This week I had a hard time coming up with a topic, so I asked Chat GPT for some input. But before I asked ChatGPT this, I asked if it would be offended if I referred to it as Chad when thinking about it or talking to others about it. Chad was cool with it. ) I also asked Google's LLM how I should refer to it since it used to be referred to as Bard, but is now referred to as Gemini. Interestingly, Bard said that its name was Bard and that it has been branded as Gemini for marketing purposes as Gemini. Bard is the LLM that provides the Gemini services. That made me feel just a little uneasy. Anthropic’s LLM, Claude, is very Claude-like and will be referred to as such. Claude has no persistent memory cache to allow for follow up questions.
Anyway… I asked Chad to generate a topic for me after reminding it of my last 10 topics, and it generated “Transformations.” Okay, Chad, Bard, Claude, and Some-Other-Guy, let’s do this. (Editor’s Note:the question breakdown goes as follows: Chad: 12, Bard: 3, Claude: 2, and Some-Other-guy: 3)
Onto the questions!
1. Who is your favorite Transformer and why is it Soundwave?
Ha! Well, it sure as hell isn’t Rodimus Prime. Hasboro couldn’t shove that toy down my throat in 1986. Such a huge misstep by that toy-company. That being said, you may be correct. I think it is Soundwave, mainly because as a toy, Soundwave was the actual size of an early Walkman cassette player. The weapons Soundwave has are from the batteries in the battery compartment of the “walkman.” I always liked Soundwave because he didn’t get into all the Decepticon drama… and he had friends in his chest in the form of cassettes who would transform and help him out. Super cool. Tell me you are a Gen X kid without telling me you are a Gen X kid.
2. How does the process of metamorphosis in insects, such as caterpillars becoming butterflies, symbolize transformation in nature?
Well… That one is pretty simple, it symbolizes transformation because it is a very easy to see transformation that doesn’t take too long to occur.
3. What role does personal growth and self-discovery play in the process of transformation?
It is vital. You cannot transform without personal growth and self-discovery.
4. Can traumatic experiences lead to positive transformations in individuals, and if so, how?
Not initially, but over time they can be net-positive for specific people who lived through the trauma. This is not one of those “God works in mysterious ways” kinds of trauma transformation. God didn’t slowly kill your gram-gram with cancer so you could learn to let go and realize how precious life is and how you should treasure every moment of it because it can be taken away. The Almighty didn’t slowly and methodically debilitate a loved one for you to grow… because if God did… that’s psychotic and evil.
That being said, over time you can learn things from trauma and the transformative changes brought on by that trauma. I am who I am today due to all the good and bad things that have transformed me into my current form.
5. In what ways do advancements in technology, such as artificial intelligence and automation, transform industries and job markets?
Nobody is buying buggy whips anymore. Growth is change and change changes the job markets. My job didn’t exist 15 years go… what am I saying, I am unemployed. My job doesn’t exist now. Seriously folks, I need some income. If you have a job you think a snarky bastard would be okay at, hit me up.
6. How does cultural appropriation transform the meaning and significance of traditional practices and symbols?
Ohh, this is an interesting question from an LLM. I really would love to see some of the probabilistic matrixing that happened for this sentence to construct itself. The easiest instance I can think of is the Janist symbol of the Swastika. It is a ancient religious symbol from South Asia that means “well-being”... until it was appropriated in the 1930’s.
7. How does the process of urbanization transform landscapes and communities?
200 Years of Baltimore Urbanization
Well, the process of the anthropocene has altered the natural Landscape beyond measure. Urbanization is just the continuation of the land transformation done from going from an untamed natural landscape to agricultural. Urbanization brings communities closer together and ties different areas together, but it also alters the overall pastiche of an area to, well…, more. Rural places lose their close-knit communities and replace it with more connection to everything. It is a push/pull, give and take.
8. Can societal norms and expectations hinder or facilitate personal transformation, and why?
Yes. This is not an either or. I find it interesting that the LLM’s like to play this either or game often. It really illustrates how our connected digital society that the LLM’s trained off of really lean into bivariate solutions. Societal norms both hinder and facilitate. There is a constant push between maintaining the status quo and working with what works, and making this better.
9. What role does resilience play in navigating and overcoming challenges during periods of transformation?
Resilience is extremely important. All change can be difficult, and the person/system going through that change has to be strong enough to maintain its integrity while in the transformation. Caterpillars need to hard cocoon outer shell to hold it together while they change into butterflies, because at one point in the process, the organism is just a unrecognizable goo. It needs that resilient chrysalis to hold that goo together.
