ChatGPT Unveiled: Exploring the Exciting Possibilities of AI Writing

So, let me tell you about this little adventure I had with ChatGPT. You see, there’s this local group I’m part of called the Barony of the Lonely Tower, and we’re about to welcome a new Baron and Baroness. Exciting times, right? Well, they asked for some help in writing award texts for the honors they’ll be giving out during their tenure. Now, here’s the catch—they want to base their personas on those 10th-century Vikings who ventured into Russia. Talk about intriguing!

Now, I must confess, I don’t know much about Vikings, especially the ones who made their way to Russia. But I thought, “Hey, why not take this opportunity to try something completely new?” So, I decided to give ChatGPT a shot and asked it to help me write an award text. But not just any award text—I wanted it to be for a fictional character named ‘John Smith,’ honoring his exceptional sword fighting abilities. And to make things even more interesting, I asked for it to be written in the style of the epic poem Beowulf. I figured this could be a perfect fit for our incoming baronage.

Now, keep in mind, this was my very first time using ChatGPT. I had heard stories about kids getting into all sorts of trouble with it, so I couldn’t help but wonder what my 15-year-old grandson might stumble upon. Fortunately, I’m relieved that my own child is all grown up now, so I don’t have to worry about that anymore.

Anyway, within seconds, I received a reply from ChatGPT. It provided me with the words for a scroll text, crafted in the style of Beowulf. Can you believe it? I was amazed by how quickly it generated something for me, and this is it.

"Harken ye. Hear me praise John Smith.  
With sword in hand, he stands midst, 
the bravest of warriors, bold and true, 
His skill in sword fighting, none can eschew. 

Like Beowulf of old, he wields his sword, 
Through battles won, his fame has soared, 
With swift slashes and masterful thrusts, 
HIs foes he vanquishes, to ashes and dust.

No fear does he show in the heat of fight, 
His courage shines bright in the darkest of night, 
When the enemy approaches with swords sharp and keen, 
John Smith stands ready, a fierce fighting machine.  

So here's to John Smith, a warrior unmatched, 
In sword fighting his prowess is not to be scratched, 
May he continue to shine, with sword in hand, 
And forever reign, as the champion of this land." 

That was totally written by the AI program. While it doesn’t meet SCA requirements. It needs the addition of an introduction by the incoming Baronials, the award’s real name, and the date given to the fictional “John Smith”, but it’s a great start. I didn’t stop there. Remember this is a quest to find out how this bot-thing works.

Next, I asked it to write text for the same ‘John Smith’ for sword fighting but write it in the style of a 15th-century English letters patent. And this is what I promptly received.

“Know all men by these Presents, that John Smith, for his Exemplary sword fighting Ability, is granted the Right and Honor to bear these Arms, to wit: Azure, a Sword Or, its point upwards, between three five-pointed mullets of the second; and for the Crest, a gauntlet Proper, grasping another Sword, all Or. And for his motto, “Semper Fortis,” Ever Strong. In Witness Whereof, we have hereunto set our hands, and affixed the seal of our office, this Twentieth Day of May, Anno Domini, Two Thousand and Twenty Three. “

I know enough about 15th-century English letters patent to recognize the second text is well done. So, I sent the Beowulf poem to my friend HL Nikolai, who happens to be a Herald Extraordinaire. I value his expertise, and I was curious to learn his thoughts.

When Nikolai read the poem, he had an interesting reaction. He described it as “both good and terrible at the same time.” I couldn’t help but agree with him. It was well-written and captured the essence of Beowulf’s style, but it was also a bit comical to see it applied to a fictional character named ‘John Smith.’ We both recognized the creative potential of ChatGPT’s writing abilities, but we also acknowledged the possibilities for misuse by people in the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) or curious teens.

Excited by my discoveries, I decided to share another piece of text with Nikolai. This time, it was the letters patent that Chat GPT had generated. When Nikolai read it, he was blown away! He couldn’t help but praise the “old style” in which the blazon was written. It truly captured the essence of medieval times. Intrigued, we both wondered where ChatGPT had sourced this text. I turned to Google in an attempt to find its origin, but my search yielded no results. Eventually, I went back to my Chat GPT conversation and directly asked where the text came from.

ChatGPT promptly provided an answer. It revealed that the text was inspired by the arms of Sir Thomas Malory, a renowned 15th-century English writer and described in Wikipedia. It was fascinating to see how the bot found the information requested.

As I continued to explore the abilities of this app, I discovered an interesting feature–it would readily share its secrets with you. You could ask the bot how best to accomplish a certain task, such as finding the right words to rewrite or compose a text. For example, you could ask it to explain something like “like I’m a 5th grader” or in a more “textbook style”. If you didn’t quite like the initial result, you could ask it to provide a version with less “flowery” language or a more straightforward, “scientific” approach. Additionally, ChatGPT could help to summarize, outline, list, write titles, and more. It’s a versatile tool that continues to surprise me since I’ve only been using it for a few weeks.

As I continue to play with ChatGPT, I recall its budding creative abilities and the need for responsible usage. While it’s exciting to explore its gifts and push the boundaries of what it can do, we must also be mindful of how it can be misused. It’s important for its users to approach this technology with caution and ensure its proper and ethical application.

With each passing day, I’m learning more about ChatGPT, the Bing app, and both their various features. Who knows what other discoveries await me as I delve deeper into these fascinating tools? Stay tuned for more updates on my adventures in AI!