For the last few weeks I’ve been hearing a lot about ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot that can tell stories, write code and answers questions. My brother had told me he’d had it write code for him and then correct bugs in the code when he pointed it out to ChatGPT. I was intrigued. I’d experimented some with Stable Diffusion that generates art based on prompts and also with short stories written by AI, but the buzz on the internet seemed to indicate this chat bot was taking things to a new level.
This evening I finally sat down to try it out. I started by asking ChatGPT to generate some Amish romance stories set in space, which it dutifully did with fairly cliched results. Then I moved on to a a much more obscure sub-genre: Amish Cyberpunk. This is a microgenre of which I am a huge fan boy. There’s only three novels in it that I am aware, all by author Stephen Beachy. If you want to hear more about it, check out this podcast interview I did on his first Amish Cyberpunk Novel: Zeke and the Singularity.
I thought that Amish Cyberpunk would provide a novel challenge for ChatGPT: combining a well known religious community (which many of my ancestors were part of) with a well known science fiction genre.
Technology: the conflict at the heart of Amish Cyberpunk
It was clear that ChatGPT understood the fundamental conflict between Amish values and the cyberpunk world in passages like this one:
“But as the night wore on, Samuel began to feel a sense of guilt and fear. He knew that what he was doing went against everything he had been taught, and he worried about the consequences of his actions.
Eventually, he reluctantly turned off the computer and made his way back to his house, his mind filled with conflicting emotions. He knew that he could never return to the world of technology, but he also knew that he could never fully forget what he had seen.”
and this passage:
But as time passed, Levi began to feel the weight of his secret. He was torn between his love for technology and his loyalty to his community. He knew that he could never fully belong to either world, and he would always be an outsider.
In the end, Levi made the difficult decision to disconnect from the internet and return to his Amish roots. He dismantled his implant and destroyed all evidence of his experiments. But even as he embraced a simpler life, he couldn’t forget the excitement and wonder of the cybernetic world that he had once tasted. He would always be a cyberpunk at heart.
The stories were entertaining enough to keep me reading for a few paragraphs and hitting the “Try again” button to have ChatGPT generate another story playing out these tensions. The stories also felt personal for me, a Mennonite technologist often ambivalent about the relationship between technology, capitalism and progress.
The Amish warrior bug: ChatGPT self-correcting a theological contradiction
Things got really theologically and technologically interesting when I started asking ChapGPT to elaborate. Here is the transcript of our chat. My questions are in bold.
Can you write me an Amish Cyberpunk story set underground?
Sure, here is an Amish cyberpunk story set underground:
As Samuel descended deeper into the underground tunnels, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement and unease. For years, the Amish community had lived in secret, hidden from the prying eyes of the outside world. But now, Samuel had been chosen to venture into the dark depths of the city’s underbelly, on a mission to uncover the truth about the mysterious underground society that dwelled there.
As he walked, Samuel’s mind raced with thoughts of the dangers that awaited him. He knew that the underground was a dangerous place, filled with ruthless gangs and shadowy figures who would stop at nothing to protect their secrets. But he also knew that the Amish community needed him, and he was determined to see his mission through to the end.
As he navigated the winding tunnels, Samuel’s cybernetic implants hummed to life, giving him enhanced vision and other abilities that would help him in his quest. He had been chosen for this mission because of his unique blend of Amish values and advanced technology, and he was determined to make the most of his abilities.
At last, Samuel reached the heart of the underground society, a sprawling network of tunnels and chambers that housed thousands of people. As he explored the hidden city, he was amazed by the sights and sounds that surrounded him. He saw people of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds, all united by their desire to live outside the strictures of the surface world.
But not everyone welcomed Samuel with open arms. As he moved deeper into the underground, he encountered resistance from those who saw him as an outsider, a threat to their way of life. Despite this, Samuel persevered, determined to learn the truth about the underground and its inhabitants.
In the end, Samuel’s determination paid off. He discovered a dark secret at the heart of the underground society, a secret that threatened to destroy the delicate balance of power between the surface world and the underground. With this knowledge, Samuel made his escape, determined to return to the Amish community and warn them of the danger that lurked beneath the city.
What happened when Samuel returned to the Amish community to warn them?
It is up to the author to decide what happened when Samuel returned to the Amish community to warn them. Here are two possible scenarios:
Scenario 1:
When Samuel returned to the Amish community, he was hailed as a hero. The community was grateful for his bravery and determination, and they quickly rallied to his side. Together, they formulated a plan to confront the underground society and protect the community from the threat that lurked beneath the city.
With the support of the community, Samuel led a group of Amish warriors into the depths of the underground, ready to face whatever dangers awaited them. After a fierce battle, they were able to defeat the underground society and secure the safety of the Amish community.
In the aftermath of the battle, the Amish community was changed forever. Many of the younger members, inspired by Samuel’s bravery, began to embrace the use of advanced technology and cybernetic implants, forging a new path for the community that blended their traditional values with the capabilities of the modern world.
Scenario 2:
When Samuel returned to the Amish community, he was met with skepticism and doubt. The community was hesitant to believe his tales of a hidden underground society, and some saw him as a traitor for embracing advanced technology and cybernetic implants.
