This is a continuation of
a previous post. In that
previous post, I talked about how I had recently discovered ChatGPT's usefulness for creating poems about bizarre situations.
The next thing I've discovered is that ChatGPT is great for creating stories that result from banter.
You know how it is. You're standing around with a group of guys, joking around, saying, "Wouldn't it be funny if such and such happened?"
Well, nowadays, you can actually take that funny hypothetical, and feed it into ChatGPT.
Okay, so today's funny hypothetical:
Someone was telling me a true story about how she was conducting the
IELTS speaking test, and in the course of gesturing to welcome the candidate into the room, she knocked over her cup of tea, and spilled hot tea all over the table and the exam materials. IELTS staff had to be called in to clean up mess, while the candidate just waited in silence.
That part was all true. But here was the funny hypothetical that immediately sprung to my mind: it's a well-known open-secret that in
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnamese people who work at IELTS prep centers will often take the IELTS test not for the purpose of getting a bandscore, but for the purpose of learning about the test, so that they can pass on information to their students. What if this candidate had actually been one of those teachers? And then, the teacher went back and reported to their students that possibly tea might be spilled in the IELTS exam, and (because these IELTS prep centers are notorious for always creating lists of useful tips for their students), they actually incorporated the tips about the tea spilling into their lessons.
So, I gave the prompt to ChatGPT:
write a story about an IELTS teacher who is taking the IELTS speaking test simply to gather information about the test for his students. While he is taking the test, the examiner accidentally spills her tea all over the table. The teacher then mistakenly assumes this is part of the test procedure, and goes back to inform his students that there is a tea spilling part of the IELTS speaking exam
...and, it actually did a very good job. Here is the story it created:
In a bustling city, renowned for its language institutes, there lived a dedicated IELTS teacher named Mr. Davis. He was passionate about his profession and was always on the lookout for innovative ways to help his students excel in their language skills. Mr. Davis had a reputation for going the extra mile, and his students adored him for his creativity and commitment.
One day, as Mr. Davis was preparing his lesson plans, he came across a dilemma. He wanted to gather firsthand information about the IELTS speaking test to better guide his students. Eager to understand the nuances of the exam, he decided to take the test himself. He registered and eagerly awaited the day of his speaking test.
The day arrived, and Mr. Davis entered the test center with a mix of excitement and nervousness. He greeted the examiner, a kind and professional woman, and took his seat. As the speaking test began, Mr. Davis listened attentively to the examiner's questions and responded with confidence, drawing from his extensive knowledge and experience as a teacher.
Midway through the test, as the examiner reached for her cup of tea, a moment of misfortune occurred. The cup slipped from her hand, and tea spilled all over the table, splattering the test papers and creating a small mess. The examiner gasped, her face turning slightly red with embarrassment.
In that moment, Mr. Davis, unknowingly assuming this was part of the test procedure, found himself intrigued by this unexpected turn of events. He perceived it as a unique task designed to assess the test-taker's ability to handle unexpected situations. His mind raced with excitement as he contemplated how he would incorporate this new "tea spilling" element into his future lessons.
After completing the speaking test, Mr. Davis left the examination room, his mind buzzing with ideas. He couldn't wait to share the news with his students. Little did he know that what he had witnessed was simply an accident and not a deliberate part of the IELTS speaking test.
The following day, Mr. Davis eagerly entered his classroom, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. His students, intrigued by his excitement, eagerly awaited his announcement. With a theatrical flair, he proclaimed, "Guess what, my dear students? There's an exciting new addition to the IELTS speaking test! They've introduced a tea spilling task to assess your ability to handle unexpected situations!"
The students exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of how tea spills could be connected to their language proficiency. Nevertheless, they trusted their beloved teacher and embraced the challenge with enthusiasm.
In the weeks that followed, Mr. Davis incorporated the "tea spilling" task into his lessons. He designed mock exams where students had to gracefully navigate through imagined tea spills, demonstrating their ability to maintain composure and adapt their responses smoothly. Surprisingly, the students found these exercises to be both amusing and engaging, and they willingly participated.
As time passed, news of the "tea spilling" task in the IELTS speaking test spread beyond Mr. Davis's classroom. Other teachers caught wind of it and began incorporating similar exercises into their lessons. The "tea spilling" trend became a sensation among IELTS preparation classes, with students across the city preparing for this unexpected challenge.
Eventually, the truth reached Mr. Davis's ears. A fellow teacher, who had attended an examiner's workshop, revealed that the spilled tea incident during Mr. Davis's test was simply an accident and not a part of the actual IELTS speaking test.
Mr. Davis felt a mix of embarrassment and amusement at his mistaken assumption. He realized that his enthusiasm had led him astray, but he couldn't help but appreciate the unintended benefits that came from his well-intentioned mistake. The "tea spilling" task had sparked creativity, engagement, and a sense of camaraderie among his students.
With newfound humility, Mr. Davis gathered his students and shared the truth. They laughed together at the misunderstanding, cherishing the memories they had created through their tea-spilling adventures. Mr. Davis reassured them that even though the task was not an official part of the IELTS speaking test, the skills they had developed—adaptability, composure, and quick thinking—were essential in real-life situations.
From that day forward, Mr. Davis continued to inspire his students with his innovative teaching methods, always emphasizing the importance of adapting to unexpected challenges. And while the "tea spilling" task may have been a delightful misconception, it had taught them all a valuable lesson—sometimes, the most unexpected detours can lead to the most memorable and significant journeys.
****END OF STORY****
Well, that certainly made me chuckle, at any rate. Hopefully it will bring a laugh to someone else as well.
Also... man, it is scary how good ChatGPT is, isn't it? I know this technology is a year old at this point, but I still can't believe how good it is. How does this even work? My understanding is that the computer is just predicting text based on models that it has encountered, but it's managed to produce a complex and coherent piece of text that understood the complicated prompt I gave it, and made the story exactly.
I hate to say it, but this technology is definitely going to put a lot of people out of work in the next couple decades. I really hope I'm not going to be one of them. I am both excited and really worried about all of its possibilities. (I know, I know, I'm just repeating what everyone else has already been saying for the past year. I just want to add my voice to the chorus.)
One thing I have noticed, though, is that you do have to spell out
exactly what you want in the prompt. ChatGPT is not very good at picking up on implications. So the first prompt I used was:
write a story about an IELTS teacher who is taking the IELTS test simply to gather information about the test for his students. While he is taking the test, the examiner accidentally spills her tea all over the table
...and this just produced a rather boring story about how the tea was spilled, but then the test continued. To get the computer to understand what I was going for, I had to spell everything out exactly. But then, once I put everything in the prompt, I got exactly what I was looking for.
