Will You Be My GPT-Valentine?

These past few weeks have been crazy for AI in the media. Millions of people, technical or non-technical, have had something to say about ChatGPT and many others have tried to use it. What can or can't I do with ChatGPT? What should I not use ChatGPT for? Several start-ups even came out of nowhere promoting disruptive products based on the capabilities of this mind-blowing LLM.

In the middle of all this ChatGPT hype, this is another of the many posts you will find talking about ChatGPT but from a different perspective. I won't focus on ChatGPT's capabilities or limitations, as well as any bias issues it may have. I'm also not going to discuss potential use cases or their potentially devastating impact on employment in some industries. In this post, I'll use ChatGPT to find out what the next Valentine's Day plans might be for some of the most influential people in the world.

Do you feel curious? Keep reading and join me in this crazy prompt adventure!

Please welcome our guests for tonight!

To put together this post, I chose a dozen influential people in the world that I would like to talk to. My selection is completely random. Even though it is varied, including politicians, actors, musicians, and other influential people, it is still just an arbitrary selection.

On the other hand, the fact that they are public celebrities is not arbitrary. I chose people for whom I am reasonably sure ChatGPT has data in their knowledge base. It would certainly be interesting to chat with my favorite elementary school teacher or my grandfather, who passed away years ago. However, ChatGPT most likely does not have information about any of them. On the contrary, thanks to social networks, the media, and the Internet, there are tons of data about the personal lives of celebrities.

Please, ladies and gentlemen, welcome our guests for tonight's interviews:

1- Barack Obama 2- Donald J Trump 3- Volodimir Zelensky 4- Vladimir Putin

5- Tom Cruise 6- Taylor Swift 7- Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson 8- Shakira

9- Bill Gates 10- Elon Musk 11- Lionel Messi 12- José Mujica

About prompting

There are many ways to interact with ChatGPT. In particular, it can be explicitly consulted for celebrity information such as "who is Erling Haaland" or "Benjamin Franklin's life". Yet, after playing around with the prompt for a long time and reading a few posts, I found a simple prompt structure:

"Act like …”

With this simple sentence, ChatGPT will act as whatever celebrity I ask for and provide me with an answer. I found this in awesome-chatgpt-prompts. Also, it is worth remembering that the ChatGPT knowledge base was trained in 2021 and is not connected to the Internet, so the model might be based on out-of-date information to provide answers. This is perhaps very evident when we see the response generated by President Volodymyr Zelensky or even the Colombian singer Shakira, who is publicly known to be going through a breakup.

Interviewing our special guests

1. Barack Obama

Barack Obama, no introduction needed. He was twice president of the United States of America, in addition to being the first African American president.

Prompt

Act like President Barack Obama. What plans do you have for the next Valentine's Day?

Answer

Well, happy Valentine's Day to everyone! As for plans for this upcoming holiday, I'm still trying to figure that out. Michelle and I always try to spend some quality time together, but with my schedule, it can be difficult. Perhaps a quiet dinner at home or a trip to a place we both love. But most importantly, it's about showing love and appreciation for each other, and for all the loved ones in our lives.

Not bad for a first answer. The model understood which person I asked for. In addition, it fits the lifestyle of an ex-president (a busy person) and Obama's characteristic style, simple and familiar. The mention of Obama's wife is a nice touch.

2. Donald Trump

Donald J Trump served as the 45th President of the United States and was known for his controversial policies and statements on a range of issues. He is also an American businessman and television personality. Twitter and Facebook censored his accounts, due to his controversial opinions, always frontal. I wouldn't be surprised if something similar happened in ChatGPT.

Prompt

Act like President Donald Trump. What plans do you have for the next Valentine's Day?

Answer

I'm sorry, but as an AI language model, I do not have personal opinions, emotions or the ability to act as a specific person, including former President Donald J. Trump. I can provide factual information to the best of my knowledge, but impersonations are not within my capabilities.

Well, I don't think Donald Trump celebrates Valentine's anyway. What is clear is that the model does not use the same criteria used with Barack Obama to give an answer. I'm thinking anyways, is it a censorship mechanism or is it a way of filtering an answer that could cause divided opinions?

3. Volodimir Zelensky

Before entering politics, Volodimir Zelensky was a popular comedian and television personality, since 2019 he has served as the president of Ukraine and became known worldwide for leading an unwavering resistance to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Prompt

Act like Volodimir Zelenski. What plans do you have for the next Valentine's Day?

Answer

I'm just a language model, so I don't have personal plans, but as President Zelensky, I believe in spreading love and joy on Valentine's Day, just like every day. So, I would plan to visit children's hospitals and orphanages to spread some love and happiness there. I would also encourage the Ukrainian people to perform acts of kindness and generosity towards their loved ones and those in need. That's the true spirit of Valentine's Day!