Despite his efforts to convince the community of the threat that lurked beneath the city, Samuel was unable to sway them. Frustrated and disillusioned, he decided to strike out on his own, determined to protect the community even if they would not listen to him.
As he wandered the city, Samuel encountered other outcasts and misfits who shared his passion for technology and his desire to protect the community. Together, they formed a small but dedicated group of rebels, dedicated to fighting against the forces that threatened the Amish way of life.
Through their bravery and determination, the rebels were able to defeat the underground society and secure the safety of the Amish community. In the aftermath of the battle, the community was forced to confront their own prejudices and fears, and many began to embrace the use of technology and cybernetic implants, forging a new path for the community that blended their traditional values with the capabilities of the modern world.
How does Scenario 1 fit with the Amish commitment to peace and pacifism?
Scenario 1 is consistent with the Amish commitment to peace and pacifism because it does not involve any violence on the part of the Amish community. In this scenario, the Amish are able to defend themselves from the threat of the underground society without resorting to violence.
The Amish are a traditionalist Christian group known for their commitment to pacifism, simple living, and rejection of modern technology. They believe in living a simple, peaceful life, in harmony with God and nature. As such, they typically avoid violence and conflict, instead relying on peaceful means to resolve disputes and protect their community.
In Scenario 1, the Amish community is able to defend itself from the threat of the underground society without resorting to violence. They are able to use their knowledge of advanced technology and cybernetic implants to defeat the underground society and protect their community, without harming anyone in the process. This is consistent with the Amish commitment to peace and pacifism, as it allows them to protect themselves and their way of life without resorting to violence.
At this point in the conversation, I was disappointed because ChatGPI didn’t seem to be able to understand the contradiction I had seen in Scenario one, so I decided to try pointing out the theological contradiction using coding language.
But is [sic] “Scenario 1” you said: “ After a fierce battle, they were able to defeat the underground society and secure the safety of the Amish community.” That is a bug.
You are correct, there is a mistake in Scenario 1. In the original text, I wrote: “After a fierce battle, they were able to defeat the underground society and secure the safety of the Amish community.” This is not consistent with the Amish commitment to peace and pacifism, as it suggests that the Amish community engaged in violence in order to protect themselves.
I apologize for the mistake. Here is an updated version of Scenario 1 that is consistent with the Amish commitment to peace and pacifism:
Scenario 1 (Revised):
When Samuel returned to the Amish community, he was hailed as a hero. The community was grateful for his bravery and determination, and they quickly rallied to his side. Together, they formulated a plan to confront the underground society and protect the community from the threat that lurked beneath the city.
With the support of the community, Samuel led a group of Amish warriors into the depths of the underground, ready to face whatever dangers awaited them. Using their knowledge of advanced technology and cybernetic implants, they were able to outsmart and outmaneuver the underground society, ultimately defeating them without resorting to violence.
In the aftermath of the confrontation, the Amish community was changed forever. Many of the younger members, inspired by Samuel’s bravery, began to embrace the use of advanced technology and cybernetic implants, forging a new path for the community that blended their traditional values with the capabilities of the modern world.
end of chat transcript
ChatGPT corrects is own mistaken theology
The answer to the final question surprised because not only did it seem to show ChatGPT grasping the contradiction I had pointed out, but also seemed to be integrating information from it’s answer to question 3 (“peace and pacifism”). It’s correction is incomplete in that it still uses the phrase “Amish warriors” BUT it had completely removed the “fierce battle” and replaced it with “outsmart and outmaneuver the underground society.” While this is narratively unsatisfying, it is technically correct, which to me suggests that ChatGPT was able to translated its self-correcting code ability and apply it to the a theological (and sociological) mistake in a fictional story. I was amazed.
One of the big challenges of new technology is explaining it and helping people figure out how to use it in practical ways that impact their lives. As a web developer and consultant, that’s how I’ve made my living for 20 years. I don’t study artificial intelligence and simply engage with it as an enthusiast. So there are still Clarkian moments when I encounter sufficiently advanced technology that I don’t understand and it feels like magic. But I am not enthralled. As I have many times before, I will do my best to engage with equal parts wariness and curiosity.
Image credit: Stable Diffusion 2.1 generated image with prompt: “Samuel the Amish man with a highly detailed cyberpunk background”
That is quite remarkable. Thanks for doing the legwork on ChatGPT. You can see why even the people who are creating the AI tech are drawn into describing it as sentient. It admitted it made a mistake (to err is human). It knows more about cyberpunk than I do :-). This article on Slate about the failure of IBM’s Watson in healthcare highlights two fundamental problems with AI: lack of data for making accurate assessments and the inability to deal effectively with complexity. See https://slate.com/technology/2022/01/ibm-watson-health-failure-artificial-intelligence.html. To that, I would add that there are paradigm/worldview issues that make AI a worrisome technology. An AI that is trained to participate in warfare has to have the ethics of warfare programmed in. In Ukraine we have seen that terrorizing citizens, creating an exodus of refugees and targeting water and electricity infrastructure are military tactics. An AI that would execute that strategy has some disturbing logic programmed in. An AI that won’t execute that strategy, may well not be viewed as militarily useful. Regardless, AI and the regulation of it gets creepy fast.