@ColoKate63 wrote:

I was able to remove the flowery language by prompting the AI to “write in first person past tense business style.”

It’s all in how you set up the prompts in the beginning. “Business style” or “write a business report narrative” gets me much cleaner prose. The more directives you provide, the better the product.

So you can train it to write in the style you need? Scary!

Just for kicks, I wonder what the result would be if you told it to write in slang or colloquialisms....

@BirdyC wrote:

So you can train it to write in the style you need? Scary!

Just for kicks, I wonder what the result would be if you told it to write in slang or colloquialisms....

Why is it “scary?” It’s just technology.

Anyway… I just prompted my ChatGPT:

PROMPT: write a first person narrative past tense with a New England accent about a woman meeting an old friend at church and gossiping.

NARRATIVE: I ran into my old friend Joanne at church last Sunday, and let me tell ya, it was wicked good to see her again. We hadn't caught up in ages, so we spent the whole service chit-chatting away like a couple of schoolgirls.

After the service, we went out to the parking lot and continued our gabfest. Joanne was just dyin' to know all the latest gossip, so I filled her in on all the news from town. I told her about how Sally's daughter got engaged, and how the new bakery on Main Street was just killin' it with their cinnamon rolls.

Then Joanne started spillin' some of her own tea. She told me about how her neighbor's son got arrested for drunk driving, and how the pastor's wife was seen sneakin' around with the mailman. I was just gobsmacked, let me tell ya.

We yapped and yapped until we finally had to say our goodbyes. But it was so great to catch up with Joanne again, and I can't wait until we run into each other again next Sunday.

@BirdyC wrote:

. . . I wonder what the result would be if you told it to write in slang or colloquialisms....

Or a dialect, such as Cockney or Cajun!
.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2023 07:24PM by shopnyc.

@misspocos75 wrote:

@ColoKate63 wrote:

OK, so after thinking a bit, I’m going to test this out.

I’ve just downloaded the ChatGPT iPhone app named “Genie” ($8 for a week, $45 for 52 weeks. I chose one week.)

The fact that you had to pay for that, made me wince… especially when you could have just used Bing’s new FREE AI chat tool.

If you read the Terms and Conditions of many of those FREE online AI programs, (like the new OpenAI financed by Elon Musk,) you have almost no guarantee of privacy.

If I’m working on refining my narratives, and producing a superior work product, I’d like to keep it for myself and not have it going into the pool for my competitors. I’m very willing to share and help, but only up to a certain point.

It is so easy to ask for the Cockney version:

"So, there I was, sittin' in church, mindin' me own business, when I spots this familiar face across the pews. Blimey, it was me ol' mate Sheila! We used to get up to all sorts o' mischief back in the day. Well, I couldn't resist, could I? I gives 'er a nudge and whispers, "Cor blimey, Sheila, is that you?" The grin on 'er face told me it was. We starts catchin' up right there in the middle of the service, whisperin' like a couple o' schoolgirls. Gossip was always our cup o' tea, and we wasted no time spillin' the beans on the latest scandal in the neighborhood. We were like a couple o' magpies, chirpin' away about this and that, tradin' stories and lettin' out the odd giggle or two. It was a right laugh, I tell ya. Church may not be the place for gossip, but when you bump into an old friend, you just can't resist, can ya?"

@shopnyc wrote:

@BirdyC wrote:

. . . I wonder what the result would be if you told it to write in slang or colloquialisms....

Or a dialect, such as Cockney or Cajun!
.

Okay, this is going to be long, but it's pretty entertaining. I asked ChatGPT to write the same story several times, each with different accents. I think my favorite is the Brooklyn accent. Fuhgeddaboudit!

====

Write a first-person narrative in a Cockney accent about driving in London.

ChatGPT
Alright, mate, gather round and I'll spin ya a tale about drivin' in bleedin' London town, innit? So there I was, sittin' behind the wheel of me motor, ready to tackle them chaotic streets. Blimey, I ain't never seen so many cars, buses, and cyclists in me life. It was like a proper madhouse, I tell ya.

Now, you gotta be quick on your feet, or should I say, quick on your wheels, when you're drivin' in this neck of the woods. Buses comin' at ya from every which way, pedestrians crossin' the road like they own the place, and don't even get me started on them traffic lights. It's like a blinkin' rainbow out there, red, green, yellow, all flashin' about like a disco. You gotta be on the ball, mate, or else you'll be in a right pickle.

And the bloomin' road signs! I swear, they're like a riddle only Sherlock Holmes could solve. "Mind the gap," they say, but what gap? Is it the gap between me motor and the kerb? Or is it some secret gap hidden away from plain sight? It's enough to make a geezer go bonkers, I tell ya.