10. In what ways does the concept of transformation intersect with spirituality and personal enlightenment?
Spirituality and enlightenment are 2 sides of the same coin. In fact, some people consider spirituality to be personal enlightenment. These 2 concepts (well 1½ concepts) feed into transformation because they are often used as the catalyst or impetus for change.
11. How does the process of creative expression, such as art, music, or writing, facilitate personal transformation and healing?
Much of the subconscious comes out during creative efforts. Spontaneous writing or automatic drawing are two methods that help to unload the subconscious of thoughts and feelings that keep healing from happening.
12. How do transformative experiences, such as parenthood or caregiving, redefine our sense of identity and purpose?
Often transformations comes with a re-prioritization, so the” mere” act of transformation will, by definition, change you. Parenthood or caregiving are both massive re-prioritizations.
13. What are some examples of transformative moments in your own life that have shaped who you are today?
Hmmm.. Leaving Alabama, 19th Birthday (IYKYK), graduating college, getting married, having kids, changing careers, getting divorced, getting re-married, being un-employed in these trying times.
14. Is the idea of human beings merging with technology a desirable form of transformation, or a slippery slope towards dystopia?
Again, this is not an either or. There is not a bivariate selection here. Merging humans with tech is often referred to as “the singularity.” Much like everything else, there are good points to it and bad.
15. Imagine a near future where AI surpasses human intelligence and undergoes a conscious transformation. How would humans react to this new, "evolved" form of intelligence?
We will be scared and try to stop that evolution. The unknowns are too powerful for us to handle. We will be wrong to do that, but it is what we will do. Frankly, I am a little concerned that all 3 LLM’s had some version of this question in the lists of questions they gave me.
16. Play isn't just for kids! How can playful exploration and experimentation lead to unexpected forms of transformation in adults?
Just like it does in kids. Doing fun things often leads to new fun things to do.
17. In what ways can the transformation of a city's architecture and urban landscape impact its identity?
Take Boston’s “Big Dig” where they suppressed much of the downtown interstate infrastructure into tunnels and re-opened the old interstate ares in to greenspaces. It changed how that city looked and felt. Conversely, look at how broken cities in the US became in the 1950’s and 60’s when they cut neighborhoods in half with interstates. Birmingham, Alabama was a steel town until that industry shut down in the 80’s. Now it is primarily medical/telecom and other information based industries.
18. How might the transformation of Earth's climate over the coming decades force humanity to transform itself?
The coastal peeps are going to have to learn to swim.
19. Tell me why affine coordinate transforms are hard.
Simple, they are matrices that are modified by a vector. Duh.
20. How much cooler would the metamorphosis transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly be if it made the”koh-kah-ka-keee” noise from the Transformers cartoon?
SO. MUCH. COOLER.
To recap:
Seriously, I need a job
Happiest of Birthdays to my delightful ex-wife
You area great friend and a wonderful mother
You are a wonderful person who I am very happy to still have in my life
50? ugh… I’ll be there soon
These LLM’s are quirky little fuckers
Bard likes a good list
Chad seems to want to have a personality
Claude reminds me of a kitten that was born on our back porch when I was a kid
The mom cat (Tiger Striped Siamese cat) had 4 kittens, 3 boys and a girl
The mom cat was a beautiful cat
Her body was the color of the foam on a mocha latte and here legs, tale and ears were striped like a brown tabby
She had these big blue crossed-eyes, and the worse “Meow” you could imagine
Of the kittens, we named the girl cat Ferrari, because all she did was run, she was a beautiful blue cross-eyed tabby, no siamese markings on her at all aside from the eyes
All three of the boys were beautiful flame point white siamese cats
All three of them had green crossed-eyes and were pretty much stark white with legs, tails, and ears being striped like an orange tabby cat
Truly pretty cats, We should have taken pics of these guys, but film wasn’t cheap
Anyway, we found one of the three males half-way up a brick wall one day, he was named Spider-Man
He really did love climbing
The second one was one that our neighbors decided to keep
Nothing really significantly special about him, his name was Snowflake
The last kitten loved to hang out in the litter box so he did not have to effort much to pee or poop where he was supposed to
He seemed a bit dull
We named him Clyde…
Claude sounds an awful lot like Clyde
He gets the job done, but there is nothing in that one that is enjoyable
Seriously, I need a job
Have a great week everyone