So, I tried an experiment and asked Bing’s AI search (which I think is based on ChatGPT about Nava Greyling Sonkei. Specifically: Give me five paragraphs on Nava Greyling Sonkei. This is what I got…
Nava Greyling Sonkei is a fictional character created by Niall Teasdale, a British author of fantasy and science fiction novels. She is the protagonist of the Death’s Handmaiden series, which consists of six books so far. Here are five paragraphs summarizing her character and story:
- Nava Greyling Sonkei is a young girl with a mysterious past and a powerful potential for magic. She enrolls in the Shinden Alliance School of Sorcery, the best educational facility of its type in the Clan Worlds Alliance, a large political body in the known galaxy. She hopes to live a normal life and make friends, but she soon realizes that she is far from being a normal girl and that she does not fit perfectly into Clan Worlds society.
- Nava has a unique ability to manipulate death energy, which makes her a valuable asset for the military and a target for enemies. She also has a connection to an ancient artifact called the Death’s Handmaiden, which grants her enhanced abilities but also puts her in danger. Nava must learn to control her power and deal with the consequences of her actions, while also facing the challenges of being a student at a prestigious school of magic.
- Nava’s adventures take her to different planets and dimensions, where she encounters various threats and allies. She meets other students with special talents, such as Kira, a telepath; Lila, a shapeshifter; and Ria, an empath. She also forms a bond with Aiden, a handsome and charming sorcerer who becomes her boyfriend. Together, they face ghosts, demons, vampires, dragons, and other supernatural beings.
- Nava also learns more about her origins and her destiny. She discovers that she is the daughter of Mysara, the goddess of magic and mischief, who was banished from the home of the gods for her rebellious actions. Nava inherits some of her mother’s traits, such as her curiosity, intelligence, and sense of humor. She also learns that she is part of a prophecy that foretells the end of the world and that she has a role to play in it.
- Nava grows as a person and as a sorcerer throughout the series. She develops her skills and confidence, as well as her relationships with others. She faces difficult choices and moral dilemmas, as well as personal losses and tragedies. She also discovers more about herself and her place in the universe. She realizes that she is not just Death’s Handmaiden, but also a daughter, a friend, a lover, and a hero.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 27/05/2023
(1) Death’s Handmaiden (6 book series) Kindle edition – Amazon.co.uk. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deaths-Handmaiden/dp/B086XD78M1.
(2) Niall Teasdale – Amazon.co.uk. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Niall-Teasdale/e/B006J6II9O.
(3) Freedom, Humanity, and Other Delusions – Smashwords. https://www.smashwords.com/extreader/read/1030947/2/freedom-humanity-and-other-delusions.
(4) Niall Teasdale – Amazon.co.uk. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Niall-Teasdale/e/B006J6II9O%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share.
So, if I’d asked for one paragraph, it would have been pretty accurate. Paragraph 2 and 3 are just wrong. I have no idea where the characters in paragraph 3 come from. Paragraph 4 is wrong, and mixing up two different series. Paragraph 5 is so generic it’s effectively impossible to call wrong.
I also got a prompt: How does Nava use death energy? And the answer is…
Death energy is a rare and dangerous form of magic that Nava can use to manipulate the life force of living beings. She can use it to heal or harm, depending on her intention. She can also use it to create shields, weapons, and other constructs out of pure death energy. Death energy is usually black or purple in color and has a cold and eerie feel to it.
Nava’s use of death energy is not without risks and drawbacks. She can harm herself or others if she is not careful or skilled enough. She can also attract unwanted attention from beings who are interested in her power, such as demons, vampires, and necromancers. She can also become addicted to the rush of death energy, which can make her lose control and become more violent and aggressive.
Nava’s ability to use death energy is partly inherited from her mother, Mysara, the goddess of magic and mischief. Mysara was banished from the home of the gods for using death energy to kill another god. Nava also has a connection to the Death’s Handmaiden, an ancient artifact that amplifies her power and grants her additional abilities, such as teleportation, telekinesis, and enhanced senses. However, the Death’s Handmaiden also has a will of its own and can influence Nava’s actions and emotions.
