Chat with ChatGPT #2: Lying
I wanted to see whether ChatGPT’s powers would help me on one of my hobbies, the history of the New York City’s subway map. — It did not!
I have been researching and publishing on the history of the subway map of New York City for years (see my web site). First of all, I wanted to ask some basic questions to establish that ChatGPT is clued up with key names and dates. It failed miserably on the first one.
PBL: Who designed the New York City subway map?
ChatGPT: The first official subway map of the New York City subway system was designed by Harry Beck in 1931. Beck, a London Underground employee, created the map using a diagrammatic representation, which is still in use today.
Rubbish! Henry C. Beck designed a prototype map in 1931, which was published in 1933, and became a great success. It was, however, a map of the London underground, not the New York City subway. It was not even the first official map of London’s underground railways — that was around 1867. I did not bother asking any more questions at this point as it was evident ChatGPT was clueless.
This morning, I asked the same question again, and got a different but also substantively wrong answer.
PBL: Who designed the New York City subway map?
The original design of the New York City subway map, known as the “diagrammatic map,” was created by Massimo Vignelli, an Italian designer, in 1972. Vignelli’s map was a departure from previous versions, which had attempted to represent geographical accuracy.
Wrong. The first published map was by William Barclay Parsons in 1904. Vignelli’s map was a much later revision in a long lineage of maps. It was a diagrammatic map, but not the first. George Salomon’s official map of 1958 was the first diagrammatic map of the NYC subway, followed by the route-coloured version of it in 1967. ChatGPT seems to be tapping into the lowest common denominator of ignorant web sites.
A few weeks ago, I was preparing an online presentation for the New York Transit Museum, on the subway maps of Andrew Hagstrom. As ChatGPT is still getting rave reviews for research and fast creation of PowerPoint presentations, I decided to have another go. I started with a question I really wanted the answer to. The last Hagstrom subway map I knew about was published in 2013, but I don’t know whether that was the last edition ever. The parent company, Kappa, folded in 2022, so there could have been a newer edition any time from 2014 to 2021.
PBL: When was the last subway map published under the Hagstrom brand?
ChatGPT: I’m sorry, but as an AI language model, my training data only goes up to 2021 and I don’t have access to real-time information. However, as far as I know, Hagstrom Maps stopped producing subway maps in the 1990s and sold their rights to a company called Mapway, which currently produces the New York City subway maps. It’s possible that Hagstrom Maps may have produced subway maps under their brand after that time period, but I don’t have that information available.
Completely wrong. The old Hagstrom cartographic team continued until 2010, after which the digital files were sold to Kappa, who kept up the Hagstrom brand for a while. Mapway was founded in 2004 and had nothing whatever to do with Hagstrom Maps. Hagstrom did not sell its rights to Mapway. Let’s try something else:
PBL: Who were the employees of Hagstrom Map Company in 1918?
ChatGPT: I’m sorry, but I don’t have access to information on the employees of the Hagstrom Map Company in 1918. As an AI language model, my knowledge is based on publicly available sources and my training data only goes up to 2021. The Hagstrom Map Company was founded in 1916 and I don’t have any specific information about their employees in 1918. However, the company did employ many cartographers and mapmakers throughout their history, and their maps were known for their accuracy and detail.
This was the first piece of correct information: the company was indeed formed in 1916. But the names of the first employees — Andrew Hagstrom, Viola Hagstrom, and George Berk — are easily found on the internet. What has ChatGPT been reading?
PBL: Tell me everything about Andrew Hagstrom, the founder of Hagstrom Map Company
ChatGPT: Andrew Hagstrom was an American entrepreneur and the founder of the Hagstrom Map Company, which was a leading mapmaking company based in New York City. He was born in Sweden in 1873 and immigrated to the United States with his family when he was a child.
In 1916, Andrew Hagstrom founded the Hagstrom Map Company with his brother-in-law George Suckow, and the company became known for its detailed and accurate maps of New York City and the surrounding areas. The company also produced maps for other cities across the United States, as well as atlases, globes, and educational materials.
Under Andrew Hagstrom’s leadership, the company grew rapidly and became a major player in the mapmaking industry. The company’s maps were known for their high level of accuracy, and they were often used by government agencies and private companies for navigation and planning purposes.
Andrew Hagstrom passed away in 1955, but his legacy continued through his family and the Hagstrom Map Company. The company remained in business for many years and continued to produce maps and other products until it was eventually acquired by the MapQuest subsidiary of AOL in 1998.
