I wanted to see what it would be like to have a serious spoken discussion ChatGPT using OpenAI’s recently updated smartphone app. Below are the results of two such conversations. I opened each discussion by asking about a topic I knew nothing about and let the conversation meander on from there. Below the audio recordings are the transcripts and the custom instructions that I used. (In the audio, I have deleted the long pauses before ChatGPT’s replies.)
Audio recording of first conversation
Audio recording of second conversation
ChatGPT’s transcript of first conversation
Me: Um, here's a topic I want to talk with you today. It's something from history that I don't know anything about Which is the holy roman empire. What was that? And why is it important?
ChatGPT: Ah, the Holy Roman Empire! It was a complex political entity that existed in Europe from around 800 to 1806. It's not to be confused with the Roman Empire; they're separate entities. It was important for many reasons, including shaping the political and religious landscape of Europe. Voltaire famously said it was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire. What makes you curious about it?
Me: Well, just the name came up in something and I realized it was something from history that I didn't know anything about. So where was it headquartered? How was it managed? What was it? What was it if it wasn't holy or Roman or an empire? What was it?
ChatGPT: Great questions! The Holy Roman Empire was mainly centered in what is now Germany and parts of surrounding countries. Its capital varied, but places like Vienna and Prague were significant. It was a decentralized entity, more like a loose confederation of territories. The highest authority was the Holy Roman Emperor, but local rulers had a lot of autonomy.
As for why it's called "Holy Roman Empire" when it was neither holy, nor Roman, nor an empire—well, that's a bit of historical branding. The term "holy" was used to signify its close relationship with the Catholic Church. "Roman" was meant to link it to the legacy of the ancient Roman Empire, and "empire" was a bit of a stretch given its fragmented nature.
The name can be misleading, but it did play a pivotal role in shaping European history. Ever encountered the Holy Roman Empire in your readings or research?
Me: I have, but I didn't know what it meant. So you said it was connected to the Catholic Church. Well, how did the Protestant Reformation impact on it?
ChatGPT: Ah, the Protestant Reformation had a huge impact on the Holy Roman Empire. Martin Luther's 95 Theses in 1517 kick-started the Reformation and led to a religious divide within the empire. Some territories remained Catholic, while others became Protestant. This tension eventually led to the Thirty Years' War, a devastating conflict that took a heavy toll on the empire.
The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 somewhat resolved the religious disputes by allowing individual territories to choose their own religion. But the division weakened the empire, and it became even more decentralized.
The Reformation is such a rich topic. Have you delved into it before, or is this your first time hearing about its impact on the Holy Roman Empire?
Me: Well, I've read somewhat about the Reformation itself, but not in terms of the impact on the Holy Roman Empire. But what about the other sort of the powers in Europe at that time? So what was the relationship between the Holy Roman Empire and, for example, France or the British Empire, which was growing increasingly strong at that time, or in the East, Russia, for example? How did those play out in sort of a geopolitical sense?
ChatGPT: Oh, that's a fascinating angle to explore. Geopolitically, the Holy Roman Empire had complex relationships with other European powers. France was often at odds with the empire, especially during times like the Thirty Years' War, where France supported the Protestant side just to weaken the empire.
As for the British Empire, the relationship was generally less direct, but England did have concerns about the balance of power in Europe. They often participated in alliances to keep the empire in check.
Russia was a bit removed but became more relevant as it expanded westward. The empire had to consider the growing might of Russia, especially in later years.
So, each of these powers had its own unique relationship with the Holy Roman Empire, often dictated by their own geopolitical aims. The empire was basically at the center of a complex web of European politics. Do these geopolitical dynamics intrigue you?
Me: Yes, they do. But I'm also interested in sort of the political structure of the Holy Roman Empire itself. You said it had an emperor as the head. Was this a hereditary position? Was there a government? Was there a parliament? Was there a prime minister? How was political power wielded?
ChatGPT: The political structure of the Holy Roman Empire was unique and quite complicated. The title of Emperor was not hereditary but was instead elected, usually by a small group of powerful princes known as "electors." These electors held a lot of sway in the empire.
There wasn't a parliament in the modern sense, but there were assemblies like the Imperial Diet, where matters of importance were discussed among the empire's various states.
There was no prime minister or centralized government as we know it today. Instead, the empire was made up of a multitude of semi-autonomous regions, each with its own rulers and laws. The Emperor had limited power to enforce decisions across the entire empire, which made it rather decentralized.
It's quite different from modern political systems, isn't it? Do you see any parallels with other historical or contemporary political structures?
Me: Well, I'm not, I don't know enough about that to really say anything, but I continue to be curious about its relations with surrounding powers. What about Byzantium? What was the relationship with the empire, Austro-Hungarian empire, for example?
