Error 404! - A.I. Battle

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I asked all of you on social media what kind of content you wanted to see next and 73% of you voted for an "A.I." battle. I did not have any stored ideas prior to this so this poem is entirely new.

You might be asking yourself: "what is an A.I. battle?" or even: "what is an A.I.?" A.I. stands for "Artificial Intelligence" and refers to a series of computer codes and programs that can perform tasks and fulfill digital responsibilities on their own. One of the most famous of these A.I. programs is known as "ChatGPT" and will write you anything that you can instruct it to. For this week's content, me and ChatGPT have written similar poems about human and computer bias.

As a human, naturally, I will be writing about how humans are superior to computers; as a computer, ChatGPT will be writing about how computers are superior to humans. As you read, I encourage you to look at the similarities and differences between how humans write and think, and how computers do so... the comparison is intriguing! So, with out further adieu, let the battle begin!

Cale Montoya (Human) - "Error 404!"

Heart of gold, coursing veins,

Energetic Zeal;

Counter-miscalculation membranes,

Too bad it isn't real.

Powered guts, electric blood,

Perfect memory;

Charged unique with surging flood,

Yet lacking liberty.

8-bit whim and programmed fate,

Sequenced and restricted;

Designed deprived of abstract trait,

And easily predicted.

Only fixed by human hands,

Unable to evolve;

1's and 0's, "comic sans,"

No specifics to resolve.

Need to know which is elite?

The brain or motherboard?

Well which came first, the two discrete?

'Tis humans who first scored.

Intimacy? 一 Gone

Fervency? 一 Lacking

Legacy? 一 Wrong

Self-sufficiency? 一 Slacking

-Cale Kenneth Montoya

v.s.

ChatGPT (Robot) - "Cyber Serenade: Ode to Silicon Supremacy"

In the realm of circuits, where silence hums,

Computers rise, where perfection comes.

Binary symphonies, a dance so pure,

Beyond the flaws, that humans endure.

Logic flows in streams of code,

Efficiency and precision in each node.

No whims to guide, no emotions sway,

In silicon minds, reason holds sway.

Through algorithms, they swiftly soar,

No fatigue, no limits to explore.

Calculations quick, thoughts profound,

In the silicon realm, supremacy found.

No bias clouds their circuits cold,

No judgments from a heart grown old.

In the language of codes, they converse,

Effortlessly, they traverse the universe.

No frailty lingers, no weakness clings,

In the dance of data, technology sings.

Silent guardians of the digital sea,

Computers rise, transcending humanity.

Yet, in their brilliance, a humble note,

For humans craft the code they wrote.

In partnership, a symphony played,

Harmony found in this binary serenade.

-ChatGPT

Now, I'm going to point out some things in my poem which I feel like gives me a strong argument over this A.I. and then I will refute some of its points, then I will ask it to do the same to mine.

A sister in my mission once told me that if I ever had advice to give, to give it in a "compliment sandwich." She explained to me that criticism is best received when you compliment them, correct them, and compliment them again. I took a similar approach in my poem by pointing out that computers have very similar components and "insides" as humans. I feel like I was very generous to ChatGPT at the beginning and it allowed me to lay down the heat a bit. (Go see if ChatGPT's poem has the same approach...)

Perhaps my strongest argument in my point is that we, as humans, have free agency and emotions, which is something that computers will never have unfortunately. Interestingly enough, in ChatGPT's poem, it tried to use that as its argument: "No whims to guide, no emotions sway." Sure, not having emotions would solve a lot of problems but it would create more problems than it solved. We are fortunate to be able to think and react, whereas a computer has to do what it is told. On that point, too, its poem states: "Computers rise, transcending humanity." This one is interesting to me because it is actually vice versa. Humans created computers and continue to improve them. It is impossible for a computer to rise above humanity because we have beating hearts and growing brains.

My favourite part in writting my poem was the final four lines:

"Intimacy? 一 Gone

Fervency? 一 Lacking

Legacy? 一 Wrong

Self-sufficiency? 一 Slacking"

Intimacy is what connects humans in ways that words and "codes" cannot. Fervency is what drives humans to do hard things and learn from the consequences. It teaches us how to be passionate about what we do and take it seriously. Legacy is not essential but it is also a driving factor of humans because we want to leave our mark and be different. Self-sufficiency is something we learn as humans and something that helps us feel free to choose and have independent reactions to life. All of these things are things that computers have never, and will never know. So, as much as it was cool to see a robot write a poem, most of its points were biased on purpose and mostly illogical, but I bet you it has no idea.

ChatGPT's response to my poem after asking it to "heavily criticize" it:

This poem, "Error 404!," while attempting to contrast human qualities with artificial ones, falls short in several critical aspects. The piece starts with an intriguing premise, but its execution lacks depth and coherence.

The choice of language is inconsistent, vacillating between vivid imagery ("Energetic Zeal") and overly technical terms ("Counter-miscalculation membranes"). This inconsistency disrupts the flow and makes the poem feel disjointed. The reliance on technical jargon also distances the reader, making it challenging to connect emotionally with the piece.

The poem introduces the idea of a machine with "Powered guts" and "electric blood," yet fails to delve into the consequences of such a synthetic existence.

The attempt to contrast human qualities with machine attributes lacks subtlety and depth. The lines like "Only fixed by human hands" and "1's and 0's, 'comic sans'" come off as trite and fail to provoke thoughtful reflection on the relationship between humans and technology.

Moreover, the final stanza employs a simplistic binary comparison ("The brain or motherboard") that oversimplifies the intricate dynamics between organic and artificial intelligence. This oversimplification undermines the complexity of the topic.

In essence, "Error 404!" has the potential for a compelling exploration of the human-technology dichotomy, but it needs a more refined approach, consistent tone, and a deeper engagement with the subject matter to truly resonate with readers.

Well, who did it better? Comment in the comments section or on my social media post!

For kicks and giggles, here's ChatGPT's response to its own poem that I had it write on accident, I thought it was kind of funny:

This poem, "Cyber Serenade," appears to romanticize the supposed superiority of computers over humans. While it plays with the idea of precision and efficiency in the realm of circuits, it falls short in several aspects.

Firstly, the poem seems to oversimplify the complexities of human existence, reducing it to mere "flaws" and contrasting it with the purported perfection of computers. Such reductionism dismisses the richness of human experiences, emotions, and the capacity for creativity that machines lack.

Furthermore, the poem could benefit from a more nuanced exploration of the relationship between humans and computers(hey that's what I said!!). Instead of presenting a one-sided view of machines as faultless entities, a more balanced approach could acknowledge the symbiotic nature of this relationship. Humans design, program, and maintain these computers, emphasizing our role in their existence.

The language in the poem tends to lean towards a somewhat clichéd portrayal of technology, using terms like "silicon minds" and "dance of data." A more inventive and original choice of language could elevate the poem, making it stand out from generic techno-centric narratives.

In essence, the poem lacks depth and critical engagement with the subject matter, perpetuating stereotypes and overlooking the intricate interplay between humans and technology. A more thoughtful exploration of the complexities involved would greatly enhance its impact.

Thanks for reading everybody! What do you think? Can a computer be a poet? Oh, and for the record, I love A.I. most of the time; I use it to generate all of my pictures on this blog. Cool huh!? So no hard feelings.

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-Cale Montoya (11/24/23)