Beloved British astronomer Man Ottewell originally published this piece about AI at his website on May 10, 2023. Reprinted with permission. Edits by EarthSky.
Synthetic intelligence … increase
There’s been quite a lot of discuss synthetic intelligence, aka AI. There’s concern that it’s going to displace human beings. For instance, it could compose texts and music, that are mentioned to be indistinguishable from what people can do. It’s turn out to be recognized that a lot of what AI spews out may very well be libel, or propaganda, or pseudoscience and/or different misinformation. Listed here are some ideas on the topic, an experiment, and the outcomes of a probe.
To date, there hasn’t been a lot try to clarify how synthetic intelligence differs from the remainder of computing. From my very own expertise with computing, I think it’s based mostly on writing packages that be taught from their very own outcomes. For instance, if equation one produces extra fulfilled predictions than equation two, drop equation two. And, what’s extra, AI makes use of large language, or monumental portions of digitized textual content that it could search and evaluate.
Now, there’s an entity (presumably consisting of people) known as OpenAI. And OpenAI has created ChatGPT, a digital robotic you could strive, and that may chat with you and reply questions.
An experiment with AI
Larry Bohlayer, creator of the favored annual lunar calendar offered by EarthSky and others, is a pal of mine. He despatched me an article – from Standard Mechanics, a overview of an article within the journal Historical Mesoamerica – about one thing he knew I had taken an curiosity in. That’s the complicated calendar programs of the traditional Maya tradition of central America. Among the many many cycles in these programs is one among 819 days. And that 819-day cycle had lengthy puzzled students. However now, they’ve realized that if 20 of those 819-day cycles are thought of, making 45 years, there are correlations with the durations of the planets. Plus, I remembered that 20 is the favourite issue utilized by the Maya of their a number of programs.
Then, Larry did an experiment, he requested ChatGPT to judge the article he had despatched me.
So, the robotic answered with 324 phrases. It listed an internet site, an internet instrument and three books concerning the Maya calendar, which it will need to have present in its large-language database. The paragraphs about these 5 gadgets learn like, and possibly are, the authors’ or publishers’ blurbs about them. “This e book offers a complete overview,” and many others.
Basically, the bot instructed Larry to go and skim the books himself and make up his personal thoughts concerning the 819-day cycle.
The Maya calendar prediction
One of many books was Maya Cosmogenesis 2012: The True Meaning of the Maya Calendar End-Date by John Main Jenkins. This, revealed in 1998, was based mostly on the debunked concept that the tip of one of many cycles, on December 20, 2012, amounted to a prediction by the Mayans, after they arrange their calendar round 200 AD, that the world would finish on December 20, 2012. Certainly, you would possibly recall the hoopla round that date, at the moment.
Later, after visiting the Maya temples, and making the duvet portray for Astronomical Calendar 2010, I summed up the many ridiculous aspects of that scare story here.
Synthetic intelligence probe of Man Ottewell
Then, Larry had enjoyable asking the chatbot about me. It discovered bits of my very own blurbs about my Astronomical Calendar; and I used to be delighted to seek out that on every part else I used to be protected from it. It mentioned I used to be born in 1932, studied on the College of London, dwell in Connecticut (all wildly extensive off the mark). After which, it gave me credit score for publications by different individuals, and journal contributions that I hadn’t made. Plus, there have been a number of awards that I wasn’t conscious of receiving.
So, decide for your self the space remaining between synthetic intelligence and the mind.
Backside line: Beloved astronomer Man Ottewell weighs in on synthetic intelligence. Apparently what ChatGPT reported about him to a pal isn’t correct. However it’s entertaining!
Read more: Meet ChatGPT, your new AI best friend
