Episode 3: “A Little Experimenting”
Listen to this episode:
Episode description:
In this episode I do a brief experiment with AI generated voice synthesis and podcast script creation.
ElevenLabs
https://beta.elevenlabs.io
ChatGPT
https://chat.openai.com
Comments and feedback
https://sites.libsyn.com/458310/scotpansing/contact
Episode script:
Hello everyone. My name is Scot and I’ll be sharing what I’m learning about generative artificial intelligence. I’m taking a deep plunge into these revolutionary new tools, and trying to distill down the practical information for others. I hope you find it helpful.
I wasn’t going to release another episode of this podcast for a bit, but I couldn’t stop thinking about something I said at the end of my first episode. I mentioned using voice synthesis to produce a podcast episode, and well, I had to try it. This podcast does not actually contain recorded audio, but a synthesized voice created with a tool by Eleven Labs meant to replicate my own. In addition to this, I wanted to see if ChatGPT could create an entire episode on a new subject.
It turns out that ChatGPT, at least the free version currently available, does have a limit to the size of its responses. It told me that the limit is 1024 tokens, which depending on the vocabulary used is around 600 words. Just recently, ChatGPT did announce a premium version called “ChatGPT Plus” – but there is a waitlist. ChatGPT Plus offers availability even when demand is high, faster response speed, and priority access to new features. They don’t say if the new features will include responses that exceed 1024 tokens.
At any rate, I did get a 500 word response to a prompt where I asked for a podcast that addresses the concept of free will vs. determinism. Here is the script:
Free will vs determinism is a debate that has been ongoing for centuries and has been considered by various disciplines including physics, philosophy, and psychology. The debate centers on the question of whether human actions and choices are predetermined or whether they are the result of free will. On one hand, determinists argue that everything that happens is the result of prior causes and that human actions and choices are no exception. On the other hand, proponents of free will argue that humans have the ability to make choices and take actions that are not predetermined by past events or outside influences.
In physics, determinism is often associated with the concept of causality, which states that every event has a cause and effect. According to this perspective, if the initial conditions of a system are known, the future behavior of that system can be predicted with complete accuracy. This perspective has been challenged by the development of quantum mechanics, which has introduced the concept of probability and indeterminacy into physics.
In philosophy, the debate over free will vs determinism has been a central issue for centuries. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Aristotle and Epicurus believed in determinism, while others such as the Stoics believed in a form of free will. In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church took a strong stance on determinism, and it was not until the Enlightenment that the debate over free will vs determinism began to be revisited.
One of the most influential philosophical arguments for determinism is the idea of causal determinism, which states that every event is determined by prior causes and that there is no room for chance or randomness. This argument has been criticized by proponents of free will, who argue that it is not possible to predict human actions with complete accuracy and that there is always an element of unpredictability and chance involved.
Another philosophical perspective on the debate is compatibilism, which holds that free will and determinism can be reconciled. According to this view, human actions are determined by prior causes, but individuals still have the ability to make choices and take actions based on their own desires and goals. This perspective has been criticized by hard determinists, who argue that true free will is incompatible with determinism.
In psychology, the debate over free will vs determinism has centered on the role of unconscious processes and environmental factors in shaping human behavior. Some psychologists argue that human behavior is largely determined by unconscious processes and environmental factors, while others argue that individuals have the ability to control their behavior and make choices that are not predetermined.
In conclusion, the debate over free will vs determinism is a complex and multifaceted issue that has been considered by various disciplines including physics, philosophy, and psychology. While determinism has been the dominant perspective for much of human history, the development of new ideas and perspectives has led to a more nuanced understanding of the issue. Ultimately, the answer to the question of whether human actions are predetermined or the result of free will remains a subject of ongoing debate and discussion.
I mean, it’s not a bad overview. But what I want to know is, what is the source material for this? Wikipedia? WolframAlpha? The entire world wide web? If the response is sufficiently different from all of the source material, does it need citations? At some point, some things aren’t really required to disclose sources. If I see a rock band play, at the end of the show are they required to say, “Thank you so much for coming, by the way our influences are Pink Floyd, Metallica, and Green Day. Also Soundgarden and the Rolling Stones.” Of course not.
Furthermore, all of those bands mentioned were themselves influenced by prior artists. Everything is built off of something that came before.
And what about the generative image tools? This podcast episode has an episode image attached to it made with Midjourney. Incidentally this is viewed easiest in Spotify; it doesn’t tend to show up easily on the other platforms. The image was created with the following prompt: “a painting in the style of a 17th century Dutch still life, with fruit.”
Honestly, I love the image. And we just have to guess which 17th century Dutch painters influenced the result. Vermeer? Rembrandt? van Ruisdael? I guess we’ll never know.
Okay, enough experimenting for this session. If you’d like, please let me know what you think of the voice synthesis, the text generation, or any feedback in general. There’s a link in the episode description. Bye for now!