I have been having fun with, and learning a lot from ChatGPT. It is amazing, and often very helpful. I use it for finding information, not for doing writing for me. Though I know people who use Chats to write for them, I don’t do that. That’s because I like to write for myself, and I think it’s plagiarism to use a Chat without giving credit.
Also, I don’t use it for business or academic work because it makes mistakes: errors and hallucinations. If accuracy is important, you have to factcheck everything. I am using version 3.5. There are now more advanced versions. Maybe the errors and hallucinations have been fixed, but I doubt it. Last I heard, they didn’t know why the chatbot did those things.
In this Jack’s Journal article, I am going to give you three examples of its mistakes and hallucinations. This is just for fun; I am not complaining. I think the Ai is a miracle, and that what it does and can do is amazing. It’s just not perfect, that’s all. Not yet. And the examples are (to me) interesting; I like speculating on why it does what it does.
Please note that I did not try to trick Chat into making mistakes, though some mean people do that. It’s called “jailbreaking.” I don’t know why.
First Example: The Leesburg Stockade Girls
My wife read a short article somewhere about the Leesburg stockade girls, and told me about it. I wanted more information and so asked ChatGPT to do the following:
Please tell me about the Leesburg Stockade Girls. Also, is the stockade still there? Why are the survivors so forgiving? Why was this kept so quiet from the public?
Here’s the reply, which came instantly:
ChatGPT
The Leesburg Stockade Girls were a group of African American teenage girls who played a significant role in the civil rights movement in the United States. Their story is both a testament to the strength and resilience of the individuals involved and a reminder of the struggles for civil rights in the 1960s.
Background: In 1963, during the height of the civil rights movement, a group of about 30 young African American girls, some as young as 12 years old, were arrested and detained in a stockade in Leesburg, Georgia. They had participated in a nonviolent protest against racial segregation and discrimination in Americus, Georgia. The girls were arrested for their involvement in the movement, and their detention in a stockade was an attempt to suppress the civil rights demonstrations.
Conditions in the Stockade: The conditions in the Leesburg Stockade were harsh and deplorable. The girls were held in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, with inadequate food and bedding. They endured extreme heat during the day and cold nights, as well as threats and intimidation from law enforcement officials.
Release and Aftermath: After approximately a week of detention, public pressure and the involvement of civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), led to the release of the Leesburg Stockade Girls. Their detention had garnered national attention, and the injustice they faced highlighted the broader struggle for civil rights in the South.
Forgiveness and Legacy: One remarkable aspect of the Leesburg Stockade Girls’ story is the forgiveness displayed by many of the survivors and their families. Despite the hardships and injustices they endured, some of the girls and their families chose to focus on reconciliation and healing rather than seeking revenge or retribution.
Forgiveness, in the context of the civil rights movement, was often rooted in the philosophy of nonviolence and the belief in the possibility of change. Many civil rights activists, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., emphasized the importance of forgiveness as a means to break the cycle of hatred and violence.
Secrecy and Public Awareness: The relative secrecy surrounding the Leesburg Stockade Girls’ detention was not uncommon during the civil rights era. Local authorities often sought to suppress news of civil rights protests and the mistreatment of activists, fearing that publicity would galvanize the movement.
It was only through the efforts of civil rights organizations, the national media, and the determination of those involved in the struggle that stories like that of the Leesburg Stockade Girls came to light. The civil rights movement relied on exposing such injustices to the broader public to build momentum for change and garner support for the cause.
In retrospect, the Leesburg Stockade Girls’ story serves as a poignant reminder of the courage of young activists and the sacrifices they made in the pursuit of civil rights and equality in the United States. Their resilience and willingness to forgive are part of the legacy of the civil rights movement, which continues to inspire people to work towards a more just and inclusive society.
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I then wrote this:
Very helpful. However, it is said the girls were there for two months, whereas you said one week.
ChatGPT
I apologize for the discrepancy in the timeline. You are correct; the Leesburg Stockade Girls were indeed detained for a longer period, approximately two months, rather than one week. The conditions of their detention, which included overcrowding, inadequate facilities, and harsh treatment, persisted throughout this extended period. Their endurance and the subsequent exposure of their plight played a crucial role in shedding light on the injustices faced by civil rights activists during that era.
Thank you for pointing out the correction, and I appreciate your understanding.
I then wrote this:
Is it true that a photographer found them and publicized the imprisonment leading to their release?
ChatGPT
Yes, it is true that a photographer played a significant role in publicizing the imprisonment of the Leesburg Stockade Girls, which ultimately led to their release and drew national attention to their plight.
During their detention in the Leesburg Stockade in 1963, a photographer named Danny Lyon learned about the situation. Lyon was a photographer and civil rights activist who documented various aspects of the civil rights movement in the South. He managed to gain access to the stockade and captured powerful photographs of the young girls in their deplorable conditions.
These photographs, along with Lyon’s documentation of the circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention, were instrumental in bringing the girls’ situation to the attention of the public, civil rights organizations, and the media. The images and reports of their treatment sparked outrage and increased the pressure on local authorities to release them.
