Simple Stuff And A Simple Song: ChatGPT

You know who can't be Bob? ChatGPT.

ChatGPT is an AI chatbot created by OpenAI. It was trained on a massive dataset of text to generate human-like responses to prompts, and was released in November 2022.

Curious about all the fanfare surrounding this new technology, I visited the website and asked the thing, 

"What are the essential material possessions for a simple life."

It answered,

As an AI language model, I do not have personal beliefs or values.

 

However, based on cultural and social norms, some of the essential material possessions for a simple life can include:

Shelter (a comfortable and functional home)

Basic furniture (bed, table, chairs, etc)

Minimal clothing (quality and durable instead of quantity)

Basic kitchen utensils (a few pots, pans and utensils)

Household items (cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc)

Means of transportation (a reliable bike or car)

Necessary technology (phone, computer, etc)

Books or other sources of entertainment or enrichment

Personal mementos or sentimental items 

Basic outdoor gear (for hikes, camping, or other active pursuits)

However, what constitutes "essential" and "simple" can vary depending on a person's lifestyle, priorities, and values.

Hmm, not too bad on that one, so I asked it to do something else for me.

"Write", I prompted, "a song about simple living in the style of Bob Dylan." 

A few seconds later it printed out this little ditty:

Verse 1:

I wake up every morning to the sounds of the birds

And I feel so lucky to be alive

I don't need no fancy cars or gold-plated words

Just the simple life is what I thrive

 

Chorus:

Living simple, it's the way to be

Less is more, let your soul run free

There's no need for excess, don't you see

Living simple, it's the way for me

 

Verse 2:

I don't need no mansion or a diamond ring

Just a cozy cabin and a guitar to sing

I don't need no suits or a fancy career

Just my guitar and my voice to steer

 

Chorus:

Living simple, it's the way to be

Less is more, let your soul run free

There's no need for excess, don't you see

Living simple, it's the way for me

 

Verse 3:

Life is too short to be chasing wealth

I'd rather feel the grass between my toes

I'll take my time and enjoy my health

That's the kind of life that everyone knows

 

Chorus:

Living simple, it's the way to be

Less is more, let your soul run free

There's no need for excess, don't you see

Living simple, it's the way for me

 

Outro:

So if you're feeling lost in this world of greed

Just remember simple is the key

Live with love, kindness and generosity

Living simple, it's the way to be.

 

Ironic to be asking a super complex artificial intelligence to answer queries about simplicity, but what ChatGPT came up with was definitely interesting and somewhat entertaining.

But is it job threatening?

One expert believes that "up to 300 million jobs could be replaced" by AI technology, "with two thirds of all occupations being at least partially automated by AI.” 

Maybe human bloggers will go extinct. 

Songwriters, too?

I'm not so sure. 

I feel that Bob's Nobel prize for Literature is safe, and that ChatGPT can not approach Henry David Thoreau's beautiful writings on the simple life. 

It definitely can't plant beans, let alone 7 miles of them. 

"What shall I learn of beans or beans of me? I cherish them, I hoe them, early and late I have an eye to them; and this is my day's work." 

- Henry David Thoreau

We will have to wait and see what happens now that the Pandora's box of AI has been opened.

It is probably a good idea to plant a bunch of beans, either way.