Could a robot do my job?

Oh my, I’ve discovered Chat GPT, an artificial intelligence tool.

I played around with it for a while and I’m now wondering if I’m still going to have a job soon. Daring not to try a business news piece for the Business Desk, I floated a few ideas i might use in my music column in the Tameside Reporter and Glossop Chronicle.

It took a few minutes to set up and it’s very simple to use. You basically register, then once you’ve gone through all of that you add a few questions into it, like you would in a Google search.

I tried a few different points that might make an entertaining column about music therapy in this paper and about the radio station. It wasn’t good on that level of detail, fortunately.

I then dropped in a few discussion points that I might try in this corner of the paper.

I’d been thinking about the incredible song Whole of the Moon by The Waterboys and wanted to test a theory about it.

I asked the robot who it was written about. 

The answer was fairly clear. 

Mike Scott, the lead singer and songwriter of the Waterboys, has stated in interviews that the song "Whole of the Moon" was inspired by Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera and his band, the bot said

I asked if Prefab Sprout truly changed the face of pop music. It replied:  "Prefab Sprout is considered by many to be a highly influential band in the world of pop music. With their unique blend of introspective lyrics, intricate arrangements, and sophisticated pop melodies, they helped to push the boundaries of what was possible within the genre."

And on it went, then I asked it about "Marquee Moon" by Television and whether Sir Keir Starmer has ever heard it. That’s a Twitter joke, by the way. But I was still curious. 

The robot said: “Marquee Moon by Television is widely considered a classic of the punk and post-punk genres and has received critical acclaim. Whether it is as good as people say it is is subjective and depends on individual taste in music.”

We are nothing if not topical, or controversial, so I asked about our proposition that Stockport is the New Berlin.

“No, Stockport in England is not considered to be the new Berlin. While Stockport has its own unique cultural and historical heritage, it is not widely regarded as a cultural or artistic hub in the same way that Berlin is. Berlin has a long history of being at the forefront of cultural and artistic movements, while Stockport is primarily known as a historic market town and suburban area.”

Or my own TED talk about music and place and whether the wide open spaces of Western Australia are as big an influence on the sound of The Triffids as Salford’s urban decay was on Joy Division. 

Came the reply: “It's impossible to say exactly how Joy Division would have sounded if they had lived in Western Australia, but it is unlikely that they would have sounded like the Triffids. Joy Division was heavily influenced by post-punk and industrial music, while the Triffids were influenced by country, rock, and alternative pop. The geographical location of a band can influence their sound to some extent, but the unique vision and style of the artists is a stronger determinant of the sound of their music.”

Frankly, that is nonsense.

I pushed again and was then told there was too much activity on Chat GPT and to try another day. Fascinating as it was, I think I’ll be OK.