely off for me. They could be anyone living in Vermont who owns a business:

I am interviewing Dan York of Vermont. What are some good questions I can ask them?

1. What inspired you to start your business in Vermont?
2. What challenges have you faced as a business owner in Vermont?
3. How do you see Vermont’s economy and business landscape evolving in the next few years?
4. Can you tell me about a project or accomplishment that you’re particularly proud of in your business?
5. How do you work with other local businesses and organizations in Vermont to support the community?
6. How do you stay informed and educated on changes in Vermont’s business regulations and policies?
7. What advice would you give to someone who is considering starting a business in Vermont?
8. How do you see Vermont’s unique culture and environment impacting your business?
9. Can you tell me about a specific way your business is environmentally or socially conscious?
10. How do you see Vermont’s location impacting your business in terms of logistics and transportation?

Just for grins I decided to go directly into associating my name with one of my blogs. The questions are again a good set of generic questions that could be for anyone’s blog:

I am interviewing Dan York who writes the blog “Disruptive Conversations”. What are some good questions I can ask them?

1. Can you tell us about your background and how you got started writing the “Disruptive Conversations” blog?
2. What is the main focus of your blog and what topics do you typically cover?
3. Can you share some of your most popular or impactful blog posts and what you think made them successful?
4. How do you stay current with the latest trends and developments in the industry you write about?
5. What are some of the most common challenges you face as a blogger, and how do you overcome them?
6. How do you engage with your readers and build a community around your blog?
7. Can you discuss any notable collaborations or partnerships you’ve had as a result of your blog?
8. How do you measure the success of your blog, and what are your goals for its future?
9. How do you stay motivated to continuously write and publish quality content on your blog?
10. Can you share some tips for those who are interested in starting their own blog or writing content?

And that was as far as I decided to go.

All of these, though, are useful sets of questions. If someone were looking to do an interview in these areas, the questions are not a bad place to start.

Interesting to see various uses of ChatGPT.

For those who celebrate Christmas, as I do… MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

As I am off celebrating the holiday with my family, I thought I’d ask an AI to tell the Bible’s Christmas story. So I went to ChatGPT and asked:

> Tell the biblical Christmas story in iambic pentameter

Why iambic pentameter? I don’t know… other than thinking it could be more interesting than just having Chat GPT regurgitate blocks of text. This requires a little bit more effort.

After getting the first version, I found the focus on Herod to be a bit odd, so I pressed the “Regenerate response” to get a second version. Then I did it three more times, and decided to include all five versions here. I find the differences very interesting, as each takes a different view on the story, and includes or excludes different aspects of the story. For instance:

• Herod, Egypt, and Nazareth only show up in version 1.
• The shepards only appear in 2, 3, and 4.
• The wise men are only in 2 and 3.
• Gold, frankincense and myrrh only appear in 2.
• Angels only appear in 3 and 4.
• Version 5 has almost no details but instead focuses on the religious meaning.
• None of them mentioned why Joseph and Mary where traveling (to register for a census in his home town for tax purposes for the Roman government).

It also shows that you can’t just take ChatGPT’s answer as gospel (quite literally). Imagine if you asked ChatGPT and got only version 1? You would have a very different view of the story from the other ones.

No matter which story you may or may not agree with, including none of these, I wish you all a very merry Christmas!

---

Version 1

Once in the land of Judah, long ago
A virgin fair was betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter
But in her womb, a child was set to grow
Conceived by power of the Holy Ghost, as told by angel Gabriel

This child would be the savior of us all
A king, descended from the line of David
His birth had been foretold by prophets tall
And now, the time had come, the promise given

But in the land, a ruler did hold sway
A cruel and wicked man, by name of Herod
He heard the news of this newborn king at play
And in his jealousy and fear, did order

That every male child, two years and under
Should be put to death, in Bethlehem and near
To try and kill this child, the Son of Thunder
But Joseph took Mary and the babe in fear

And fled to Egypt, till the danger passed
They stayed in hiding, till the coast was clear
Then returned to Israel, at last
And settled in a town called Nazareth

Thus Jesus grew, in wisdom, age, and grace
And when the time was right, he took his place
As savior of the world, in love and peace
This is the story of the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

---

Version 2

In Bethlehem, a city of Judea,
A child was born, the savior of mankind.
This infant, wrapped in swaddling clothes so new,
Was laid in manger, for there was no room
In inns of Bethlehem, on that holy night.

The news of this great birth was quickly spread
To shepherds in the fields, who did not stay
But hurried to the stable, where they found
The newborn king, lying in a bed of hay.

The shepherds marveled at the sight they saw,
And they returned to their fields, praising God
For sending them the savior of the world.

But news of this great birth was not confined
To shepherds in the fields or Bethlehem's town.
Three wise men, guided by a shining star,
Came from the East, bearing gifts of gold,
Frankincense, and myrrh, to honor him.

And so, on this most holy night, the world
Was blessed with the arrival of the one
Who came to save us all, the son of God,
Jesus, the Christ, the savior of mankind.

---

Version 3

In Bethlehem, a town so small and poor,
A child was born to Mary, pure and fair.
This blessed babe, the Son of God, was sure
To bring salvation, love, and mercy rare.

The angels sang, and shepherds came to see
This newborn king, in stable low and mean.
Three wise men, led by a bright star, did flee
To offer gifts, and worship on their knees.

This holy child, so pure and innocent,
Was sent to save us all from sin and death.
He lived and loved and healed with great intent,
And willingly submitted to his earthly death.

But death could not contain him, as was plain,
For he rose again, and lives forevermore.
He brings salvation, hope, and joy, and reigns
As Lord of all, forever and always.

---

Version 4

The Christmas story, as told in the Bible,
Is one of joy and love, a miracle true:
It starts with Mary, chosen by the Lord
To be the mother of His only son,
A son who would redeem the world from sin.

The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary
And told her she would bear a son, and he
Would be the savior of the world, a king
Descended from the line of David, great.
Mary, though frightened, knew that this was right,
And so she said, "I am the Lord's servant.
May it be to me as you have said.”

The time came for Mary to give birth, and so
She and her husband Joseph traveled far
To Bethlehem, the city of David's birth.
But when they arrived, they found no room
In any inn, and so they had to stay
In a stable, where the baby Jesus lay.

The shepherds, watching over their sheep by night,
Were startled by a bright and shining light,
And saw an angel, who told them the news
Of Jesus' birth, and said, "Do not be afraid.
I bring you tidings of great joy today:
A savior has been born in Bethlehem, a boy.”

The shepherds went to see the baby Jesus,
And when they saw him lying in the manger,
They knew that this was the son of God, and so
They spread the word throughout the countryside.
And so it was that Christmas came to be
A day of joy and celebration, free
From sin and sorrow, as the world rejoiced
In the birth of Jesus, our beloved Lord.

---

Version 5

The Christmas story, as told in the Bible, is a tale of hope and redemption. It begins with the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, in a humble stable in Bethlehem.

Joseph and Mary, betrothed in marriage,
Were traveling to the town of David's line
When Mary, heavy with the child she'd carry,
Was forced to stop and give the baby time.

And so, in poverty and low estate,
The Son of God was born, a lowly king.
But though His birth was humble and sedate,
His purpose was to save the world, and bring

Salvation to all those who would believe.
For He was sent to be the sacrifice,
To bear the weight of sin upon His sleeve
And through His death, bring us to paradise.

And so the Christmas story, full of grace,
Brings hope and joy to all who seek His face.