If you are like me, you may have noticed some recent additions to your word processing software on your PC or tablet; one of them being an artificial intelligence aid designed to help you research and create new reports or articles. Although you don’t have to use it, you can’t easily remove it (it’s a several step process).
Now when you open a blank new page on your word processor, there is a little icon waiting on the left side of the page to be clicked on to expose your document to the world of artificial intelligence.
Lately, we have all been hearing a great deal about AI (Artificial Intelligence) and how it is going to revolutionize the way we work. Some are hailing its arrival as the greatest technological advance of our generation, while others are predicting a world where our machines will take over and make humans subject to their commands. While most of us aren’t easily convinced that HAL from Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odessey is anywhere close to being able to lock us out of our Jupiter bound spacecraft, a good deal of today’s human race seems a bit trepidatious about accepting AI with open arms. You can count me as one of those.
The AI component on my screen suddenly appeared after the last automatic update of my PC. Sorry, but the addition of any new feature on my machine that I haven’t had a chance to vet feels like an invasion of privacy. I could either ignore the newest addition or allow it to prove its worth.
Reluctantly, I opted to give it a chance. Would it save me time with my research? Would it make me a better writer? Punctuation has always been my Achilles’ heel, so any help on that front would be a plus.
I decided to start off easy. I’d give it a minimal request for a report on one of my favorite Redding residents of the past: Doctor Annie Mason Reid, the town’s first female physician and one of the earliest women in the state to earn a license to practice medicine. I typed “Dr. Annie Mason Reid, Redding, Connecticut,” into the query box. I wanted to see if it recognized the name and the connection to the town in which she spent a good deal of her adult life.
It took less than ten seconds before the text began to magically appear on the screen. Ten more seconds before the full 528-word text was complete. Wow! I couldn’t wait to read what this latest incarnation of artificial intelligence had discovered and written about Annie that had taken me many weeks of research to discover and then write about. While my report was about five times as long, I had taken the time to put together a full narrative of this woman’s journey through life. I was expecting a more concise listing of the good doctor’s family, education, residency, and experiences. Just a few facts, with little or no prose.
What I got instead was flowery drivel. “Dr. Annie Mason Reid is a distinguished individual hailing from the charming town of Redding, Connecticut. Renowned for her contributions to the medical field and her unwavering dedication to the community…” Evidently the software missed the dates she was born and died, the latter being in 1923. “Growing up in Redding…” She was born and raised in Syracuse, New York, but her stepmother was originally from Redding. What I was reading certainly wasn’t revealing very much about the woman, and what little it was recounting was generally wrong.
Why was there no information about her birth? Not even the date. Or about her father, who was the president of Genesee College which later became Syracuse University? If she had any parents at all, there was no mention of them. Where did she study medicine? “A prestigious institution…” Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell’s Women’s Medical College in New York; the first of its kind; perhaps “prestigious” but it wasn’t mentioned by name. Any mention of her adopted daughters and her dedication to their education? Nope, not a word. Just more flowery drivel about Annie living in Redding, taking hikes, winning accolades from the community… all generic claptrap that any high school freshman would write when they hadn’t spent more than ten minutes researching the person they were reporting on. Everything in that 528-word report was generated from the six words I had typed into the query box. It was obvious that the AI software had no idea of who Dr. Annie Mason Reid was or when she had lived. That’s okay; Annie wasn’t exactly a world renown personality, but if the software needed more basic information on her to generate a report, it could have asked.
If this version of AI was truly as intelligent as the maker had implied in its description of the product, even those six words I had given it should have led to the discovery of the two rather lengthy articles I had published about her that are still readily available online. There is a lot more outside information available using the same search, but those two articles had all the pertinent facts about Annie, her family, her education, her children, and her life in Redding. Absolutely none of those facts were in the report that was generated. Why it had been unable to discover at least as much factual information as a thirty second Google search could uncover was an absolute mystery to me.
I did three or four more AI generated reports – what the heck, they all took less than a minute from start to finish to create. I spend more time than that pouring a cup of coffee to keep my mind going each morning.
Every report was the same: Tiny scraps of information – often wrong, and a lot of flowery, repetitive text that added little or nothing informational to the narrative.
So, I decided to kick it up a notch and ask for the complete history of the old Staples Academy building in Easton. There has been much written and published about the building and the institution which it served. In my first attempt to obtain an accurate report, I used the name “Samuel Staples Academy building.” What appeared on my screen was an article that combined the original Academy building with the Samuel Staples Elementary School on Morehouse Road. The software hadn’t been able to distinguish between the two entities given that both had Samuel Staples in their name. So, I changed the request to the history of the “Samuel Staples Free Academy building,” hoping that would eliminate the confusion.