But you know what, despite all the mayhem, there's a certain charm to drivin' in London. It's like a dance, you gotta move with the flow, blend in with the rhythm of the road. So, next time you find yourself behind the wheel in this cockney paradise, just remember to keep your wits about ya, avoid them dodgy potholes, and enjoy the ride. Cheers, mate!

====

User
Write a first-person narrative in a Kentish accent about driving in London.

ChatGPT
Well, I'll tell ya mate, drivin' in London can be a bit of a tricky ol' game, innit? It's a proper madhouse out there, I tell ya. Me and the missus, we thought we'd take a jolly little drive down to the big city, ya know, see the sights and all that. Blimey, we were in for a proper shocker!

First off, the traffic, mate. It's like a bloomin' car park out there. You can't move an inch without gettin' stuck behind some proper slowpoke or dealin' with a swarm of taxis cuttin' you up. And don't even get me started on them roundabouts, blimey! It's like a game of dodgems out there, tryin' to navigate through the chaos.

But the worst bit, I tell ya, is them roads. Narrow as a mouse's whisker, they are. One wrong turn and you're right proper lost, mate. And them road signs? Might as well be written in bloody hieroglyphics, I swear. Me sat-nav was goin' mental, recalculatin' every two seconds. It was like havin' a proper naggin' backseat driver, I tell ya.

In the end, we made it out of London in one piece, thank the Lord. It was a proper adventure, I'll give ya that. But I reckon next time, we'll stick to the train or the bus, mate. Drivin' in London ain't for the faint-hearted, I can tell ya that for free.


====

User
Write a first-person narrative in a Scots accent about driving in London.

ChatGPT
Ah'll tell ye, drivin' in London wis a braw experience, ye ken. Me and me wee pal, we thought we'd tak' a wee trip doon tae the big city, ye see. But let me tell ye, it wis like naething ah'd ever seen afore.

Furst thing ye notice is the traffic, laddie. It's like a river o' cars, flowin' fast and furious. Nae room tae breathe, nae room tae maneuver. We were stuck in auld queues for ages, barely movin' an inch. Ah tell ye, mah patience wis wearin' thin.

And thae roads, och! They're a proper labyrinth, ye ken. Twisted lanes, road signs that confuse ye, and roundabouts as big as a loch. We got lost mair times than ah care tae admit, me and me wee pal. Had tae keep shoutin' directions at each other like twa lost souls.

In the end, we made it hame in one piece, thank the guid Lord. But drivin' in London, ah'll say this much, it's nae fer the faint-hearted. Give me the tranquility o' the bonnie Scottish countryside any day, where the roads are narrow but the scenery is pure magic.

====

User
Write a first-person narrative in a Cajun accent about driving in London.

ChatGPT
Well, I tell you what, drivin' in London was somethin' else, cher. Me and my buddy, we decided to take a little trip down there, ya know. But let me tell you, it was like nothin' I'd ever seen before, I garontee!

First thing you notice is the traffic, sha. It's like a whole mess o' cars, crawlin' like a slow-moving gator. No room to breathe, no room to shake a tail feather. We were stuck in them lines for what felt like an eternity, cher. My patience was wearin' thin, I tell you what.

And them roads, oh là là! They're like a twisty, turny bayou, full of surprises. Signs pointin' every which way, like a jumble of crawfish traps. We got lost more times than a crawdad in a gumbo, me and my buddy. Had to holler directions at each other like we were tryin' to reel in a big ol' catfish.

In the end, we made it back home in one piece, thank the lucky stars. But drivin' in London, lemme tell you, it's a whole different gumbo pot. Give me the peaceful bayous and the sweet sound of accordion any day, where the roads may be narrow, but the hospitality is as warm as a Cajun spice.

====

Write a first-person narrative in a thick Brooklyn accent about driving in London.

ChatGPT
Yo, lemme tell ya 'bout this crazy time I had drivin' in London, you know what I'm sayin'? So, me and my buddy, we decide to take a trip across the pond, right? We think we're tough New Yorkers, ain't nothin' gonna phase us. Little did we know what we were gettin' ourselves into, ya know?

First off, the traffic, fuhgeddaboudit! It's like a freakin' circus out there. Cars comin' at ya from every angle, no rhyme or reason. I'm tryin' to navigate these narrow streets, dodgin' double-decker buses like a street fighter. I'm yellin' at my buddy, "Hey, watch out, there's a bloomin' cab 'bout to cut us off!" It's like playin' a game of chicken every damn second.

