5.5.2 A Pragmatic View of Chatbots: Part 2
Can Chatbots be ‘Creative’?
The cynical answer to this question is that they cannot ‘be‘ anything. However, a pragmatic approach to analysis and learning requires that we undertake inquires to inform our thinking. One empirical way to address the question is to prompt the machine to generate the kind of texts that we normally associate with human creativity.
The aim of the ‘creative’ excursions below was not to generate answers to be judged by their truth or falsity. I wished to experience the output. In the Boolean Logic Gate Jive, for example, ask yourself how entertaining are the metaphors associated with computation of zeros and ones. How does listening to the songs make you feel? Do you want to dance when you hear it, as I have seen others do? Naturally the outputs can also be judged by their facticity. You can ask secondary questions such as are the metaphors accurate and are they of any pedagogical value?
Song List
I have used an AI systems to generate song lyrics and associated music, partly for my own amusement. I also wished to examine for myself how lyrics could be created on topics where there might be little precedent. They are also for the satirical entertainment and edification of Mike Hicks and the co-authors of the ‘ChatGPT is Bullshit‘ paper. I hope these songs make the pragmatic point that AI output need not always be judged by what many might refer to as a ‘truth value’ or what we Dewey-inspired pragmatists refer to as ‘warranted assertability’. Lyrics, music and accompanying images are available on the following pages.
The Language Game Blues (Philosophy of Language)
Boolean Logic Gate Jive (Computer Science)
Pragmatism Blues (The Pragmatic Philosophical Stance)
The Old Smoker Blues (About the suffering caused by tobacco smoking)
Forth Bridge Lament (Historical reference to death and injury in the construction of the Forth Bridge)
The Implantation Blues (A biomedical song about the earliest weeks of human life)
Lighthearted MRI Report (Old song with Lute, Recorders and Tabor)
A Scots Dialect Poem about Chatbots in the Style of Robert Burns
The AI generated poem, Address to an Algorithm was created in the style of ‘Address to a Haggis’ by Robert Burns. As I am not a creative person, I was very curious to know how the task could be undertaken. I was really entertained by the output and was also pleased to see others laugh.
A Gallery of AI Images Generated from AI-generated Text Prompts
I wished to created images relevant to chatbots and so thought it appropriate to ask a chatbot to help with the task. I wanted to see a variety of artistic styles and in that sense I was pleased with the output. Click on an image below to go to the gallery and commentary page.
