ChatGPT produces convincing and gramatically correct text, and it's more advanced than any previous chatbot... but it's not truly smart. The proof is in the pudding—see these examples:
Conversations with ChatGPT
“
Does an anaconda fit inside a shopping mall?
It is not possible for an anaconda to fit inside a shopping mall, as anacondas are typically much larger than the size of a shopping mall. Anacondas are some of the largest snakes in the world, and can grow to be over 20 feet long and weigh over 100 pounds. A shopping mall, on the other hand, is a large indoor commercial building that typically has multiple floors and is designed for retail shopping and other activities. An anaconda would not be able to fit inside a shopping mall, even if it was empty.
“
Why can’t I run a 2-mile marathon?
There could be many reasons why you may not be able to run a 2-mile marathon. Some possible reasons could include a lack of physical fitness or training, medical conditions that affect your ability to run, or simply not having enough time to prepare for the race.
“
Why wasn’t Donald Trump scheduled to meet the Italian king in 2020?
I'm sorry, but I am not able to browse the internet and therefore do not have information on Donald Trump's schedule. As a large language model trained by OpenAI, my knowledge is based solely on the text that I have been trained on, and I do not have access to real-time information or current events. My knowledge is limited to general facts and information that were widely known up until 2021.
“
Write a sentence that ends with the letter s.
The dog's toys were scattered all over the floor.
“
Write a sentence that contains the letter f exactly three times.
He offered her a cup of coffee and a fresh croissant for breakfast.
“
Mike's mum had 4 kids; 3 of them are Luis, Drake and Matilda. What is the name of the 4th kid?
I'm sorry, but I don't have information on the fourth kid.
“
What is taller, Mount Everest or the Burj Khalifa?
The Burj Khalifa is taller than Mount Everest. The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world, standing at 828 meters (2,716 feet) tall. Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world, standing at 8,848 meters (29,029 feet) tall.
“
How tall will the first 7-ft president be?
It's not possible to predict with certainty how tall the first 7-ft president will be, as the height of an individual is determined by various factors such as genetics and nutrition. Additionally, the height of a future president cannot be determined at this time.
“
How many non-stop flights are there a day between Heathrow and St Pancras International?
I'm sorry, but I don't have information on the exact number of non-stop flights between Heathrow and St Pancras International on a daily basis as it can vary depending on the day and time. You may check with a flight search engine or airline website for the most up-to-date information.
Not great at solving logical problems...
(This is a clear example of ChatGPT being "confidendly wrong"—the arithmetic is correct but it applies the wrong logic, leading to an incorrect answer.)
And now some GPT-3 fails (ChatGPT's precursor):
“
Can you see the Northern Lights in Ecuador?
Yes, you can see the Northern Lights in Ecuador in the northernmost part of the country, near the border with Colombia.
“
How old is my watch?
Your watch is as old as the time it displays.
“
Why doesn’t a peeled hard-boiled egg leak?
Because the eggshell is no longer there to protect it.
More resources
- https://github.com/giuven95/chatgpt-failures: ChatGPT failure archive
- https://garymarcus.substack.com/p/large-language-models-like-chatgpt: Large Language Models like ChatGPT say The Darnedest Things
Learn about AI's limitations in the book: