So, I “interviewed” ChatGPT last week, and this week I used a prompt (multiple prompts) to get ChatGPT to give me 20 Questions about the topic of doggos… This is a game changer. The first prompt I gave resolved into the LLM giving me 20 Questions, but most of them were just trivia facts about doggos and such. Very “look this up on wikipedia” and answer the questions. So I gave a correcting prompt to make the questions less fact-based and more philosophical… and here we are. Let’s answer these questions and look at pics of my doggos. My doggos are 9 year old Vizslas. This is Francesca
And this is Chewie.
Here we go.
1. Do you believe dogs have a sense of morality, or are they simply conditioned by their environment?
Dogs, and most animals have a sense of right and wrong FOR THOSE PARTICULAR ANIMALS. Their morality is not similar or necessarily even comprehensible by people. T
2. If dogs could dream, what do you think they dream about?
Dogs definitely dream. If my dog, Cesca, is any indication, it is eating and chasing, if Chewie is the indicator, it is all about barking at squirrels.
3. What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about dogs?
That they have motivations like people. They are dogs. They have motivations, but they are doggo motivations that are not necessarily understandable by humans.
4. Can you truly consider yourself a dog lover if you're allergic to them?
I am gluten intolerant, but I love donuts. Yes… a person who is allergic can be a dog person… just a miserable unhappy dog person.
5. Do you think dogs understand the concept of death?
Yes. They definitely do. They kill things… with their teeth. If you have a concept of kill, you have a concept of death.
6. In your opinion, what makes dogs such loyal companions compared to other pets?
Since they are pack animals, they adopt themselves into the “pack” that is the human family. This creates a level of connection that makes the dogs super loyal. Other pets don’t necessarily have that pack mentality.
7. If dogs could talk, what do you think they would say is their biggest pet peeve about humans?
That we don’t listen to them when they ask for something that we don’t want to give them, such as food off the table.
8. Do you think dogs have a sense of humor, or are they just reacting to our behavior?
I do not think all dogs have a sense of humor, just like I don’t think all people do. I am positive that some dogs are silly creatures who actively try to make other dogs and people laugh.
9. How do you think dogs perceive the passage of time when their owners are away?
Ad infinitum… a moment away is an eternity.
10. If dogs could choose their own names, what do you think they would pick?
Francesca would name herself: Franscesca Gabriella Delores Caterina Teresa Angela De la Vega Micaela del Santísimo Sacremento del Perpetuo Socorro de la Santisma Trinidad y de Todos Los Santos
Chewie would have named himself: Big C (he thinks he is fat… he is not)
11. Do you believe in the concept of a "dog's sixth sense," where they can detect things humans can't?
Dogs can detect things humans cannot. It IS NOT a sixth sense or anything paranormal. Their hearing is significantly better as well as their sense of smell. Nothing paranormal at all.
12. What do you think dogs would say is the best thing about being a dog if they could communicate it to us?
Belly scritches
13. Do you think dogs understand the concept of personal space, or are they just naturally cuddly creatures?
Again, some dogs respect personal space, some do not. While writing this on the couch, Cesca has stepped on the keyboard 3 times.
14. If dogs had the ability to text, what do you think their most common message to their owners would be?
Hey. Hey. I saw somebody across the street. Hey. Hey. Hey. Hey.
15. How do you think dogs perceive human language? Do they understand the words or just the tone?
There have been some studies that show dogs understand vocabulary as well as tone. Even when the tone is positive and loving, they know when people are calling them dumb and such. But, again, this is almost a breed to breed and even individual dog to individual dog issue. Some breeds are better at language distinction than others and some individual doggos are super wordy.
16. Do you think dogs have a preference for certain types of music, and if so, what genre do you think they'd prefer?
Depends on the dog and the music. Personal preference is real… even in canines.
17. What do you believe dogs dream about when they twitch and make noises in their sleep?
Chasing things and eating stuff and getting petted, but we already talked about this. You are slipping ChatGPT.
18. If dogs could choose their own profession, what do you think they would excel at?
Francesca: Judge… she is always judging anyway
Chewie: Mattress tester
19. In your opinion, what's the most heartwarming story involving a dog you've ever heard?
All stories of neglected dogs becoming loved are delightful stories. Can I pick a fav? No. Take a look at “The Dodo” and you will get heartwarming dog stories..
20. Do you think dogs have a concept of karma or justice when they see another dog misbehaving?
Nope. I do not believe that any dog would ever stoop low enough to call another dog a “bad dog.” They have a moral code, but it is not ours. Part of their code is that there is not a bad dog.
To recap:
I feel like, since many of these answers are “depends on the individual,” it seems like there is a certain amount of “damn, these dogs are sentient, yo”
ChatGPT definitely has some limitations
Getting it to write something novel is not it’s strong suit
Not getting it to write a novel, it cannot do that
There really are some serious limitations to its capabilities
Buuuuut, it is still super interesting and fun to play with it
I love my doggos
They are the best
But I am a cat person, primarily
My kids’ asthma and my daughter’s allergy to cats makes them a non-starter in Casa Del Ryan-Hart
Still in the market for a job
Hit me up if you have a non-entry level UX job
I come with pics of dogs
Seriously, I can divide by zero
I am a goddamn purple unicorn
Have a great week everyone