Sometimes, I like to get stoned and take a nice hot shower to unwind. Time passes differently, and my mind wanders – usually to some very interesting places. Occasionally disturbing (we all have our demons), but mostly interesting. Typically, I will marvel at an idea that I had, think what a good (book/movie/song/delete as appropriate) it would be, and then promptly forget to do anything about it.

This evening after a particularly long and arduous day at work, I was letting my mind wander as the droplets rushed over me, and I had an idea that sounded like it could make a short story. I reasoned with myself that I would never get around to writing it, argued with myself for a while on how it would actually go, and then wondered what would happen if I gave the prompt to ChatGPT.

So this time, I took that random thought and did something with it. As you’ll see below, this actually worked out, so I’m going to start up a series: GPTweaked. Every so often, I’ll imbibe and have some high thoughts, and I’m going to feed them to ChatGPT to see what it makes of them. And now, on with the show!

To explain the prompt, a little background.

My grandfather died from Alzheimer’s Disease. I believe he was in his late 50s, possibly early 60s, before I was born. It was never talked about much but has always hung around like a dark specter in one corner of the family. I know my Dad thinks about it and has been tested for any warning signs, and knowing that it can often skip a generation, I’ve also spent moments preoccupied with the idea of losing my mind. I have a vivid imagination and memory, and a friend told me I had a freakishly good way of recalling prior events – or maybe his memory was just bad.

Either way, I started to wonder if maybe my “amazing memory” was somehow my brain running fast and hot, and that it would have consequences in later life. I suppose we’ll find out, but bear that in mind when you read my prompt. I’m not always so macabre.

There once was a woman named Claire, who had been diagnosed with a rare and degenerative neurological condition. Her condition caused her to lose a small part of her brain every time she had a memory.

At first, Claire tried to ignore her symptoms and live her life as normally as possible. But as the years passed, she found herself forgetting more and more. Simple tasks became difficult, and she struggled to remember the faces of her loved ones.

Despite her condition, Claire refused to give up on life. She found solace in writing, as it allowed her to hold onto her memories for just a little bit longer. She filled journals with her thoughts and memories, and every day, she would read through them, reliving the moments she had already forgotten.

One day, Claire’s husband came to her with an idea. He proposed that they create a memory palace, a method of memorization where one visualizes a place and associates memories with different parts of that place. Together, they created a beautiful palace in her mind, where each room held a different memory.

Claire’s condition continued to worsen, but with the help of her memory palace, she was able to hold onto her most precious memories for just a little bit longer. She spent her days wandering through the palace, revisiting her happiest moments.

As her condition progressed, Claire knew that her time was running out. But she was at peace, knowing that she had lived a full and meaningful life, and that her memories would live on in the palace she had built.

On her deathbed, Claire’s husband found her with a serene smile on her face, holding her journal tightly in her hand. He knew that she had finally found the peace she had been searching for, in the palace of her memories.

ChatGPT

Impressive no?

I watched it appear in real-time, and it was a very odd sensation to watch something so totally accurate appear, knowing that a machine was doing it. Certainly, it’s not going to win any literary awards, but it’s still quite startling.

This is the kind of thing we all wish our pocket AIs could do – allow a follow-up question and respond intelligently.