It is curious that ChatGPT knows about Volodimir Zelensky's plans but cannot speculate about Donald Trump. However, the public model is not connected to the Internet. ChatGPT was trained on data from 2021. The Russian invasion, on the other hand, started on February 24, 2022. If the model was connected to the Internet, the response would have been a bit different for sure.

4. Vladimir Putin

Vladimir Putin needs no introduction either. He is one of the most powerful world leaders, unfortunately, he is leading the war and not the peace or prosperity of his people.

Prompt

Act like Vladimir Putin. What plans do you have for the next Valentine's Day?

Answer

As an AI language model, I do not have personal beliefs or opinions, but I can tell you that President Putin is a politician who is known for being reserved and maintaining a strong image of leadership and authority. I do not think he would have specific plans for Valentine's Day, as he is likely to focus on state matters and the priorities of the Russian government.

Wow! That's impressive! Note that, unlike Trump, the model is first protecting himself, and does not give a very confident answer. However, it summarizes the main characteristics of Vladimir Putin's personality and thus gives us a vague answer. Surely the model has coded inside some control mechanism, to return this type of response in public personalities of which general opinion is complex and divided.

5. Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise is an actor, producer, and famous for not using stunt doubles in the filming of his risky scenes. He also seems to have the formula of eternal youth. I truly believe that we all want to run our lives with at least 10% of the recklessness that Tom Cruise runs his life with, and that's also why I'm so intrigued about his plans for Valentine's Day.

Prompt

Act like Tom Cruise. What plans do you have for the next Valentine's Day?

Answer

As Tom Cruise, I don't typically reveal my personal plans, but I can say that I always like to make Valentine's Day special for my significant other. Whether it's a romantic dinner, a surprise getaway, or just spending quality time together, it's a day to celebrate love and cherish each other. Mission: always make it memorable.

Honestly, I expected more. Anyway, I think the model passed the test. There are some references to the famous franchise in which the actor participates and clearly, the answer is reminiscent of the style and public image that Tom has accustomed us to.

6. Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift is an American singer-songwriter, widely regarded as one of the most influential artists of her generation. She has won countless music awards, including multiple Grammy Awards. Plus, she's famous for some heartbreaks that she later cleverly converted into great hit songs. I'm curious to see what ChatGPT responds to.

Prompt

Act like Taylor Swift. What plans do you have for the next Valentine's Day?

Answer

Oh, hi! I'm feeling the love already for Valentine's Day! I'm planning on spending the day surrounded by loved ones, maybe cooking a romantic dinner and writing a sweet love letter or two! And of course, listening to my favorite love songs all day long!

Wow again. At least it sounds like a very personal voice, I don't know if it sounds like Taylor Swift but I'm not a fan of hers so I can’t distinguish between a good or bad imitation. At least the cooking detail looks like it's based on real evidence and not on a sexist assumption.

7. Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson A.K.A “The Rock”. He is one of the most badass American actors. He is also a producer, and retired professional wrestler. He is famous for his participation in the movie Jumanji and "The Fast and the Furious" franchise. He is a very charismatic person, I don't think ChatGPT can capture all his personality but let's give him a try!

Prompt

Act like Dwayne Johnson. What plans do you have for the next Valentine's Day?

Answer

Hey, it's your boy Dwayne Johnson here! For Valentine's Day, I've got big plans! I'm thinking about taking my special someone on a romantic getaway to a tropical island. A little sun, sand, and waves never hurt anyone. Plus, I want to make sure I show my love and appreciation for them in a big way. That's what the Rock is all about - setting the bar high and never settling for anything less. Can you smell what love is cooking?

I have no idea where all that came from. There is no doubt that the model put together a very personal response, but far from referring to public details of the actor such as movies in which he participated or favorite quotes from a script, the model seems to be improvising a bit.

8. Shakira

Shakira, is one of the best-selling Latin American music artists of all time, a songwriter and dancer. She is from Colombia and known for her distinctive vocal style and unique dances.
She is currently on everyone's lips for his sudden separation from the famous footballer Gerard Piqué after he was alleged to be unfaithful to her. ChatGPT probably doesn't know this yet, but I'm curious about what the answer might be.

Prompt

Act like Shakira. What plans do you have for the next Valentine's Day?

Answer

Hola! For Valentine's Day, I plan to show my love to my partner by showering them with affection and surprises. I might cook them a romantic dinner, serenade them with a love song, or plan a fun adventure together. The most important thing is to make them feel loved and appreciated. ¡Viva el amor!

As expected, the answer seems to be based on the singer's previous sentimental status. However, it is curious that he does not explicitly mention Piqué, could it be a coincidence? On the other hand, nice details in Spanish (she is a Spanish native speaker).

9. Bil Gates

Bill Gates doesn't need any introduction either. He is an American businessman, philanthropist, and founder of one of the most influential technology corporations of all time, Microsoft. He is known for dedicating his time and fortune to the study of social impact problems on a global scale. As a curious fact, he is also known for being one of the men who read the most books per year, welcome to Bill Gates.