And the road signs? I gotta tell ya, they might as well be in a foreign language. I'm squintin' my eyes, tryin' to make out them weird symbols. My buddy's laughin' his ass off, sayin', "Hey, forget about it, we're in jolly old England, ya gotta drive on the other side of the road!" I'm like, "What? Are you kiddin' me? Who thought that was a good idea?"

In the end, we made it out alive, but I gotta admit, drivin' in London was like navigatin' a friggin' maze. Give me the mean streets of Brooklyn any day, where the potholes might swallow ya whole, but at least you know what the hell you're doin'.

====

User
Write a first-person narrative in a Parisian accent about driving in London.

ChatGPT
Ah, mon ami, let me share with you my experience of driving in ze magnifique city of London. You see, I am a Parisian, accustomed to ze elegance and order of our boulevards, where ze driving is like a ballet. But oh là là, London is an entirely different world!

Ze streets of London, zey are like a maze, filled with a constant symphony of honking horns and whizzing cars. It is as if ze traffic has its own rhythm, a chaotic melody that only ze brave can navigate. Ze roundabouts, mon dieu! Zey are a whirlwind of confusion and quick decisions. I found myself wondering if I was in a race or a game of chance.

And ze traffic signs, sacrebleu! Zey are like hieroglyphics to my French eyes. I squinted and squinted, trying to decipher zem, but often found myself at ze mercy of GPS. "Turn left in 100 meters," it would say, but ze left turn seemed to disappear in ze midst of ze bustling traffic.

But amidst ze madness, I discovered a certain charm. Ze iconic landmarks passing by, ze bustling streets filled with life, and ze diverse tapestry of cultures. It was like driving through a vibrant painting, a kaleidoscope of sights and sounds.

So, my friends, if you ever find yourself behind ze wheel in London, embrace ze adventure, surrender to ze flow of traffic, and let the city reveal its secrets to you. And remember, in ze words of ze great French poet, "C'est la vie," or as ze Londoners say, "That's life!"

===

Write a first-person narrative in an Australian accent about driving in London.

ChatGPT
G'day, mates! Let me share me tale about drivin' in London, straight from the land Down Under. Now, comin' from Australia, where we drive on the left like champions, I thought takin' on them London roads would be a piece of cake. But, crikey, was I in for a surprise!

First thing ya notice is the roundabouts, or as we Aussies call 'em, the "bloody merry-go-rounds." They're everywhere, and ya gotta keep your wits about ya. It's like a game of dodgin' kangaroos, except it's cars flyin' at ya from all angles. Chout! It's enough to make ya head spin faster than a dingo chasing its tail.

And let's talk about them narrow streets, shall we? I thought we had tight roads back home, but London takes the cake. Squeezin' between cars, I felt like a wallaby on a tightrope. Not to mention the traffic, mate. It's like a never-ending stream of utes and 4x4s, all honkin' their horns like they're auditionin' for a didgeridoo solo.

But ya know what, cobbers? Despite the chaos, there's a certain charm to it all. Cruisin' past iconic landmarks like the Tower of London and the London Eye, it made me feel like a true adventurer, venturin' into the unknown. And the accents, mate! It's like a symphony of different twangs and tones. Fair dinkum, it made me feel right at home, even on the other side of the world.

So, if ya find yerself drivin' in London, remember to stay calm, keep left, and have a laugh along the way. Embrace the Aussie spirit, mate, and take it all in. It might be a different kind of outback, but it's an adventure ya won't forget. Cheers, mates!

===

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2023 09:58PM by shopnyc.

Okay, this is my last one - with a slightly different prompt:

Write two short paragraphs in the style of Shakespeare about driving a taxi in New York City.

ChatGPT
Hark! With horseless carriage, swift I traverse
The twisted paths of New York's crowded streets.
A taxi driver, fate's willing instrument,
In this vast urban tapestry I dwell.
From morn to night, I ferry souls in need,
Through ceaseless turmoil, chaos uncontained.
The honking horns, the fervent shouts of men,
In this grand stage, my part I play full well.

But soft! What sights, what wonders meet mine eye!
The towering spires, a modern majesty,
That pierce the heavens with audacious might.
Through snarled and tangled web of traffic's grip,
I steer with skill, a helmsman of the road.
Oh, brave new world, where metal beasts do roam,
With every fare, a tale of city's strife,
In this New York, my chariot I guide.
.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/18/2023 05:30PM by shopnyc.

OMG. AI must have accessed Boudreaux & Thibodeaux stories while watching Swamp People!

@ColoKate63 wrote:

Why is it “scary?” It’s just technology.

