One way of exploring the latest generation of Artificial Intelligences is to investigate a topic you’re guaranteed to know more about than any computer: yourself. Here, for instance, is how Google’s AI assistant Bard replied to the query, “Who is Tom Chatfield?” at the time of writing, in April 2023. “Tom Chatfield is a British author, broadcaster, and tech philosopher. He is the author of several books on technology and culture.” So far, so good. Things got a little stranger, however, by the next paragraph. “Chatfield is a regular contributor to the BBC, The Guardian, and other publications. He is also the host of the podcast ‘The Chatfield Show’.”
The last of these sentences is what computer scientists have taken to calling a hallucination: a response that may or may not be. But, so far as I know, I have never considered hosting any kind of podcast, let alone one called The Chatfield Show. The fact that such a claim comes seamlessly embedded in a series of accurate statements is, however, disconcerting. Did I once consider hosting a podcast called this, then forget about it? If I were to host a podcast, would this be its optimal name? Should I consider launching such a podcast in order to conform to algorithmic expectations?
