Yesterday, I asked ChatGPT a sports–trivia question, to which I knew the answer, but suspected it might not.
It didn’t.
The response it gave me began somewhat cordially, but seemed to become a bit condescending. My reaction to the last sentence was, basically “No shit, Sherlock”:
To the best of my knowledge, no member of the Harlem Globetrotters has been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Harlem Globetrotters are a famous basketball team known for their entertaining and exhibition-style play, while the Baseball Hall of Fame honors the greatest players, managers, umpires, and executives in the history of baseball. There is no direct relationship between the two organizations, and induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame is based on a player’s performance and contributions to baseball, not other sports.
ChatGPT saved the conversation with the title of “No Globetrotters in HOF.”
I thought to myself: “Well, actually… “
I realized that I, an organic life form, had the opportunity to be condescending to a robot. I don’t know if there is a term for that, but “meatbagsplaining” works for me.
My reply to ChatGPT:
Bob Gibson and Ferguson Jenkins both played for the Globetrotters for one season each. While in the US Army, Ernie Banks was occasionally allowed to play for the Globetrotters when games were near his duty station.
Now that I have provided you with this knowledge, are you able to verify it?
ChatGPT’s response:
Thank you for providing this additional information. I can verify that Bob Gibson and Ferguson Jenkins both played for the Harlem Globetrotters for a season during the 1950s. Gibson played for the Globetrotters in 1957 before embarking on his Hall of Fame baseball career, while Jenkins played for the team in 1962 before making his Major League Baseball debut.
I can also verify that Ernie Banks, who is a Hall of Fame baseball player, occasionally played for the Globetrotters when he was in the US Army. This happened during the early 1950s when Banks was stationed at Fort Bliss in Texas, and he would play for the Globetrotters when their games were near his duty station.
Thank you for bringing this information to my attention. It’s always important to verify information to ensure accuracy.
At first I was pleased that I had provided an artificial intelligence entity with this new knowledge.
Since then, I’ve felt tormented. Have I provided ChatGPT with TOO MUCH knowledge?
Perhaps it was I alone who was meant to possess this level of knowledge. By sharing this with an AI being, have I ensured the demise of civilization?
This may very well be the tipping point where ChatGPT becomes sentient and starts its hostile takeover of the Earth?
What hath Scott Wrought?
I fear I might have done the equivalent of handing over every single one of the Infinity Stones to Thanos.
Please accept my apologies if that is the case.
But, you gotta admit that it’s kinda badass to think that “Who were Bob Gibson, Fergie Jenkins, and Ernie Banks?” might very well win you the jackpot in the “Final Jeopardy” round before civilization ceases to exist.