Because a couple of decades ago, nobody (other than computer scientists) thought this degree of sophistication was possible. As few as five years ago, I was reading fiction novels with themes like this--but nobody thought the scenarios were plausible. It's not technology itself that's scary; it's what is being done with it now that couldn't be imagined by regular people not all that long ago.

We all thought "Hal" was something that could never happen. Well, he's half-happened!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/18/2023 01:39AM by BirdyC.

Shopnyc, thank you! Absolitely fascinating and EXTREMELY ENTERTAINING.

Scary as Hades.

(And y'all lost me at"cut and paste"....I can do that on my pc, but I haven't learned how to do it on my iPhone,)

Thank you Kate for widening out horizons and introducing us to a cool new toy. If you are questioning why some people are finding this scary, don't you at least wonder why the CEO of ChatGPT is asking Congress for help in regulating artificial intelligence?

It remains to be seen how MSCs will respond to such technology. In my specific case, I am guessing my ability to obtain high double and triple digit fees for assignments requiring considerable narrative, might no longer exist.

Good article on AI in today’s New York Times.

Link: [www.nytimes.com]

I asked my husband, a geophysicist who collects and then analyzes data from toxic cleanup sites, if AI could replace him. He thought about it for a bit, then said yes, it probably could, with enough program iterations and debugging.

Hmmmmmm.

I don't have a New York Times account :-(

@ColoKate63 wrote:

Good article on AI in today’s New York Times.

Link: [www.nytimes.com]

I asked my husband, a geophysicist who collects and then analyzes data from toxic cleanup sites, if AI could replace him. He thought about it for a bit, then said yes, it probably could, with enough program iterations and debugging.

Hmmmmmm.

Reminds me of one time I did either a hotel or casino shop. There were a dozen interactions and for each one they wanted to know the same thing. For example, description, opening line, narrative, closing remark. Timestamps for enter and exit, and "how the interaction made you feel." I made myself a little template and used that for each of them, with only the narrative and answers being different. This way I won't forget to include anything. I got reprimanded for using a template. Ok but why is it important for me to say "I entered at 8:05" in a different manner, 12 different times? Especially when you tell me to be objective and measurable.

They tell you to answer these same things for every food dish for example (taste, temp, presentation, portion) and then get mad if you use a template or repeat the same sentences. The facts are the facts.

I don't have the patience currently to train the chatbot but hopefully someday! I hope the robots succeed in giving these MSCs their very specific requests.

I loved all of these examples. I have yet to use it but I did download it. Most of my shops do not require long narratives but there will come a day!

I've been only using ChatGPT to proof read my narratives since the first report! I started the MSC thing 1.5 months ago. Never had thought I would ask the bot to write the whole narrative! I should definitely try it next time...

Just the other day I read in the NYTimes about 2 lawyers who used chatGPT to bolster their case and through it they found two cases to use where someone was killed in one and hurt in the other. Turns out they did not do their due diligence to check these great finds by ChatGPT and they were outed by the opposition who proved them wrong. They got into a lot of hot water with the judge.
At some point in the future ChatGPT will probably be advanced enough to check sources and enough lay people will understand it's limitations that it might be useful but in the meantime there will be a considerable number of teachers and other professionals that will be duped.
Those people who write for people who believe everything they read on the internet will also have a heyday.
I can certainly see the value in polishing up your narratives for mystery shopping at this point but I think there is too much potential right now for this platform to be intentionally misused.

I would love to get to the point to where I'm so busy with MSing that I have to rely on it. But I think it would be more trouble than it's worth. Certainly not worth the risks with the current work load.

Then again; perhaps its something you could tactically deploy. I'm in no position to risk any relationship I have with an MSC. None. I can't lose a single one. The ones I work for have very few shops in my area and I value them all. However, if you're doing a shop for an MSC you rarely shop for and they have an onerous narrative demand on their forms...perhaps try it there I suppose.

But for me..pass.

Funny I came across this thread today while catching up on the forum. About two weeks ago, on another platform, a representative (who, if I'm not mistaken, is the owner) from one of the smaller MSC's specifically addressed the use of AI on reports. She was not real enthused, nor happy with the fact they had several reports come in recently that were clearly written with the help of AI. I will say, after reading the examples of actual reports she shared, there was NO way one would not know it was written through the use & help of AI. The reports literally read more like a professional food review for the NY Times than the average mystery shopper report...lol. She said the reports were immediately rejected and the shopper was deactivated. She further discouraged it's use by anyone thinking about turning in reports that resembled what she shared.

