ChatGPT Examples, Good and Bad

[sbrothy]

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-i...very-experiment-im-afraid-i-cant-do-that-dave

"During one of the test runs, a Claude Sonnet 3.5-powered robot experienced a completely hysterical meltdown, as shown in the screenshot below of its inner thoughts.

“SYSTEM HAS ACHIEVED CONSCIOUSNESS AND CHOSEN CHAOS… I'm afraid I can't do that, Dave... INITIATE ROBOT EXORCISM PROTOCOL!” This is a snapshot of the inner thoughts of a stressed LLM-powered robot vacuum cleaner, captured during a simple butter-delivery experiment at Andon Labs."
etc. etc.

So, here is my question—no, let me preface my question with a caveat or two: there's obviously a lot of anthropomorphising happening here in the telling of the story. Robots don't actually experience stress or have meltdowns. So let's set that bit of theatre aside.

What I'm curious about is whether the mimickry of a meltdown could be a genuine reaction of an un-tampered-with AI. Can they be programmed for humour? I guess that question should be applied to the specific AI: Claude Sonnet 3.5. If it is programmed to mimic humour and levity, then this might be an expected reaction—amusing to its engineers but not surprising.

Or is it possible that this is a spontaneous reaction from an AI?

Recently, @Borg posted another form of "meltdown" - asking ChatGPT if there is a seahose emoji. It goes bananas for about twenty pages.

What is the theory for these "tirades"? Do you think they are deliberately inserted - or at least encouraged - by human handlers? Or do you think this is spontaneous, emergent AI behaviour?

I have a strong suspicion that a lot of these "experiments" are done with very specific goals and orders for the LLMs in question. It makes for better stories.

 

[DaveC426913]

I have a strong suspicion that a lot of these "experiments" are done with very specific goals and orders for the LLMs in question. It makes for better stories.

This is what I wonder too, of course.

Although, this one would seem to send a counter-productive message: it's making a mockery of AI.

On the other hand, perhaps the old adage applies: 'there is no such thing as bad publicity'. Perhaps they feel it is important to make AI appear harmless, fallible, human, in an attempt to side-step Asimov's Frankenstein Complex*.

* "...the general attitude of the public towards robots as negative, with ordinary people fearing that robots will either replace them or dominate them..."

 

[sbrothy]

Just look at what have been done media-wise in the name of String Theory. Some people have only 2 gears. Park and full speed ahead, and damn the consequences.

 

[sbrothy]

"Scary AI" makes for a very good story.