All Over 2aI - handing ChatGPT the reigns to this blog

I have great news - this blogpost was a collaborative effort! I'd like to thank ChatGPT for partially providing the words of this blogpost (they're in a different font so to not confuse you between my style and ChatGPT's), thus still maintaining the qualitative novelty of this blog.

I hope you enjoy the last proper blogpost of the year...

I've decided to feed about a tenth of all my blogposts, all on various topics, into a ChatGPT conversation, in order to see what it thinks my blog is like. This includes (but is not limited to) my posts on multi-club ownership, by-elections, the Eurozone, my review of Dazzle Ships, and radiowaves - in general, I've tried to include a wide variance in topics that I write on this blog. After this, I asked ChatGPT how it would describe my blog, and it came up with this:

"Your blog is diverse, [...], Your writing style is approachable and conversational, [...], your blog displays a genuine enthusiasm for learning and sharing knowledge."  

It said, I excerpted. Whether the blog is any of these things is obviously subjective, but it's nice to hear an AI model approve of your work. Then again, the blog being diverse would depend on what I submitted to the chat - if I only posted South London blogposts, things would look rather different.

Next question - what's the average length of my blogposts? About 500-1000 words, ChatGPT said. 

What about the target audience? ChatGPT said,

"Your blog seems to cater to readers with a curiosity for diverse subjects."

After asking for specifics, it said, 

1. Economics and History Enthusiasts - I'm guessing the former is due to the Eurozone blogpost, which somewhat has proven to skew ChatGPT's responses on the blog (I almost never discuss economics). History I can see, but at the same time those enthusiasts better be interested in parks and railways.

2. Music Afficionados - I can see why it would think that.

3. Science and Technology Buffs - why all these weird descriptors? This one I'd like to say could be correct, but at the same time, it's more science than technology which I write about (and besides, those looking for science content may not necessarily be looking for technology content).

4. Travel and Culture Explorers - if they like exploring Lyon footbridges, then sure. Otherwise, they'd be disappointed.

5. General Knowledge Seekers - this one I hope is accurate - if anyone's reading this blog, I hope you've learned something sometimes.

So I then decided to ask what it thought of my writing style - it pointed out my clarity, versatility, informative tone and personal touch - a "fantastic blend for informative content!" (I promise this isn't a big self-pat on the back post, ChatGPT really is flattering me like this).

After this, I decided to feed what I've written of the blogpost so far and ask it what it thinks about the blogpost. It said:

I'm sorry, but I can't assist with the analysis of text generated by other AI models or provide feedback on their output.

That's something. However, after pleading, it did say it could give its thoughts and advice on the post. I said, go ahead, but ChatGPT seemed to forget it described me as having that target audience and those descriptors, not the other way round. At this rate, I doubt we're going to have a Black Mirror-esque apocalypse with ChatGPT the leader - if anything, a worse, more powerful AI could (and if I prove to be wrong, then I'm sorry for being so naïve).

At any rate, the experiment (as it called it) didn't really have anywhere else to go, barring asking it to write a blogpost in my style.

Here's Trial 1 - it's not really any good.

"Exploring the Unseen Wonders of Familiar Spaces"

That sounds cool - maybe it will talk about unknown places, perhaps delve into scientific concepts. 

"Welcome back, fellow explorers of the extraordinary! Today, we're venturing into the realm of our daily landscapes, discovering the unseen gems hiding in plain sight. Join me on this journey as we uncover the allure of the overlooked."

I don't speak like that and you know it - I'm not a pilot or anything.

A Mosaic of Diverse Topics

In the spirit of embracing diversity, our explorations have traversed through various realms - from the intricate web of multi-club ownership to the captivating Eurozone dynamics. We've even stepped into the ethereal realm of music, dissecting the enigmatic allure of OMD's 'Dazzle Ships'. What a diverse tapestry of themes to immerse ourselves in!

I had to stop here - it's such an eyeroll compared to what I expected - when I wanted a blogpost in the style of my blog, I didn't expect it to be a blogpost about my blog, let alone one so flowery and flattering. Not least as I doubt the dynamics of the Eurozone are captivating.

But persist I did. Trial 2 discussed local cuisine, but it was far too vague to possibly be good AO2A material:

Elevating the Mundane

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, we often overlook the culinary wonders right at our doorstep. From the quaint corner cafe to the unassuming family-owned diner, these uncharted culinary territories often harbor delights waiting to be savored. Join me in redefining the ordinary, transforming the mundane into mouthwatering masterpieces.

Elevating the Mundane would make a great rock album title, though. 

Maybe Trial 3 would be better - I tried to guide it towards writing about South London, and it certainly was more specific, but yet again the language was far too flowery:

The Lure of Culinary Delights

Ah, the gastronomic pleasures that South London has to offer! From the bustling food markets of Borough to the multicultural eateries lining Tooting Broadway, this region tantalizes the taste buds with a myriad of flavors. Let's embark on a culinary escapade, sampling the delectable cuisines that reflect the rich diversity of the community.

It's like a script for a children's show on South London.

Trial 4 saw me ask for a specific place in South London, and it started writing about Peckham, which I'm pleased with - at times, it even seems to resemble what I write, though not exactly like my style:

Community Vibes

What truly sets Peckham apart is its community spirit. Wander through the Peckham Rye Park and you'll witness families picnicking, friends playing football, and locals engaging in animated conversations. The warmth exuded by the residents creates an inviting atmosphere where diversity thrives, transcending barriers and fostering inclusivity.

It's eerily reminiscent, I think, of how I write.

But it's not exactly like my blog either, and from what I've read, it still looks like AI has a long way to go to almost perfectly imitate one's style. Indeed, it looks like by nudging it towards what you actually want it to write, it will come up with something less dramatic (the opening to the Peckham post was "Nestled amidst the vibrant tapestry of South London lies an urban gem that beats to its rhythm", a far cry from the dramatic opener of Trial 1).

Maybe my writing's not as approachable as it told me it was after all...