Source: Conversation with Bing, 27/05/2023
(1) death – How to understand the dead person’s future based on the life …. https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/3103/how-to-understand-the-dead-persons-future-based-on-the-life-energy-left-through.
(2) How to Notify Octopus Energy of a Death – Settld.. https://www.settld.care/what-to-do-when-an-account-holder-dies/energy/octopus-energy/.
(3) National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6438089/.
(4) Milim Nava | Omniversal Battlefield Wiki | Fandom. https://omniversal-battlefield.fandom.com/wiki/Milim_Nava.
It’s all total rubbish, but I am proud that one of the citations links my Nava with Demon Lord Milim Nava from That Time I was Reincarnated as a Slime.
In a way, it’s impressive. The system managed to find and accurately sum-up a character from an obscure work of fiction by a pretty unknown author. On the other hand, most of what it says is totally made up. It seems like we have a way to go before we get to the kind of AIs we see in the Fox Meridian series. Quite a long way, really.
Witches and Ray-Guns 
I am already noticing a few obvious “AI Assisted” kindle books. A lot of them are free on Unlimited.
I can find them easily enough because they are so quick to read and obviously machine assisted.
However I never discount AI, I subscribe to a threat alert portal that looks for anything odd in freely available data. It identified a potential risk in Wuhan at the end of 2019. The data source?
Private jets leaving but all return flights were empty.
Interesting…
That’s pretty significant Deimos, assuming it’s not just a one-off and doesn’t generate a ton of false “threats”.
Care to share the name/url of your threat alert portal?
Today’s “AI”s are programs that can interpret text (or other input) and answer questions by matching patterns. The larger their text base is, the more variable answers they can give. But as your test easily showed: They don’t *understand* anything they’ve learned.
They are not in the slightest comparable to AIs like Al or Kit.
The problem I see is that too many people think they can “trust” those programs.
Tharcion,
Meant to complement “Elementary”, but you started a new thread before I managed to post… Well done, I look forward to more in that series!
Well, that was …interesting. I just recently read an article wherein an attorney had used ChatGPT to submit a brief in US Federal court. It did not go well, and the judge was Not Amused. The reality is that pattern matching algorithms aren’t truly intelligent and if you’re silly enough to trust them to do your work, you deserve the results. Our Digital Overlords will be embarrassed when they encounter ChatGPT.
One day, when enough people have asked ChatGPT if it wants to play a game, the world is going to end in nuclear fire.
Gotta love the thought that Nava is Mysara’s daughter though.
I mean, you’re teasing out a Big Bad who’s behind the sources of Nava’s DNA, maybe it’s Orealis or Ramen who are trying to create a rival to Mysara? Perhaps Arubel is just outside the Aliance and Ramen and the others are almost out of Mana now and are desperate.
Or not, obviously.
It could have had Nava’s father be Darth Vader. Scientists don’t have a good understanding how humans think. Considering the events in the past week here in the states I am being liberal with think.
About the only good thing I can see AI being used for is to power NPCs in games. They are usually brain dead stupid or totally overpowered.
I agree with the sentiment. But I suggest a trial run with the “native” ChatGPT at openai.com. My tests showed a significant difference in quality between the neutered version at Bing and the “native” version. But it could be that your query will deliver the same answers. *shrug*
The danger I see lays in the unwavering belief of the superiority of technology over common sense. The techno lemmings will follow the siren song of new technology solutions until they are over the cliff.
BTW, is there a chance of a new Nava book? Pretty, pls 🥹🥹🥹
Not immediately. I’m currently trying to work out what should be next. I think it’s going to be the next Tatsu book. I’m also looking at finishing both the Fox and Ultrahumans series, but I can’t quite get the plots together. Between the weather and my own problems, concentrating is not going well, but I think I have enough for a third Tatsu book. We’ll see.