Continuing my experimentation with Google Bard, I asked the AI to “write a poem in the style of poet Kevin Morris”. For any of my readers who are interested, you can read Bard’s poem here, https://g.co/bard/share/44ce659bcef2
I don’t think I need worry about Google Bard plagiarising my work, nor do I believe that any other poets need be concerned, at least for the foreseeable future.
As those of you who follow my blog will know, I have long maintained an interest in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). My fascination with the subject has caused me to become involved in a project to build a poetic robot.
My own model (simply called Kevin) which is, I am sure you will agree most appropriate, has been programmed with all poems composed by me since I first began to write poetry back in 2013.
Want a poem about time? No problem, just ask Kevin for a poem on that subject and he will regale you with a composition on that topic in my own voice. Feeling in a mood to have your ribs tickled? Just ask Kevin for a composition on naughty young women and he will recite a poem about wicked Miss Hocking who lost more than a stocking whilst attending the vicar’s garden party …!
The developer has done a fantastic job. Not only does the robot sound like me, it also looks remarkably life-like and can even change it’s expression. A humorous poem will cause Kevin to smile whilst reciting his composition, whilst a poem about mortality leads to a mournful and thoughtful expression.
Kevin is retailing at a cost of £1000. However, there is a special offer for my readers. Just contact me by 12 noon today with your order and you can have your very own poetic Kevin for the fantastic cost of only £899.!
Happy listening!
I recently posted about my experience of using Chat GPT to create poetry, https://kmorrispoet.com/2023/02/13/what-happened-when-i-entered-one-of-my-poems-into-chat-gpt/. In that post I discussed the results of entering my poem Midnight into Chat GPT and how the AI continued my poem (which was originally published several years ago).
This morning I came across this article, https://ai.plainenglish.io/writers-dont-fear-chatgpt-81e1128b11c1
, in which the author argues that writers should not fear AI. Whilst I am sure that Chat GPT (and other AIS) will improve over time, I agree with the author’s view of the matter.
Many of you (perhaps all) will have heard or read about Chat GPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool, https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/.
Having watched a couple of videos on Youtube, I was curious to see how Chat GPT would respond to my poetry. I therefore inputted the text of my poem “Midnight” into the search engine.
You can see below the results of my experiment. First, I simply entered the text of the poem and Chat GPT provided it’s interpretation of it’s meaning. Second, I re-entered my poem. However, in the second instance I asked Chat GPT to continue the poem which it duly did.
I must confess to being impressed with Chat GPT’s interpretation of “Midnight”. Where I to explain my own poem I would have done so in very similar terms to those generated by the AI. However, I was not overly impressed with how Chat GPT continued my poem. The continuation is, in my view mediocre at best. The poem (as I wrote it) is dark with no glimmer of light, however Chat GPT adds such a glimmer.
Do I think that Chat GPT or other similar products are going to replace human poets?. No. Chat GPT draws from a huge database (although it is not connected to the internet). It has access to a vast amount of literature (including) poetry from which it draws. It is not, however capable (so far as I can ascertain) of producing anything truly original. We humans have emotions which play a significant role in the composition of literature (including poetry). Chat GPT and similar products are incapable of feeling emotions. They are software (admittedly very clever software), but software nonetheless.
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My Poem:
Midnight, black as pitch. No scheming demon, ghost, nor witch. Only the darkness, which in the human heart resides, manifests itself in cruelty and pride.
Chat GPT’s Interpretation of the Poem:
This verse paints a picture of midnight as a dark and ominous time, with the absence of supernatural entities suggesting that it is human nature itself that is the source of evil. The mention of cruelty and pride implies that these negative traits are inherent in people, and that they manifest themselves in the darkness of the night. This could be interpreted as a commentary on the darker aspects of human nature, and how they reveal themselves when the constraints of society are lifted.
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continue this poem. Midnight, black as pitch. No scheming demon, ghost, nor witch. Only the darkness, which in the human heart resides, manifests itself in cruelty and pride. (End of my poem).
(Start of Chat GPT’s continuation of the poem). Yet in the shadows of this midnight hour, Lies a glimmer of hope, a guiding power. A light that shines, dispelling all fear, Bringing comfort, banishing the tear.
For in the heart of every man and woman, Lies a spark of love, a gentle flame, burning. A force that fights against the night, Bringing peace and hope, making everything right.
So though midnight may seem bleak and grim, Let us not forget, it’s just a passing phase. For with the dawn comes a brand new day, And a chance to make a brighter way.
continue this poem. Midnight, black as pitch. No scheming demon, ghost, nor witch. Only the darkness, which in the human heart resides, manifests itself in cruelty and pride.
Yet in the shadows of this midnight hour, Lies a glimmer of hope, a guiding power. A light that shines, dispelling all fear, Bringing comfort, banishing the tear.
For in the heart of every man and woman, Lies a spark of love, a gentle flame, burning. A force that fights against the night, Bringing peace and hope, making everything right.
So though midnight may seem bleak and grim, Let us not forget, it’s just a passing phase. For with the dawn comes a brand new day, And a chance to make a brighter way.
K Morris - Poet 