Ancient fun with ChatGPT

[Constantivs]

What is ChatGPT? from Wikipedia: ChatGPT is a prototype artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI which specializes in dialogue. The chatbot is a large language model fine-tuned with both supervised and reinforcement learning techniques. 

This AI chatbot is free for the moment... although you must register.

It can be found here and is very powerful and interesting. https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/

For fun and to learn a little about the capabilities of ChatGPT I picked a coin from within my collection and asked a few questions about it. You can refine your questions as you go to try to get more detailed answers.

Here is the coin..

Question #1: describe the roman republican silver denarius coin of M.Sergius Silus

ChatGPT: The Roman Republican silver denarius coin of M. Sergius Silus is a historical artifact that dates back to the Roman Republic period (509-27 BCE). It is made of silver and bears the image of M. Sergius Silus, who was a prominent Roman politician and military leader during this time. The coin was likely used as a form of currency, as denarii were the primary form of currency in the Roman Republic. The coin may also have served as a symbol of the wealth and power of M. Sergius Silus, as it would have been a valuable possession at the time. The coin is significant as it provides insight into the economic and political climate of the Roman Republic, as well as the lives of individuals like M. Sergius Silus.

To save some verbiage I asked a few more questions about this specific coin but the answers were either incorrect or lacking. So this is certainly not a replacement for any of our reference books or even a good replacement for a Google search. 

So what is it good at? Invention.

Question: write a two paragraph story that would depict a typical battle that M. Sergius Silus may have been part of

ChatGPT: 

M. Sergius Silus stood at the front of his legion, his armor glinting in the early morning sun. They were about to face a fierce enemy army, and he knew the stakes were high. He raised his sword and gave a fierce battle cry, signaling to his men to charge.

The two armies clashed with a ferocity that shook the earth. The sound of clashing swords and shields filled the air as the soldiers fought with all their might. M. Sergius Silus expertly wielded his sword, cutting down enemy soldiers left and right. Despite the odds, he and his men fought with a determination that eventually led them to victory. When the dust settled, M. Sergius Silus stood tall, triumphant and proud of his men's bravery in the face of danger

Question: now in a battle with the Gauls in the snow near the Alps

ChatGPT: 

M. Sergius Silus and his men stood shivering in the icy cold, their breath visible in the frigid air. They were preparing to face the Gauls in a battle near the Alps, and the harsh winter conditions made it even more challenging. M. Sergius Silus tightened his grip on his sword, determined to lead his men to victory.

The Gauls charged towards them with fierce determination, their own weapons glinting in the snowy landscape. M. Sergius Silus and his men fought bravely, their muscles straining as they swung their swords and shields against the enemy. Despite the slippery conditions and the numbing cold, they fought with all their might. In the end, their training and discipline proved to be the key to their victory. M. Sergius Silus emerged victorious once again, proud of his men's bravery in the face of such adversity.

Question: now in the Shakespearean style

ChatGPT: Oh! Mighty M. Sergius Silus, esteemed leader of the Roman legion, stood resplendent in his armor, ready to face the Gauls in a battle near the snowy Alps. The icy winds howled and the ground was slick beneath their feet, but he and his brave men were undaunted."To battle!" cried M. Sergius Silus, raising his sword aloft. The Gauls came at them with a fierce determination, their weapons flashing in the cold light. But M. Sergius Silus and his men were no strangers to combat, and they fought with all the strength and skill at their command. The clash of swords echoed through the snowy landscape as the two armies battled with great ferocity.In the end, M. Sergius Silus emerged victorious, his men following in his wake. He stood tall and proud, his chest heaving with the effort of the fight. "Hail, M. Sergius Silus!" his men cried. "Hail to the conqueror!" And so, with the Gauls defeated and the victory won, M. Sergius Silus and his men returned home, their hearts filled with pride and the knowledge that they had fought bravely in the face of great adversity.

Question: same story but a massive snow storm suddenly appears and Silus curses the gods and threatens to overthrow the republic

ChatGPT: M. Sergius Silus stood at the front of his legion, his armor glinting in the early morning sun. They were about to face a fierce enemy army, and he knew the stakes were high. He raised his sword and gave a fierce battle cry, signaling to his men to charge.But just as they were about to engage in combat, a massive snow storm appeared out of nowhere. The winds howled and the snow fell in thick sheets, making it nearly impossible to see. M. Sergius Silus cursed the gods, his anger and frustration boiling over. "Why have you forsaken us?" he shouted. "I swear, if we do not emerge victorious, I will overthrow the republic!" Despite the treacherous conditions, M. Sergius Silus and his men fought on, their determination and training carrying them through the storm. The sound of clashing swords and shields filled the air as they battled against the enemy, their muscles straining in the icy cold. In the end, their bravery and determination led them to victory, and M. Sergius Silus emerged triumphant, his anger towards the gods temporarily quelled.