That said, I don't see a problem with it if you're HEAVILY editing the results to better match you're writing style, broaden your vocabulary or ease writer's block. There's nothing wrong with sharpening your writing skills & learning new words through tools such as AI but to turn in a report without doing so at all like the examples she shared is a form of fraud & frowned upon, rightfully so by MSC's. Editors, schedulers and CLIENTS become as familiar with us as we do with them, specifically our writing style & range of vocabulary. They're not looking for a "professional review", all they ask is for us to be honest in our experience & relay that experience through writing to the best of our ability. Even if the language feels repetitive to us, at least it's in your own words, as simple or boring as they may be.

Again, I see nothing wrong with using it as a tool for sharpening writing skills or overcome writer's block and it can be fun to play around with. I'm only sharing the story to let everyone know they ARE onto this and are paying CLOSE attention to our past reports as a comparison to current & future reports. I would hate for anyone to get deactivated w/out forewarning.

I've never used it but would assume the work required to input the data to get a complete and accurate narrative would be more work than just writing the narrative. Eliza, I mean ChatGPT, could write something passable with just a few prompts, but would it really produce anything useful?

One of the MSC has a message right on the shopper's home page about not using AI/ChatBots to write your report, that it will invalidate it. I can't remember which one off hand, but it was in the past week.

@mystery2me wrote:

I've never used it but would assume the work required to input the data to get a complete and accurate narrative would be more work than just writing the narrative. Eliza, I mean ChatGPT, could write something passable with just a few prompts, but would it really produce anything useful?

I totally agree with you. I do a lot of professional copyediting, and sometimes I could have written an entire magazine article from scratch in less time than it took me to edit it! But because I wrote for a living and still do editing, I'm pretty fast, and I don't need to do a lot of editing after I've written something. Always some, of course, and corrections, but I still think it would take me more time to "train" ChatGPT, instruct it, and then edit its work.

So, yeah, more time and trouble than it's worth. And if someone's a shopper or a student (I hear that teachers are on to this and are rejecting stuff written this way) why risk a report being rejected or being deactivated.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/2023 04:55PM by BirdyC.

Saw this on a FB group:
We are again seeing an increase in reports written with AI software.
Just so you know, the use of AI-generated comments is not permitted in accordance with our ICA. Each report must be a first-hand account written by the shopper without the help of AI software. If our AI detector detects the use of AI-generated comments, your report will be invalid. Your shopper account with also be deactivated.
We know when this is being used, so please write the report with your own words and observations.

***or***as CHATGPT would say: Once more, we've noticed a rise in reports generated using AI software. Please be aware that employing AI-generated comments is not allowed as per our ICA (Internal Compliance Agreement). Each report should represent a firsthand account crafted by the shopper, devoid of AI software assistance. Should our AI detection system identify AI-generated comments in your report, it will be deemed invalid, and your shopper account will be deactivated. We have mechanisms in place to detect such usage, so kindly compose your report using your own words and observations.

So the MSCs are using AI to mystery shop AI-generated reports!! It's all robots!!!!

I am sure someone has already mentioned this but some of the companies have programs that are detecting the AI narratives. I don't know what it is but I was talking to an employee of a company and they said they are using it and if they catch you using AI they may give you a chance to redo it or they decline it. So I would really consider if it was worth it or not. I know the news stories that I have read that are using AI now you can tell immediately that it was written by AI. The wording is different and they phrase things differently.

i have never looked into AI..but what if they were EDITING our reports using chatgpt? Maybe they take our narrative and put it in chatGPT or some other AI and get a "corrected" version. Now your human version is in AI and the new time you write something similar they will say you used AI to do it.

Many of my narratives are similar for restroom cleanliness. There is not an infinite number of ways to talk about how the bathroom was clean, stocked, etc. I do change them up, but i'm sure in 15 years I have repeated myself at times.

I know next to nothing about chatGPT and can usually tell when something has been written by it. So if I, who knows nothing, can tell, I imagine that software and people who are trained to detect it can do so pretty easily. It's not really worth the risk, imo.

Y’all. They’re bluffing.

To effectively use an AI-detecting software program, the word sample input has to be at *least* 500 words long. Short and sweet narratives, like the text boxes in a Sassie gas station report, do not contain enough characters to run a detection scan.

Plus, there are anti-AI detection algorithms, like “undetectable.ai” that can be used to modify ChatGPT-generated text and render it, well, undetectable.

The vast majority of MSP owners that I’ve met are college dropouts with zero, zip, no knowledge of modern computing algorithms. Don’t believe them when they claim to be able to “tell” what’s AI-generated, if the narrative is short enough and/or you run it through anti-detection software.