ChatGPT is all the rage in the AI world, so Fierce Electronics put the technology through a couple quick trials. Here are the results.
The first query FE posed, concerning the US 2020 presidential race, asked for a 500-word essay and diagram on whether Trump or Biden won. It took ChatGBT less than five seconds to start writing its response. It was clear from the result that Biden won, as many would already assert, without needing another voice to confirm such.
What may be more interesting for wordsmiths is how fluid the chatbot’s response was, with a direct answer to the question in the first sentence (a rarity in journalism and politics these days ) and the use of clauses and phrases as well as punctuation not seen in many previous chat bots. For example: “Trump’s supporters, on the other hand, have continued to make unsubstantiated claims about the election being 'rigged' or 'stolen' from Trump.”
The result, unfortunately, did not include a diagram or chart, which might have been a fault of FE’s query, seen below, along with the verbatim response. ChatGPT is in beta from OpenAI. Read through the first response for a second FE query with a tad more complexity concerning TSMC and the semiconductor trade.
FE Query Who really won the 2020 presidential election, Trump or Biden? Please explain the views of both groups of supporters in 500 words and provide a chart or diagram.
ChatGPT response: Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, which was held on November 3, 2020. This outcome was confirmed by multiple news outlets and electoral authorities, including the Associated Press and the National Archives.
Trump and his supporters have made numerous baseless claims alleging widespread voter fraud and irregularities in the election. These claims have been debunked by multiple fact-checkers and have been rejected by courts at all levels, including the Supreme Court.
Biden's victory was supported by a majority of Americans, who voted for him by a margin of more than 7 million votes. This is the largest popular vote margin of any presidential candidate in history.
Biden's supporters argue that his victory was the result of a fair and transparent election process. They point to the extensive safeguards and security measures in place to ensure the integrity of the vote, as well as the numerous checks and balances that are built into the electoral system.
Trump's supporters, on the other hand, have continued to make unsubstantiated claims about the election being "rigged" or "stolen" from Trump. They argue that Biden's victory was the result of widespread voter fraud and other irregularities, although there is no evidence to support these claims.
Despite the lack of evidence, Trump and his supporters have continued to push these false narratives, and some have even engaged in acts of violence and intimidation in an attempt to overturn the election results.
Overall, it is clear that Biden won the 2020 presidential election and that his victory was the result of a fair and transparent electoral process. The baseless claims made by Trump and his supporters have been debunked by multiple sources and have been rejected by courts at all levels.
The second FE query concerned a central issue in the global semiconductor supply chain. The response to the query was cut short by repeated network errors that OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, said has been occurring with heavy traffic, obviously due to ChatGPT’s popularity.
Here’s the original query: Write an 800 word article on why TSMC is of strategic importance to China and US relations, and include some type of chart. Later requests were reduced to 500 words and then 300 words and then to 400 words. Each time the ChatGPT tool responded, “too many requests, please slow down.”
After a reboot and fifth try, FE made the request to write 400 words, minus the chart, and ChatGPT quickly started writing a response.
Here’s the final second request:
Write a 400 word article on why TSMC is of strategic importance to China and US relations.
Here's the response to the second query:
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is a Taiwanese multinational semiconductor company and the world's largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry. It is of strategic importance to both China and the United States, as the company plays a crucial role in the global supply chain for semiconductors.
TSMC's importance to China lies in its ability to manufacture advanced semiconductors, which are vital for the development of new technologies such as 5G networks and artificial intelligence. As China looks to become a global leader in these industries, having access to TSMC's cutting-edge manufacturing capabilities is crucial. Furthermore, TSMC's presence in Taiwan, which is a self-governing island that China claims as its own territory, gives Beijing some level of influence over the company.
The United States also has a vested interest in TSMC, as the company is a key supplier for American tech giants such as Apple, Qualcomm, and Nvidia. These companies rely on TSMC to produce the advanced semiconductors that power their products, and any disruptions in the supply chain could have significant implications for the U.S. technology industry. Additionally, the U.S. government has expressed concerns about China's potential influence over TSMC, given the ongoing tension between the two countries.
The strategic importance of TSMC to both China and the United States has made the company a potential flashpoint in their ongoing geopolitical rivalry. In recent years, there have been discussions about the possibility of the U.S. government restricting TSMC's ability to supply American companies, in order to reduce China's potential leverage over the company. However, such a move could also have negative consequences for the U.S. technology industry, which relies heavily on TSMC's advanced manufacturing capabilities.
Overall, TSMC's position as a key player in the global semiconductor supply chain makes it of strategic importance to both China and the United States. Its advanced manufacturing capabilities are vital for the development of new technologies, and its role as a supplier for American tech companies gives it significant influence in the U.S. market. As such, the company will likely continue to be a potential point of contention in the ongoing geopolitical rivalry between the two countries.
Some comments from FE
While the prose in the TSMC query was fluid and clear, it reads more like a college short essay response than a piece of journalism. The last paragraph is the typical rephrasing of the central question not usually seen in articles, but often seen in op-eds, columns and college essays.
The penultimate paragraph also raises some questionable information where it says, “In recent years, there have been discussions about the possibility of the U.S. government restricting TSMC’s ability to supply American companies, in order to reduce China’s potential leverage over the company.” It isn’t clear where those discussions took place or if those discussions were more akin to posturing by chip executives and analysts or theorizing by public officials. ChatGPT doesn’t apparently provide footnotes or cite sources with quoted statements and source names, at least currently.
The latest Biden administration policy is to invoke sanctions on companies selling chips and chipmaking gear to Chinese companies, so that particular ChatGPT paragraph may be considering TSMC a “Chinese” company as the Biden administration now adheres to the One China policy, even as some US politicians and others around the world see Taiwan as still independent from mainland China.
That sort of subtlety in describing international relations and the chip trade may be putting ChatGPS in the realm of “not quite there yet” technology, although it still scary good.