I asked Chat GPT (software developed by https://openai.com/), to write a poem in the style of my own poem “Autumn Fly”. The results are below. (“Autumn Fly” can be found in my collection “Light and Shade”, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Light-Shade-serious-not-poems/dp/B08B37VVKV).
Write a poem in the style of this poem.
An autumn fly
Buzzes around my head.
Summer is dead
Yet will not die.
Seasons pass.
We are brittle as glass,
This fly and I.
Chat GPT’s Poem:
A winter breeze howls through barren trees,
The autumn leaves have all gone to sleep.
The world is frozen, silent and still,
But a lone fly lingers, against its will.
It buzzes and flutters, seeking escape,
From the icy grip of this wintery landscape.
Its wings beat fast, a frantic blur,
A symbol of life, in a world so unsure.
For we too are fragile, like the glass,
That shatters with a single touch, alas!
Our time on earth is fleeting and brief, Like the seasons that bring us joy and grief.
Yet this fly persists, a stubborn light,
In a world that’s dark and cold as night.
It reminds us to cling to life and hope,
To fly free and wide, no matter how remote.
So let us be like this autumn fly,
And strive for the sun, even as it dies.
For life is a journey, full of surprise,
And we must make the most of its fleeting guise.
K Morris - Poet 
Indeed intesteresting! But in my opinion the poem by ChatGPT is more like a shortstory. Not really a poem. Thanks for sharing, Kevin! Enjoy a nice Sunday! xx Michael
Thanks, Michael. You also, have a good Sunday. I also feel that the poem by Chat GPT is overly verbose.
The AI poem is not in your style at all. It just took the subject and put it into a flowery iambic pentameter, the same as it has for every other poem it has “created.”
Thanks for commenting, Liz. I think you are right in your assessment of what Chat GPT has done. I may give Chat GPT4 a try, however, unlike Chat GPT 3.5, the latest version is around $16 a month. But perhaps I’ll give it a go for a month and then cancel.
You’re welcome, Kevin.
You may find this article interesting, Liz https://longreads.com/2022/12/09/can-ai-write-authentic-poetry/. In summary, the poet (who is associated with MIT) does not believe that AI is capable of writing authentic poetry (my very brief summary of his view)!
Thank you for passing the article along, Kevin. I just read it. Seems to me that authentic poetry and artificial intelligence are a contradiction in terms. My other question is why a poet would want to use AI to write poetry in the first place.
On your second question, and speaking personally, I experimented with Chat GPT out of intellectual curiosity. At school science was never my strong point. However, I have long had an interest in technology, hence wishing to try out Chat GPT.
On your first point, a couple of weeks back I spoke to a gentleman who makes films. He was of the view that one day Chat GPT or similar AI would mean that humans would no longer be needed in his field of work. We also touched on poetry and he said that AI could (in the future) compose poetry of the same quality as that written by the best human poets. I responded that AI does not possess feelings/emotions and does not understand what it is creating. He countered that an AI could be programmed to respond on seeing birds with a range of emotions. Perhaps he is right. However, I suspect such responses would be wooden. One can tell someone to write a poem on birds bringing in the emotion of sadness. A poor poet (or one at the start of his craft) might say something like, “I am glad when I hear birds, but sad for life is brief and ends in grief”. But, at this juncture AI is (to my knowledge) not capable of producing even this.
If it does happen that AI can produce passable poetry, then poets who have mastered their craft and write authentic, expressive poetry should be in high demand.
Funny that you mention films. I dislike CGI in movies intensely. It pulls me right out of the “fictive dream.”
I agree with you that those poets who are able to produce great poetry will enhance their value in a world potentially saturated with AI poetry, Liz. I own several carved objects, including a turtle from Sri Lanka. The beauty of something hand crafted can not be compared to that which is mass produced. I think it is (and will remain) the same with poetry.
I suspect a friend of mine who is a retired film director would agree with your assessment of films with computer ggraphics.
It does feel as though writers and artists are under attack, though.
I can understand why you feel that, Liz. There are lots of videos out there (for example on Youtube) extoling get rich schemes using Chat GPT (including producing novels, short stories and poetry with little or no human effort) Obviously much (if not all) of such “literature” will be rubbish. Nonetheless it is depressing for authors who work hard to see “get rich quick” schemes of this nature being promoted.
I’ll share this final article/post on the subject as you and others may find it interesting, https://sevencircumstances.com/2023/03/20/in-response-to/. Thanks for commenting, Kevin
I just read the article. Thank you for passing it along. I agree that it is the best response to the current AI discussion that I’ve seen.
You are welcome for the article, Liz. I’m looking forward to all that AI generated spam like a hole in the head …! Best wishes. Kevin
Spam filter, don’t fail me now!
I shall keep my fingers crossed for us all, Liz.
As shall I!
The poem by ChatGPT doesn’t even make sense. It starts out about winter, but ends up in autumn. And (as others have said before me) the exact opposite of your style.
Many thanks for commenting. I agree with you about Chat GPT becoming confused over the seasons. I understand from various news sources that the latest version of the software is superior to the one I used to experiment with. However, not having used the most up-to-date software I am unable to comment on this.
They both do feel like poems, but chat really only does poems in one style. I like the precision and wit in yours. 😊
Thank you. I’m pleased you like my poem.