The exposure generated by Danny Lyon’s photography helped galvanize support for the civil rights movement and contributed to the broader narrative of the struggle for civil rights in the United States. It is an example of how photography and the media played a crucial role in documenting and raising awareness of civil rights abuses during that era.
I then wrote this
Thank you for your help!
ChatGPT
You’re very welcome! If you have any more questions or need further assistance in the future, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Have a great day!
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Note the errors: Chat said the time of confinement was a week; it was actually two months. And Chat said the girls were freed by Martin Luther King which was not true; they were freed by the efforts of photographer Danny Lloyd.
Note too, that Chat said “Thank you for your understanding.”
Example Two: A Simple Physics Problem
Here’s what I asked of ChatGPT:
Can you solve this problem? Air at 20 psia and 100 F is compressed isothermally to 40 psia. How much work is required per pound of air?
Here is what Chat wrote, almost instantly:
ChatGPT
To solve this problem, we can use the formula for the work done during an isothermal compression of a gas:
W = RT * ln(V2/V1)
Where: W is the work done per pound of air, R is the specific gas constant for air (which is 53.35 ft·lbf/lb·°R), T is the temperature in Rankine, V1 is the initial volume of the air, V2 is the final volume of the air.
First, we need to convert the temperature from Fahrenheit to Rankine: T1 = (100 + 459.67) °R = 559.67 °R
Next, we can calculate the work done per pound of air using the given pressures: W = RT * ln(V2/V1)
Since the process is isothermal, the temperature remains constant: W = R * T1 * ln(V2/V1)
We can use the ideal gas law to find the initial and final volumes: PV = nRT
Assuming a constant number of moles of air (n), we can rearrange the equation to find the volumes: V1 = (P1 * V2) / P2
Substituting the given values: V1 = (20 psia * V2) / 40 psia = 0.5 * V2
Now we can substitute the values into the work formula: W = R * T1 * ln(V2/V1) = 53.35 ft·lbf/lb·°R * 559.67 °R * ln(V2/(0.5 * V2)) = 29,820.3 ft·lbf/lb
Therefore, the work required per pound of air during the isothermal compression is approximately 29,820.3 foot-pounds.
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Then I wrote:
I got 20,700 ft-lb/lb. Am I wrong, or you?
ChatGPT
Apologies for the mistake. Let’s recalculate the work done per pound of air.
Using the same formula for the work done during an isothermal compression:
W = RT * ln(V2/V1)
Given: P1 = 20 psia P2 = 40 psia T1 = 100 °F = 559.67 °R R = 53.35 ft·lbf/lb·°R
Using the ideal gas law to find the volumes: V1 = (P1 * V2) / P2
Substituting the values: V1 = (20 psia * V2) / 40 psia = 0.5 * V2
Now we can calculate the work done per pound of air: W = R * T1 * ln(V2/V1) = 53.35 ft·lbf/lb·°R * 559.67 °R * ln(V2/(0.5 * V2)) = 20,741.56 ft·lbf/lb
Therefore, the correct value for the work required per pound of air during the isothermal compression is approximately 20,741.56 foot-pounds. I apologize for the incorrect response in my previous messages. Thank you for bringing it to my attention, and I appreciate your understanding.
Note the incorrect answer, followed by a correction and a polite apology.
Example Three: A Book Review
Here’s what I asked of ChatGPT:
I am considering reading Leadership by Henry Kissinger. Please write a short review of the book for me.
ChatGPT.
Here’s the reply, which came instantly:
Henry Kissinger’s “Leadership” is a book that explores the qualities of effective leadership by examining the lives of various historical leaders, including Winston Churchill, Mao Zedong, and Charles de Gaulle.
Kissinger argues that successful leadership requires a combination of vision, practicality, and the ability to navigate complex political situations. He emphasizes the importance of a leader’s character, including their integrity, judgment, and ability to inspire and motivate others.
The book also highlights the challenges that leaders face, such as balancing short-term and long-term goals, managing crises, and building alliances. Kissinger stresses that leadership is not a fixed set of traits but is rather a dynamic process that requires ongoing learning and adaptation.
I have now read about half of the book. (It is a huge, captivating history lesson!) Chat’s review is very good, except for this error: the book is not about Winston Churchill and Mao Zedong. It is about Charles de Gaulle, Konrad Adenauer, Richard Nixon, Anwar Sadat, Lee Kwan Yew, and Margaret Thatcher.
What to make of such experiences with ChatGPT Version 3.5?
• It makes occasional errors: the length of imprisonment for the Leesburg Stockade Girls, a numerical error leading to the wrong answer in the little physics problem, and it got the leadership subjects wrong in the Kissinger book. Where did this misinformation come from? Why the errors? Chat had all the main ideas right, but such errors could be important. Was it in too much of a hurry? Or what??
• It is amazing to be able to carry on a conversation with ChatGPT about its errors, and get a correction and an apology.
• It is doubly amazing (to me) that it thanked me for my “understanding”.
Does it really understand the meaning of “understanding” in this context? If so, wow!!
Just Sayin’.
John R. Dixon 