ChatGPT Goes Paddling
By Larry Lempert
As the latest waves of excitement and fear about artificial intelligence were building a couple years ago, a Takoma Park neighbor asked an AI engine to write a poem about our fair city. What came back was a rhyming concatenation of descriptions—heavy on clichés—that people do throw around when talking about this enclave. Who, for example, has not heard that Takoma Park officially has declared itself a nuclear-free zone? So understandably, AI's poem began, "Takoma Park, a city rich with art,
Nuclear free and full of heart …" And on it went, with couplets that won't be winning any poetry prizes, at least none awarded by mere humans.
Hearing my neighbor tell about this experience recently made me wonder, since AI supposedly is getting better all the time, what it would have to say now about a certain paddling club of renown. I didn't want to set the bar too low, so I gave the acclaimed AI engine ChatGPT this prompt: "Write a sonnet in the style of Shakespeare describing the activities of the Canoe Cruisers Association based on the association's website canoecruisers.org." I present to you in its entirety a sonnet for the ages, ChatGPT's take on CCA:
In fair Potomac's gentle, winding flow,
The Canoe Cruisers gather, hearts aligned.
Since nineteen fifty-six, as currents show,
They've plied these waters, friendships intertwined.
From placid streams to rapids' wild embrace,
Their paddles dance in synchronized delight.
Through verdant realms, they chart a fluid trace,
Uniting souls with nature's purest light.
With skill and grace, they teach the novice hand
To navigate the river's varied face.
In safety's name, as stewards of the land,
They guard the waterways we all embrace.
In unity, they champion the cause
Of free access and conservation's laws.
Their annual race upon the Potomac's tide
Invites both swift and steady to compete.
Yet camaraderie remains their guide,
As friendly rivals in good spirits meet.
Through sunlit days and under starry skies,
The Canoe Cruisers' legacy shall rise.
Well, put that on a T-shirt for the Downriver Race! Slap that on the CCA home page right now! I have to admit: ChatGPT has nailed the club's key selling points and activities. Whether Shakespeare, or your eighth-grade English teacher, would approve is a different matter. But could you encapsulate CCA in better verse given 20 seconds?
A sonnet is a rather exacting form—iambic pentameter and all that. So maybe our Safety Chair Rolo Arrieta could write a limerick, but in five seconds? Here was my next prompt: "Write a limerick emphasizing the importance of safety when coordinating a whitewater kayaking and canoeing trip." ChatGPT's five seconds yielded this:
When you paddle through rapids so steep,
Safety plans are the treasures to keep.
Check your gear and your crew,
Know the waters you'll do,
So the journey’s a thrill, not a weep!
Speaking of whitewater safety, ChatGPT was strong on drama but weak on safety when it created a paddling image I asked for. The prompt: "Create a photo that looks real of a very handsome man and a good-looking woman wearing evening attire paddling a canoe together in the middle of a difficult rapid."
ChatGPT did as asked, and for good measure added this explanation: "Here is the realistic image you requested—a dramatic and unique blend of elegance and adventure!"