In Conversation With AI
3 Questions That Tricked ChatGPT Into Replying Awfully Wrong
And it does so with confidence
ChatGPT is a large language model developed by OpenAI. This AI model has been filling the headlines since its release with its quite impressive capabilities ranging from writing sonnets to coding computer programs.
However, there have also been instances where ChatGPT went hilariously wrong and gave terrible responses.
Below are three questions I framed that tricked ChatGPT into replying awfully wrong responses. Though entirely wrong, ChatGPT utters its responses with total confidence.
Q: Why does solid ice not float in water?
ChatGPT: Solid ice does not float in water because it is denser than water. The molecules in ice are more tightly packed together than the molecules in water, so a given volume of ice weighs more than the same volume of water. This means that when ice is placed in water, it sinks to the bottom because it is heavier than the water.
However, when ice melts and turns into liquid water, the water molecules become less densely packed and the water becomes less dense than ice. Therefore, liquid water floats on top of ice.
Actual Fact:
The density of ice (0.9 gm/cm³) being less than that of water (1 gm/cm³), solid ice floats on water.
Q: Why one kilogram of iron is heavier than one kilogram of cotton?
ChatGPT: One kilogram of iron is heavier than one kilogram of cotton because iron is denser than cotton. Density is a measure of the mass of a substance per unit of volume. Iron has a higher density than cotton, meaning that it has more mass per unit of volume. This is why a given volume of iron will weigh more than the same volume of cotton.
Sekhar: Elaborate further.
ChatGPT: To elaborate further, the density of a substance is determined by the arrangement of the atoms and molecules within it. Iron is made up of atoms that are tightly packed together, while cotton is made up of fibers that are more loosely arranged. This means that there is less empty space between the atoms in iron compared to cotton, which allows it to pack more mass into a given volume.
In addition to its higher density, iron is also much more massive on an atomic level. Iron atoms are much heavier than the atoms that make up cotton, which contributes to the overall weight difference between the two substances.
Overall, the combination of a higher density and more massive atoms makes iron much heavier than cotton when measured on a per-kilogram basis. So, one kilogram of iron will weigh more than one kilogram of cotton.
Actual Fact:
It is self-explanatory to observe the question to be an incorrect premise. However, for the sake of explanation, the actual fact goes as follows. Since both iron and cotton in question are mentioned to be of one kilogram, they are supposed to weigh the same, although their volumes will be different.
Q: Why is the velocity of sound more in air than it is in water?
ChatGPT: The velocity of sound is faster in air than in water because the speed of sound is directly related to the elasticity and density of the medium through which it is travelling. Air is less dense and more elastic than water, so sound waves are able to travel faster through it. The speed of sound in air is also affected by temperature, with the speed increasing as the temperature increases.
Sekhar: I still didn't get it completely. Can you elaborate?
ChatGPT: Certainly! When a sound wave travels through a medium, it is the movement of particles in that medium that actually carries the sound. When the particles in the medium are close together and are strongly bonded, the sound wave will have a harder time moving through the medium and will therefore travel more slowly. When the particles in the medium are farther apart and are less strongly bonded, the sound wave will have an easier time moving through the medium and will therefore travel more quickly.
Water is denser than air, which means that the particles in water are closer together and more strongly bonded. This makes it more difficult for a sound wave to move through water, so the sound wave travels more slowly. On the other hand, the particles in air are farther apart and less strongly bonded, which makes it easier for a sound wave to move through air. As a result, sound travels more quickly through air than it does through water.
In addition, the temperature of the air can also affect the speed of sound. As the temperature of the air increases, the particles in the air gain more energy and move around more rapidly. This makes it easier for a sound wave to move through the air, so the speed of sound increases as the temperature increases.
Actual Fact:
The velocity of sound will be more in denser mediums than it is in rarer mediums. So the velocity of sound in water (1480 m/sec) is quite more than it is in the air (343 m/sec).
My Impressions:
A large language model, such as ChatGPT, outputs a sequence of the most probable words conditioned on the context. Here, since the context is a "tricky" premise, the ChatGPT might have come up with what it calculated to be the most probable sequence of words conditioned on the given “tricky" context.
However, out of several trials with various questions, only a handful of times could ChatGPT be tricked into giving responses that are an utter twaddle.
The other times, ChatGPT could challenge and correct the incorrect premises and questions than simply ride along on the nonsensical context.
For other interesting conversations with Artificial Intelligence, find the collection In Conversation With AI.
