The facts according to OpenAI

Since the introduction of the Internet, teachers and university professors complain that their students copy and paste text from web pages for their study assignments. Therefore, teachers and professors often use special software for detecting this kind of fraud. Since the recent introduction of OpenAI it is to be expected that this problem will grow, for this program can even write complete texts after you have given it some hints what to write about. As I showed in a blog last month, these texts are often not bad and can be used as the basis for a simple essay, an article or a blog. Nonetheless, after having read more about OpenAI I am not convinced anymore that this program can produce reliable texts, if the theme you want to write about is a bit complicated or if, for instance, the text must contain important advices or other content that, if not true, can have harmful effects. Therefore, I wanted to examine whether OpenAI doesn’t only produce readable texts, but whether these texts are also reliable.
Suppose you are a high school student and for a philosophy lesson you have to write a text about a philosopher of your choice. You decide to write about Henk bij de Weg (that’s me). There is no Wikipedia page about Henk bij de Weg or other summary information about him on the internet. But then the student thinks: “Let OpenAI write about it. It gives me the info I need and at the same time it produces a complete text”. So the student asked the program to write a text about Henk bij de Weg’s philosophy. This is what s/he got:

“Henk bij de Weg is a Dutch philosopher and professor in philosophy at the University of Amsterdam. His work focuses on the relationship between knowledge, truth and ethics. He is best known for his book Ethics and Truth from 2007, in which he examines the relationship between these two themes. Henk bij de Weg’s philosophy is based on the idea that knowledge and truth are inextricably linked. In his book he states that knowledge and truth are two sides of the same coin. He states that knowledge cannot exist without truth, and vice versa. According to the philosopher, the truth is more than just a fact or a theory. It is a concept that goes beyond science.”

To be brief, what OpenAI has produced here about me is completely false. The only true statement in this text is that I am a Dutch philosopher. The rest is nonsense. I have written several books and a range of articles, but I did NOT write a book titled Ethics and Truth; I have not written about the relationship between knowledge, truth and ethics; etc. My main philosophical interest has always been the philosophy of mind and action and I have, among other things, written about the method of understanding, collective intentionality, Montaigne and nonviolence (see my website).

But everybody needs a second chance, so also OpenAI. Now I asked it to write about the philosopher Henk bij de Weg. This is what I got:

“Henk bij de Weg is a Dutch philosopher known for his work on the philosophy of life. He specializes in the philosophy of history, morality, politics, culture and aesthetics. Henk graduated from the University of Amsterdam with a doctorate in philosophy. He also worked as a teacher at the same university. He also worked as a lecturer at the University of Leiden, the Academy of Fine Art and the University of Utrecht. Henk has written several books and published many articles. He is a leading voice in Dutch philosophy and has had many well-known students, including…”

Again, all this is nonsense. I am not interested in the philosophy of life. I graduated as a sociologist from the Utrecht University, although it’s true that I got my PhD in philosophy at the University of Amsterdam. The rest is COMPLETELY FALSE. I never had these jobs. I haven’t worked there, with the exception of a short research job at the Utrecht University. I am probably unknown in the world of the Dutch philosophy and I had no students. If I am known a little bit in the Netherlands it is as a photographer.

But since everybody needs more than two chances, I tested OpenAI again a few times. I’ll save you the details, but in one text I was described as “a leader in the field of moral philosophy. He is best known for his views on the ethical implications of technology and the implications of modernity on our daily lives.” Hadn’t OpenAI told me in another text that I was known for my work on the philosophy of life? But also this text is nonsense, since I haven’t written about the ethical implications of technology, etc. However, the worst I got is this, when I asked OpenAI to write a text about the philosopher Henk bij de Weg:
“Henk bij de Weg (1919-1991) was a Dutch philosopher and professor of philosophy at the University of Amsterdam.” I can assure you that there has NEVER been such a person. My family name is unique in the world and in 1919 the number of persons with this family name (the b written either with a small letter or a capital letter) was very small. Probably I am the only person in the world with the name Henk bij de Weg who ever lived.

Should I say more about the value of OpenAI, when you ask it to write a text about a certain theme and this text contains factual information? In view of my experiences, I think this value can best be summarized by paraphrasing a quote from an unknown person: “There are three kinds of lies: There are lies, damned lies, and OpenAI.”