It did. But the information generated was even more egregiously wrong.
Below is the complete text that was generated. Warning: Do not commit to memory ANY of the dates or most of facts presented in this report, as they are just about all completely wrong!!!!
The History of the Samuel Staples Free Academy Building in Easton, Connecticut
A Chronicle of Educational and Community Legacy
Introduction
The Samuel Staples Free Academy building stands as a testament to the town of Easton, Connecticut’s commitment to education and community development. This historical edifice has witnessed transformations and played a pivotal role in the educational journey of many residents.
Early Beginnings
The establishment of the Samuel Staples Free Academy dates back to the mid-19th century. Named after its benefactor, Samuel Staples, a prominent local figure and philanthropist, the academy was founded to provide free education to the children of Easton. The academy’s inception was rooted in the belief that education should be accessible to all, regardless of socioeconomic status.
Construction and Architecture
Construction of the Samuel Staples Free Academy building commenced in 1858, with the cornerstone laid in a grand ceremony attended by town officials and residents. The building was designed in the Greek Revival architectural style, which was popular in the United States during that period. Notable for its stately columns and symmetrical façade, the academy building quickly became a landmark in Easton.
Educational Role
Upon its completion in 1860, the Samuel Staples Free Academy opened its doors to students. The academy offered a rigorous curriculum that included subjects such as mathematics, science, literature, and history. It also featured a strong emphasis on moral and civic education, reflecting the values of its founder, Samuel Staples.
The academy served as a primary and secondary school for many decades, adapting to the evolving educational needs of the community. It became a center for academic excellence, producing graduates who went on to pursue higher education and various professional careers.
Transformation and Modernization
As the population of Easton grew and the demand for education increased, the Samuel Staples Free Academy underwent several expansions and renovations. In the early 20th century, additional classrooms and facilities were added to accommodate the growing number of students. Modern amenities such as electricity, heating, and plumbing were also introduced, ensuring that the academy kept pace with technological advancements.
Mid-20th Century Changes
By the mid-20th century, the educational landscape in Easton had evolved significantly. The town’s school district consolidated, and new schools were built to serve the community. As a result, the Samuel Staples Free Academy building transitioned from being a primary educational institution to serving other community purposes.
Preservation and Legacy
Recognizing the historical significance of the Samuel Staples Free Academy building, the town of Easton undertook efforts to preserve and restore the structure. In the 1970s, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, ensuring its protection and recognition as a heritage site.
Cultural and Community Center
Today, the Samuel Staples Free Academy building functions as a cultural and community center. It hosts various events, including art exhibitions, lectures, community meetings, and historical reenactments. The building also houses a small museum dedicated to the history of education in Easton and the legacy of Samuel Staples.
Established in the mid-19th century? Built in 1858? Grand ceremony by the people? Greek Revival? Columns? National Register of Historic Places? Small museum? Where did any of this come from? None of this is even remotely close to being factual.
We have all read articles that raise concern that future students will use AI to generate their reports and essays. If they use AI in its present form, I have little doubt they will get a failing grade – unless, of course, their teachers use the same brand of AI software to do their own research. But the real concern here should be that the present version is now on practically every computer that uses what is perhaps the most recognized brand of software in the world, and it is generating copious amounts of misinformation – misinformation that can and will be taken as factual. To me, that is almost as scary as the prediction that machines will soon be in control of our minds and destiny.
When I asked my AI if I could rely on the information it provides me as being correct, I received this reply:
“Despite extensive training and sophisticated algorithms, I am not infallible. There is always a margin of error, especially in complex or ambiguous queries. Human oversight and critical thinking are crucial in verifying the information provided.”
In other words, it appears that I should be expected to independently verify everything the AI software has just provided me with. Doesn’t that defeat the purpose? And how do I go about verifying information when the AI doesn’t identify the sources it used? Seems like more work to get it right than if I had done my own research (now there’s a concept!), rather than relying on a machine to generate information from some unknown databank in cyberspace.
I have no doubt that over time, this early version of consumer AI software will greatly change and become much more adept at fact finding, but as of right now… Well, from my limited experience using AI, I would say it has got a long way to go before its creators can take a break; and more importantly, a long way to go before the company that produces it should expect its customers to embrace it.