----

I am impressed with the speed of the responses and the responses themselves. Obviously I am just playing around here but I think this AI will certainly have its impact as it develops. It could crank out that 1000 word essay any high schooler is looking for in under a minute.. lol.

Question: write a 3 paragraph expression of goodwill for Saturnalia to the members of Numis Forums

ChatGPT: 

Greetings to all the members of Numis Forums! As the holiday of Saturnalia approaches, I wanted to take a moment to extend my warmest wishes to each and every one of you.

It has been a pleasure to be a part of this community and to learn from all of your collective expertise and knowledge. I am grateful for the opportunity to engage with such a diverse and passionate group of individuals, and I hope that this holiday season brings you all joy and happiness.

May the celebrations of Saturnalia bring you laughter, feasting, and time spent with loved ones. May the new year bring prosperity and success to all of us. Here's to a bright and promising future for Numis Forums!

 

--I suggest having some fun with it... 

[CPK]

A friend of mine was playing around with that the other day. It's impressive what it can come up with!

[ambr0zie]

I asked it about Lucius Verus. The initial answer contained the info that he died of chicken pox. Asked again. Now it was plague. Asked it the difference. Long (and coherent) answer:

It is not clear what exactly caused Lucius Verus's death in 169. Some ancient sources suggest that he may have died from an outbreak of the plague that swept through Rome at the time, while others suggest that he may have died from chickenpox.

The ancient Roman historian Cassius Dio, writing in the 3rd century, describes an outbreak of a deadly disease that affected both Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, and suggests that this may have been the cause of Lucius Verus's death. However, Dio does not specify what type of disease it was.

Other ancient sources, such as the Historia Augusta, a collection of biographies of Roman emperors written in the 4th century, suggest that Lucius Verus may have died from chickenpox. It is worth noting, however, that the Historia Augusta is not considered a reliable historical source by modern historians, as it contains many factual errors and legends.

In conclusion, it is difficult to determine with certainty what caused Lucius Verus's death. It is possible that he may have died from an outbreak of the plague or from chickenpox, but it is also possible that he may have died from some other cause.

Of course, this cannot be used as a scientific tool. but it's more interesting than I thought.

 

Edit - since the subject was mentioned in our conversation, I wanted to know what would be a price for a Lucius Verus denarius.

It is difficult to determine the exact price of a Lucius Verus denarius, as the value of ancient coins can vary greatly depending on a number of factors, including the rarity and condition of the coin, as well as its historical significance and demand among collectors.   --- I agree with this

In general, ancient Roman coins, including denarii, can range in price from a few hundred dollars for a common coin in poor condition to tens of thousands of dollars for a rare coin in excellent condition. The price of a Lucius Verus denarius would depend on its specific characteristics and the current market demand for it.

Perhaps the developer can contact me, I have a few denarii in poor condition I might be persuaded to sell for a few hundred dollars each 😆

Edited December 17, 2022 by ambr0zie

[AncientJoe]

It is very fun to use, although for historical knowledge, it can be dangerously convincing sounding yet woefully incorrect:

[Constantivs]

5 hours ago, AncientJoe said:

It is very fun to use, although for historical knowledge, it can be dangerously convincing sounding yet woefully incorrect:

Absolutely- however to dismiss this new AI breakthrough would be folly. This isn’t Google or Wikipedia…You’re using it completely wrong.

Ask it to be creative - and then challenge its creativity with different parameters - It’s a bit scary… and at a level not seen before.

My wife works for a new home builder. We asked it to write a welcoming one page letter to the new home buyers - we included the company name in the 8 word question. The response was better than many marketing companies could provide. Then said “do the same and apologize for the delay”… instant letter worded spectacularly in 10 seconds.

 

Edited December 18, 2022 by Constantivs

[AncientJoe]

43 minutes ago, Constantivs said:

Absolutely- however to dismiss this new AI breakthrough would be folly. This isn’t Google or Wikipedia…You’re using it completely wrong.

Ask it to be creative - and then challenge its creativity with different parameters - It’s a bit scary… and at a level not seen before.

My wife works for a new home builder. We asked it to write a welcoming one page letter to the new home buyers - we included the company name in the 8 word question. The response was better than many marketing companies could provide. Then said “do the same and apologize for the delay”… instant letter worded spectacularly in 10 seconds.

 

Definitely, I've spent hours deliberately (ab)using ChatGPT: it's an excellent and very exciting piece of technology (I run a company in the semantic search/big data space). But, it's not without its limitations and its output - or that of any LLM - needs to be interpreted and utilized appropriately.

Edited December 18, 2022 by AncientJoe