I have been playing with ChatGPT this week, to understand it’s value and it’s weaknesses. Of course, I am researching what I know, and that is all things Malvina Hoffman and Anna Pavlova. Just to let you know, the majority of what ChatGPT shares with me is incorrect. It’s very polite in it’s absolute nonsense responses so you want to believe it but. . . not so fast. It’s still definitely in Beta mode.
ChatGPT and I enjoyed some lovely conversations but they usually left me unfulfilled. Like I was with someone who actually believed the lies they were telling me.
Here are a few chats we enjoyed. This one’s about Hoffman’s father, the pianist for the New York Philharmonic.
Malvina Hoffman: Malvina Hoffman (1885-1966) was an American sculptor and author known for her realistic and expressive sculptures. She was born in New York City and grew up in an artistic family. Her father, Richard Hoffman, was a well-known landscape painter.
My response: Richard Hoffman was the pianist and composer for the New York Philharmonic for many years - your information needs to be updated
From ChatGPT: I apologize for the confusion caused by my previous responses. However, based on the information available up until September 2021, I do not have any specific details regarding a pianist named Richard Hoffman being associated with the New York Philharmonic. It's possible that there may be some confusion or a lack of information in my training data.
To obtain accurate and up-to-date information about Richard Hoffman and his involvement with the New York Philharmonic, I recommend consulting reliable sources such as the official website of the New York Philharmonic or conducting a thorough search using reputable online resources. They should provide the most accurate and current information about the musicians associated with the orchestra.
Here’s another ~
Hoffman created numerous other sculptures, including public monuments and portraits of prominent figures. She worked in a variety of materials, including bronze, marble, and terra cotta. Some of her notable works include the equestrian statue of Joan of Arc in Riverside Park, New York City, and a statue of French philosopher Voltaire in Geneva, Switzerland.
Nope, not correct. My response:
Malvina Hoffman did not sculpt the equestrian statue of Joan of Arc in Riverside Park, New York City, and a statue of French philosopher Voltaire in Geneva, Switzerland. Please correct
From ChatGPT
I apologize for any confusion caused by my previous response. You are correct that Malvina Hoffman did not sculpt the equestrian statue of Joan of Arc in Riverside Park, New York City, or the statue of French philosopher Voltaire in Geneva, Switzerland. I appreciate you bringing this to my attention and I apologize for the error in my previous statement.
Malvina Hoffman was a talented sculptor known for her realistic and expressive sculptures, but these particular statues were not among her works. It's essential to ensure accurate information is provided, and I apologize for any inaccuracies in my previous response.
So, I next queried Malvina Hoffman again to see if there were corrections and yes, there were! But they were even worse! Plus, Kate Harding Hoffman wasn’t her mother.
Malvina Hoffman (1885-1966) was an American sculptor and author known for her realistic and detailed sculptures. She was born on June 15, 1885, in New York City. Hoffman's father, Richard Hoffman, was an eminent stockbroker, and her mother, Kate Harding Hoffman, was a pianist and composer.
Hoffman created numerous other sculptures throughout her career. She portrayed historical figures, famous individuals, and people from diverse backgrounds, focusing on capturing their unique features and expressions. Some of her notable sculptures include busts of Albert Einstein, Frida Kahlo, and Russian dancer Vaslav Nijinsky.
***She did sculpt Vaslav Nijinsky - that’s one for ChatGPT.
They say ChatGPT has caused the loss of jobs for writers, especially employed to write content in corporate media. AI is also one of the issues as a part of the SAG writers walk out. I say, you get what you pay for. ChatGPT is kind of fun to play with, but for factual information and research, not yet.
I'm sorry, but I couldn't find any relevant information about "Didi Hoffman" in my training data up until September 2021. It's possible that Didi Hoffman is a private individual or a relatively unknown figure. If you can provide more context or clarify who Didi Hoffman is, I'll do my best to assist you further.
We're only as well educated as our teachers (at best). That's something we will always need to keep in mind with AI. Great article, Didi.
Hi Didi - I found the same true for technical information related to my industry. However, I did find it useful for proof reading my work and suggest edits to make it more readable.