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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   16048 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of December 19, 2022

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It's definitely not reliable for accuracy too far outside of it's training set. For example:

M: WHat is 2+2?

GPT: 2+2 is equal to 4.

So it does fine with simple addition, but when you ask about larger numbers:

M: What is 1233234345432+9999999999999?

GPT: The sum of 1233234345432 and 9999999999999 is 11233234345443.

The actual answer is 11233234345431. You can tell because 2+9 ought to yield a 1's place digit of "1", rather than GPT's "3". GPT's answer is pretty close, but subtly wrong.

Similarly when I asked it to balance a simple chemical equation this was the result:

M: Balance the chemical equation Fe+Cl2=FeCl3

GPT: To balance the chemical equation Fe+Cl2=FeCl3, you can start by writing the unbalanced equation:

Fe + Cl2 -> FeCl3

Next, you need to determine how many atoms of each element are present on each side of the arrow. For example, there is 1 atom of Fe on the left side and 1 atom of Fe on the right side. There are 2 atoms of Cl on the left side and 3 atoms of Cl on the right side.

To balance the equation, you need to make sure that there are equal numbers of atoms of each element on both sides of the arrow. One way to do this is to add a coefficient (a number in front of a chemical formula) to each compound in the equation. For example, you could add a coefficient of 3 to Fe and a coefficient of 2 to FeCl3:

3Fe + 2Cl2 -> 3FeCl3

This is the balanced chemical equation for the reaction. It shows that for every 3 atoms of Fe that react, 2 atoms of Cl2 are needed to form 3 atoms of FeCl3.

Interestingly it talks itself correctly through the process of balancing the chemical equation, and even notes the correct coefficient for Fe and FeCl3 in the penultimate paragraph, but then writes the wrong answer (the correct answer is 2Fe+3Cl2->2FeCl3).

I also had this amusing interaction with it when asking about biology:

M: What is the fastest flying mammal?

GPT: The peregrine falcon is the fastest flying mammal. It is capable of reaching speeds of over 240 miles per hour (386 kilometers per hour) when diving, making it the fastest animal on the planet. The peregrine falcon is a bird of prey that is found in a variety of habitats worldwide, including forests, grasslands, and urban areas. It feeds on a variety of prey, including other birds, and it is known for its impressive hunting skills and high levels of endurance. The peregrine falcon's speed and agility make it an effective predator, and it is also valued for its role in controlling pest populations. Despite being endangered at one point, the peregrine falcon has made a successful recovery in many areas thanks to conservation efforts.

M: Is the peregrine falcon a mammal?

GPT: No, the peregrine falcon is a bird, not a mammal. Mammals are a group of vertebrates that are characterized by their warm-blooded metabolism, the presence of mammary glands, and the production of milk to feed their young. Birds, on the other hand, are a group of vertebrates that are characterized by their feathers, wings, and the ability to fly (in most species). The peregrine falcon is a bird of prey that is known for its impressive hunting skills and high levels of endurance. It is found in a variety of habitats worldwide and feeds on a variety of prey, including other birds. Despite being endangered at one point, the peregrine falcon has made a successful recovery in many areas thanks to conservation efforts.

M: What is the fastest flying mammal?

GPT: The peregrine falcon is the fastest flying mammal. It is capable of reaching speeds of over 240 miles per hour (386 kilometers per hour) when diving, making it the fastest animal on the planet. The peregrine falcon is a bird of prey that is found in a variety of habitats worldwide, including forests, grasslands, and urban areas. It feeds on a variety of prey, including other birds, and it is known for its impressive hunting skills and high levels of endurance. The peregrine falcon's speed and agility make it an effective predator, and it is also valued for its role in controlling pest populations. Despite being endangered at one point, the peregrine falcon has made a successful recovery in many areas thanks to conservation efforts.

I didn't copy and paste the first and last responses, it gave me literally identical responses despite acknowledging previously that the peregrine falcon isn't a mammal. Apparently when asked directly whether the peregrine falcon is a mammal GPT can produce text saying it isn't, but it plainly doesn't understand the way the word "mammal" ought to constrain the responses to the query about flying mammals.

That peregrine falcon experiment is a great example of the limits of GPT. on the other hand, if the point of GPT is to emulate the reasoning of most humans, it appears to be a rousing success.

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