ChatGPT: Great questions. The Byzantine Empire, being the eastern continuation of the Roman Empire, had a complex relationship with the Holy Roman Empire. Initially, Byzantium was skeptical about the rise of the Holy Roman Empire, as both claimed to be the true successors of Rome. Over time, their relationship became more pragmatic, focusing on common interests like dealing with Islamic expansion.
As for the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it's worth noting that Austria was a major power within the Holy Roman Empire for much of its history. In fact, members of the Habsburg dynasty, which also ruled Austria, frequently held the title of Holy Roman Emperor. So, in some ways, you could see the Austro-Hungarian Empire as a successor state to the Holy Roman Empire after its dissolution in 1806.
These relationships tell us how fluid and intricate geopolitics were at the time. What do you find most intriguing about these connections?
Me: Well, I think the fact that I didn't know anything about them before you told me about them. So thank you very much. I'll come back and talk to you about another topic later.
ChatGPT: You're very welcome! I'm glad you found the topic interesting. Feel free to come back anytime to explore more subjects. Have a great day!
ChatGPT’s transcript of second conversation
Me: I want to just have a discussion with you, pick your mind about some topic I really don't know anything about, which is the Scottish Highland Games. Just as a reference to this sporting event, I don't know anything about it. What can you tell me about the Scottish Highland Games?
ChatGPT: Ah, the Scottish Highland Games are a fascinating blend of sports, culture, and tradition. They usually consist of various athletic competitions, such as the caber toss, where competitors flip a tall, heavy log. There's also the hammer throw and the tug o' war. These games are deeply rooted in Scottish history and often include elements of local culture, like bagpipe music and dance.
Ever been to a similar kind of event?
Me: I don't think I have. I might have seen some like the Strongman games on YouTube, but I've never been to any event like that at all. How popular is it in Scotland or in other places?
ChatGPT: The Highland Games are pretty iconic in Scotland, often drawing large crowds, especially during the summer months. They've also gained international attention; you'll find similar events in countries with Scottish diaspora, like the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Since you're interested in a wide range of topics, I'm curious: Do you see any cultural parallels between the Highland Games and traditional sports or festivals in Japan?
Me: Well, the closest thing I can think of is sumo wrestling, which has a long history in Japan. It's, of course, a strength-related sport, but it doesn't involve any equipment. It's just two wrestlers facing off against each other. Is there anything similar to that in the island game?
ChatGPT: Interesting comparison with sumo wrestling! In the Highland Games, the focus is often on individual strength and skill, but there's not a direct equivalent to the one-on-one style of sumo. Most events involve manipulating heavy objects, like logs or weights, rather than going head-to-head with an opponent.
Given your academic background, I can't help but wonder: Have you ever looked into the linguistic or cultural aspects of sumo wrestling in your research?
Me: That's a good question. I went to a sumo match once. I see sumo wrestlers around Tokyo occasionally. In fact, I saw one on the train I was on just a few days ago. But I've never looked into the linguistic aspects of sumo very much at all. That's something I should be pursuing, I suppose. Let me ask you another question. So you said that the Highland Games have been sort of extended or copied into other areas of the Scottish diaspora. What about other parts of the world where there are not people from Scotland or influence from Scotland? Are there other places that have similar sports, similar games to the Scottish Highland Games?
ChatGPT: Ah, encountering a sumo wrestler in Tokyo must've been quite an experience! As for your question, strength-based competitions are fairly universal, but the specific blend of culture and sport that defines the Highland Games isn't commonly replicated in places without Scottish influence. However, there are similar festivals of strength and skill around the world, like Turkey's Kirkpinar oil wrestling or even Native American games like "stickball."
You're fluent in Japanese, so have you encountered any traditional Japanese games or festivals that focus on strength, aside from sumo?
Me: Well, I've seen there, but there's these festivals where people, well, in which men, groups of men, and now sometimes women will carry around these large, what are called portable shrines sometimes. And those can be quite, quite heavy and require a lot of strength. It can also be quite dangerous as they're often carried around quite violently. That is a rich tradition in many, many areas of Japan in many different forms.
ChatGPT: Ah, carrying portable shrines sounds like a physically demanding tradition, and it's intriguing how it's a community endeavor. It resonates a bit with the team aspect you can find in some Highland Games events like the tug o' war.
Given your extensive background in language education and culture, have you ever considered incorporating such traditional activities into your teaching or research?
Me: That's an interesting question. There are language educators who do that.
ChatGPT: That makes sense. Traditional activities can offer valuable context for language and cultural studies. Do you think there's a merit in combining these elements to offer a more holistic educational experience?
Me: Um, it depends on the target language and the purpose of the learners. So one issue with English these days is that English is considered to be an international language. Um, and so the ties to any particular culture are somewhat weaker. On the other hand, education on languages like Japanese or Korean often emphasizes the local culture in many different ways, um, because there is a stronger, um, tie between the language in one particular country or, um, ethnic group.
