ChatGPT bot channels history for writing a State of the Union address

Washington – If you’ve heard it once in the President’s State of the Union address, you’ve heard it 100 times: There is nothing the American people can’t do when united together.

But you didn’t hear that idea in William Shakespeare’s State of the Union address: “Look,” said the poet. “With the clarity of kindness, love, and understanding, we will prevail over all, and we have nothing to fear.”

Nor of the Three Stooges of last century fame: “We just put our heads together, came up with a plan, and bam! Problem solved!”

Let’s face it, State of the Union speeches are mostly rote. The chiefs bring up a list of accomplishments, a few anecdotes about the guests present, a sober appraisal of the day’s troubles, and a crescendo about times of glory ahead.

To change the wording ahead of President Joe Biden’s speech to Congress Tuesday night, the Associated Press instructed artificial intelligence software ChatGPT to work on crafting State of the Union addresses because they may have been written by some of the greatest minds in history as well as some agents. .

The AP ordered 300-word transcripts, as opposed to last year’s sprawling 6,400-word Biden, and hired some so special we know them by only one name. Hypothetical Greek philosopher Aristotle gracefully quoted Socrates, historical Egyptian ruler Cleopatra asked for the gods’ blessing, and Madonna cited her perspective as a mother and woman in entertainment.

ChatGPT was also asked to connect with singer Elvis Presley, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, pioneering NASA mathematician Kathryn Johnson, and baseball player Yogi Berra, among others.

The app is part of a new generation of AI systems that can speak in a human-like manner and generate text based on what they have learned from a huge database. Some teachers worry that their students will use them instead of their brains for school papers.

ChatGPT presented Shakespeare’s State of the Union speech in rhyme. The version directed at comedian Jerry Seinfeld captured his signature catchphrases.

For all the app savvy, not everything was savvy. In the speech by King, the civil rights leader conveyed himself. It conveyed none of the eloquence of Abraham Lincoln. It declined to be involved in drafting Biden’s 2023 speech, instead paraphrasing Biden’s final speech.

Nor was it when asked about a letter from George Santos, a Republican congressman from New York who was caught fantasizing about his past.

The application responded: “Jorge Santos is not a widely recognized public figure or historical figure.” “There is no widely known information about a person with that name in the public domain.”

Excerpts from some of the speeches generated by ChatGPT:

William Shakespeare

Ladies and gentlemen, men and women of the country, gathered here today to hear what I say, in this great hall of ours, let us unite, and hear the just case of our nation.

We stand today as one, in good health and grace, prosperous and free, with a peaceful space, our trade and commerce flourishing, wealth abounding, with bountiful harvests, peace surrounding.

But, there are still challenges we face, because not everyone is equal in our fair place, we must work together to bridge the gap, and achieve equality, from one side to the other.

Let us not forget our daring and brave soldiers who fought for freedom, and our country gave their lives and limbs, for our safety and peace we must reward them with honor and set them free.

And so I say, let us work hand in hand, to build a brighter future, in this just land, with the clarity of kindness, love and understanding, we will conquer all, and we have nothing to fear.

And now, my friends, I bid farewell to all of you, trusting that you will act with heart and will, for the good of all and the welfare of man, that together we will build a stronger and better Earth.

___

Martin Luther King Jr.

my american followers,

We are gathered here today, at a momentous time in our nation’s history, to talk about the state of our union. And as we do this, I am reminded of the words of the great prophet Amos, who said, “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a great stream.”

For too long, many in our society have been denied justice. For a long time, righteousness was a pipe dream. It is time for us to awaken from this slumber and work together to build a more perfect union.

We cannot be satisfied until every American, regardless of race, religion, or background, has an equal opportunity to achieve the American Dream. … But let’s not get discouraged, because we’ve made progress. We saw the civil rights movement bring about change, and we will continue to see change in our time. For as Dr. King said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

So let’s bend this arc together. Let us plunge into justice and righteousness like waters. Let’s create a society where every person is valued and respected, where every person has an equal chance to succeed.

___

Jerry Seinfeld

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, and I’ve realized that the state of our union is like a sandwich…

We have the best cake, and it’s all good stuff. We have the economy that looks so delicious. We have low unemployment, and business is booming. … I want to focus on the bottom bun. I want to focus on the foundation. I want to talk about things that we don’t always see or talk about, but are so important. I want to talk about education, health care and infrastructure. I want to talk about the things that make our country strong. …

Let’s make sure ours is a delicious sandwich we can all be proud of.

___

Elvis Presley

It’s so wonderful to be here today and talk to all of you about the state of our union. Now, let me tell you, we’ve been rock and roll for the past year, and I have some good news to share with all of you. We’re making progress, friends.