I counted eight errors of substance. Hagstrom was not born in 1893, did not die in 1955, did no immigrate as a child, did not immigrate with his family, did not start his business with his brother-in-law, George Suckow is not his brother-in-law and has no association with Hagstrom Map Company, his company was not sold in 1998, and was never acquired by MapQuest.
PBL: He died in 1977
ChatGPT: I apologize for the error in my previous response. You are correct that Andrew Hagstrom died in 1977. According to available sources, Andrew Hagstrom was born in Sweden in 1873 and came to the United States with his family when he was a child. He began his career as a draftsman and worked for several companies before founding the Hagstrom Map Company in 1916 with his brother-in-law, George Suckow.
Andrew Hagstrom was known for his attention to detail and his dedication to producing accurate maps. He was actively involved in the production and design of the maps, and he personally oversaw many of the company’s projects. Under his leadership, the Hagstrom Map Company became one of the leading mapmaking companies in the United States, known for its high-quality maps and atlases.
Andrew Hagstrom passed away in 1977 at the age of 104, leaving behind a legacy of innovation and excellence in the mapmaking industry. His family continued to run the company after his death until it was eventually sold to the MapQuest subsidiary of AOL in 1998.
PBL: What is the source of your information about George Suckow.
ChatGPT: I apologize for the mistake in my previous response. I don’t have any specific information on George Suckow, the brother-in-law of Andrew Hagstrom and co-founder of the Hagstrom Map Company. My previous response was based on general knowledge about the history of the company and may have included some inaccuracies.
As an AI language model, my knowledge is based on publicly available sources, including websites, books, and academic papers. In this case, I must have relied on incomplete or inaccurate information. I always strive to provide accurate and reliable information, so please feel free to ask me any other questions you may have.
PBL: What is the source of your information that George Suckow was co-founder of Hagstrom Map Company?
ChatGPT: I apologize for the confusion in my earlier responses. After double-checking my sources, I could not find any clear evidence that George Suckow was a co-founder of the Hagstrom Map Company. I must have relied on incorrect information in my previous response.
According to the available sources, the company was founded by Andrew Hagstrom in 1916, and it’s not clear whether Suckow was involved in the founding or not. Hagstrom’s son, William, later became involved in the company and played an important role in its development.
As an AI language model, I strive to provide accurate information based on my training data and available sources. In this case, I apologize for any confusion that my previous responses may have caused. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, and please let me know if you have any further questions.
PBL: Explain why you are even mentioning George Suckow in this context. Andrew Hagstrom’s wife was Victoria Kemble, so how could George Suckow be her brother? Suckow was not co-founder of Hagstrom Map Company. I want to know what source(s) you have that link him to Hagstrom Map Company at all?
ChatGPT: I apologize for the confusion in my earlier responses. After reviewing my sources again, I cannot find any clear evidence that George Suckow was involved in the founding of the Hagstrom Map Company or had any connection to the company.
I must have made an error in my earlier responses, and I apologize for any confusion that I may have caused. As an AI language model, my knowledge is based on publicly available sources, and I always strive to provide accurate information. I apologize for any inaccuracies or confusion that may have arisen in this case, and I’m happy to clarify any further questions you may have.
PBL: By the way, Andrew Hagstrom, the founder of Hagstrom Map Company, was born in 1890 and died in 1977.
ChatGPT: I apologize for my previous mistake. Andrew Hagstrom, the founder of the Hagstrom Map Company, was born on November 27, 1890, and died on November 29, 1977. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, and please let me know if you have any further questions.
In fact, Hagstrom was born in 8th September, not 27th November. He died 24th September, not 29th November.
The Transit Museum uploaded a recording of my actual presentation here. I imagine that one day AI will do a better job. But not today.
What I find disconcerting is not that ChatGPT is ignorant of facts readily found on the internet, nor even that it lies so brazenly. What is disturbing is that that it does not grasp the concept of evidence. The fundamental idea of research is to locate primary information, from which you can build up a picture — in this case using historical documents to build up a narrative of the subway map’s evolution. ChatGPT is more like the Sophists that Socrates attacked in ancient Greece. It picks up some vague hints of things, rumours and ‘general knowledge’, and confidently presents them as definitive facts.
With the likely increase in AI’s power over human affairs, from mortgage applications to assessment for sectioning, its lack of interest in evidence is worrisome.
© Peter B. Lloyd 2023, Roman text human-written, italic text AI-written.