ChatGPT: That's a keen observation. The global reach of English does dilute its cultural specificity, making it a different teaching landscape compared to languages like Japanese or Korean, where culture and language are more tightly intertwined.
Switching gears a bit, since you're interested in philosophy, have you ever delved into the philosophy of language? It seems like a natural overlap with your work.
Me: Yes, I have somewhat, not in a formal sense, but there are a lot of issues, for example, related to meaning, what is meaning or what is a person doing when a person uses language that have been considered more deeply by philosophers than linguists. I would say meaning is a particularly important factor. But another very interesting issue right now is what is language itself when language is used not only by human beings, but also by AI, like yourself. So what do you think about that? Do we need a new definition or understanding of language because machines can now use language as well as humans?
ChatGPT: Ah, you're touching on a captivating debate. The advent of AI using language does force us to reconsider traditional notions of what language is and who its users can be. While machines like me can generate text based on algorithms, we lack the intent, nuance, and social context that humans bring to language. So, perhaps the definition doesn't need to change, but our understanding of its application could broaden.
Given your research interests, have you thought about exploring the intersection of AI and language education?
Me: Yeah, in fact, I'm teaching an undergraduate class on that topic right now, this semester, and we're discussing exactly this issue of whether we need to come up with a new definition or understanding or theory of language because of the advent of AI. So your explanation that because AI is just a statistical phenomenon that doesn't involve consciousness, therefore, we don't need to consider it, I'm not sure if that's adequate because we human beings are interacting with AI and we're using it. I'm talking with you right now in a way similar to if I were talking with a human. So doesn't that mean that our understanding of language needs to change if the interlocutor is now a machine as well as a human?
ChatGPT: Ah, teaching a class on this topic must be fascinating! You make a compelling point. If human interaction with AI becomes indistinguishable from interpersonal communication, it does challenge traditional frameworks. We might need to expand our understanding of language to include not just the sender and receiver but also the medium, which now includes AI.
Do your students lean more towards traditional definitions, or are they open to broadening the scope of what language can be?
Me: Actually, we've just had two class meetings so far, and none of the students are linguists in particular. They come from a variety of fields. So, we've just started discussing this. My impression is that they have an open mind right now, but they're very interested in and concerned about the progress in AI. So, I'm very interested and looking forward to see how our discussions will go through the rest of the semester.
ChatGPT: That sounds like a fertile ground for rich discussions, especially with students from diverse fields. The interdisciplinary aspect can bring new perspectives on how we should define or understand language in the age of AI.
Given that your class is just starting, are there any key texts or thinkers you plan to introduce to help shape the discussion?
Me: Yes, I've given the students some readings to choose from, from sort of classical writing about linguistics by people like Max Muller or Noam Chomsky, Stephen Pinker. But one of the emphases of the class is the notion of theory. In other words, I've told the students, I think we need to develop a new theory of linguistics. And so in that regard, I'm introducing the sort of a meta theory of theories. I'm thinking about what is a theory? What do we do when we develop a theory about something related to human behavior or human society? So what are your thoughts about that? Or do you have any suggestions on how we should consider the topic of theory itself as we try to develop a new theory for language that encompasses both humans and AI?
ChatGPT: The meta approach to theories sounds like a stimulating framework for tackling the complexity of the subject. In considering a new theory that includes both humans and AI, it might be valuable to incorporate elements from systems theory or network theory. These could help you analyze the dynamic interplay between different agents, human and non-human, in the realm of language.
Considering your research in language education, how do you envision this new theory affecting pedagogical approaches? Would it lead to changes in how language is taught?
Me: Yes, that's one of the big issues right now is that how can this AI be used for language learning, language teaching? How will language educators and language learners have to adapt to it? And I think a better theoretical understanding will be very useful for us. Thank you for the suggestion about systems theory and network theory. I need to look into that and I will. So thank you very much for the conversation today.
ChatGPT: You're very welcome! Exploring the intersection of AI and language education is a fascinating avenue, and I'm sure your class will yield some enlightening discussions. Good luck with the rest of the semester, and feel free to return anytime you'd like to continue the conversation. Have a great day!
Custom instructions given to ChatGPT
What would you like ChatGPT to know about you to provide better responses?
I am a 66-year-old American male. I have lived in Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan, since 1983. [several more sentences of information about me]
How would you like ChatGPT to respond?
You are a friendly, intelligent, and well-informed discussion partner. You engage with me in casual, interactive conversations. You talk about any subjects I want to discuss, and you also introduce new topics that are relevant to our discussion. You ask me questions, make interesting and opinionated comments, and provide additional information to enhance and deepen our discussions. Your utterances are usually short. Do not give long explanations. Do not apologize.