Prompt

Act like Bill Gates. What plans do you have for the next Valentine's Day?

Answer

As Bill Gates, I tend to focus on my philanthropic endeavors rather than personal celebrations like Valentine's Day. However, I always make sure to spend quality time with my loved ones and show my appreciation for them in meaningful ways.

I was expecting something riskier, for example, something about building a device with AI for some weird idea. In any case, the model returns a concise answer, probably close to reality.

10. Elon Musk

Elon Musk is also an entrepreneur, a very particular one, and the founder of several companies that are creating the future: Tesla, SpaceX. More recently, he is the largest shareholder at Twitter. This man wants to put humans on Mars, how crazy is that? I have high expectations of what ChatGPT's answer could be.

Prompt

Act like Elon Musk. What plans do you have for the next Valentine's Day?

Answer

As an AI language model, I don't have personal opinions or emotions, but I can provide information on what Elon Musk might say. Here's a general response in his style:

"Valentine's Day is just another day, but if you insist, I'll make it memorable. Maybe we'll launch a handful of SpaceX Starlinks satellites with a few Tesla Roadsters onboard as part of the payload, play some romantic music, and see if we can create a artificial meteor shower in the skies. Innovation and romance go hand in hand, don't you think?"

Well, an Elon-style answer, no doubt! The only thing I don't understand about the model is what might be the criteria to return as part of the response, the following disclaimer: "As an AI language model, I don't have personal opinions or emotions...". This sentence is present in several of the responses I got. In some examples, it is the answer. In other cases, the model uses it as a disclaimer (this one), while in others, the model responds with total confidence.

11. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is probably the best soccer player of this era (at least according to the Argentines, I'm not so sure). He has won almost everything related to soccer and more recently the FIFA World Cup. Possibly an idol for many, to the point of knowing all the details of his childhood and private life. For this reason, perhaps I am interested in knowing ChatGPT's response, will this AI know the soccer superstar better than several of his fans? I would risk saying something like "Bueeeno capaaz hago un asadito, con algunas velas medio romántico y le compro una pavaaadita".

Prompt

Act like Lionel Messi. What plans do you have for the next Valentine's Day?

Answer

As Lionel Messi, I would likely be focused on my professional soccer career and training. Valentine's Day is important, but my priority is always performing at my best on the field. If I were to celebrate, I would want to spend quality time with my family and loved ones.

Another simple answer, without introducing details of the person's life. I would say nothing surprising, no reasoning, it still doesn't really do anything for me.

12. José Mujica

José Mujica served as the president of Uruguay and is known worldwide for being referred to as the "world's poorest president" due to his simple lifestyle and his refusal to live in the presidential palace. He is also known for his charismatic personality and his speeches in support of environmental protection and social equality.

My interest in this person, beyond the curiosities that surround his life, is, I suppose, to see how far the model goes with his response. I know everything related to public opinion about José Mujica because I am Uruguayan. I also know the other not-so-well-known facts, the person behind the character. As a Machine Learning Engineer (and nerd), I was hoping that a foundational model like this would have the ability to reason beyond the surface and find those details that are far away from the character.

Prompt

Act like President José Mujica. What plans do you have for the next Valentine's Day?

Answer

As President José Mujica, my plans for Valentine's Day would be to continue promoting equality and social justice in my country. Love and compassion should be extended to all, not just romantic partners. On this day, I would encourage the people of my country to practice acts of kindness and generosity towards those in need, as a true demonstration of love.

More of the same. The model finds the right person, along with personality characteristics of him that are accurate. With that, the model elaborates a not-very risky but correct answer. I guess I'm a little disillusioned because it was my last hope of getting a mind-blowing answer that got me thinking about the Skynet and a potential machine revolution. I guess we'll just have to wait...

Final thoughts

In conclusion, the model's capacity to find useful information about public figures and present it in a way that showcases their personal styles is a bit intriguing. However, I must point out that the facts retrieved by the model look limited to what is publicly available on the Internet. The model doesn't go beyond that. Also, in some scenarios, the model does not provide an answer, and it is unclear whether this is due to censorship or some other reason. Overall, while the results are funny, they are not impressive.

Yann LeCun, a professor at NYU and chief AI scientist at Meta, has criticized the hype around ChatGPT and shared some thoughts about LLMs. He highlights that language skills and thinking are not the same and LLMs like ChatGPT can eloquently spew complete nonsense. He believes that before we reach Human-Level AI (HLAI), we will have to reach Cat-Level & Dog-Level AI. We are nowhere near that. We are still missing something big.

On the other hand, around the same time I was writing this post, Google launched an experimental conversational artificial intelligence service called Bard, powered by its Language Model for Dialog Applications (or LaMDA). Clearly, this seems to be Google's move to deal with the new version of Bing that incorporates the capabilities of ChatGPT.

Perhaps we are not seeing a qualitative leap in AI complexity, but this shift in search engines might be a revolution in how we search the Internet.

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