ChatGPT experiment

My experiment with #ChatGPT. I took a passage from #SalmanRushdie. I then asked it to re-write it. As a next step, I asked it to re-write it as Salman Rushdie would write it (note that ChatGPT is not a search engine so does not recognise the paragraph as written by Rushdie). Below are the three paragraphs in that order - original, ChatGPT and ChatGPT as Rushdie. Note that the Rushdie quote is from a book of essays - Step Across This Line.

?I want to suggest to you that citizens of free societies, democracies, do not preserve their freedom by pussyfooting around their fellow-citizen's opinions, even their most cherished beliefs. In free societies, you must have the free play of ideas. There must be argument, and it must be impassioned and untrammeled. A free society is not calm and eventless place - that is the kind of static, dead society dictators try to create. Free societies are dynamic, noisy, turbulent, and full of radical disagreements. Skepticism and freedom are indissolubly linked; and it is the skepticism of journalists, their show-me, prove-it unwillingness to be impressed, that is perhaps their most important contribution to the freedom of the free world. It is the disrespect of journalists-for power, for orthodoxies, for party lines, for ideologies, for vanity, for arrogance, for folly, for pretension, for corruption, for stupidity, maybe even for editors-that I would like to celebrate...and that I urge you all, in freedom's name, to preserve.

?In free societies, the free exchange of ideas is vital to preserving freedom. This means that citizens must not shy away from expressing their opinions, even if they may conflict with others' beliefs. It also means that journalists have an important role to play in holding those in power accountable and exposing corruption, ignorance, and other forms of wrongdoing. A free and dynamic society is characterized by robust disagreements, skepticism, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. Journalists, in particular, play a crucial role in maintaining this dynamic by being skeptical and unwilling to be easily impressed. They are the ones who hold power to account and challenge orthodoxies, party lines, ideologies, and other forms of arrogance, vanity, and pretension. Therefore, it is important to celebrate and preserve the disrespect that journalists have for those in power and for anything that impedes the free exchange of ideas. This is the only way to ensure that free societies remain vibrant, noisy, and turbulent places where radical disagreements can flourish.

?In the turbulent and cacophonous world of free societies, there can be no pussyfooting around cherished beliefs. To safeguard our most fundamental freedoms, we must embrace the free play of ideas and the passionate, untrammeled exchange of argument. It is this unrestrained and unapologetic discourse that keeps our societies dynamic and prevents them from becoming the stagnant and lifeless worlds that dictators so desperately crave. Skepticism and freedom are the indissoluble link that binds us. It is the journalist's willingness to question and demand proof, their show-me attitude, that is perhaps their most important contribution to the freedom of the free world. Through their defiance of power, orthodoxies, and party lines, journalists help to expose the follies and pretensions of those in positions of authority. It is this disrespect for the corrupt, the vain, and the stupid that we should celebrate and preserve in freedom's name. So let us not be afraid to engage in radical disagreements or to challenge the status quo. Only through this passionate and unrelenting pursuit of truth can we ensure that our societies remain vibrant and free.

As you can see, the ChatGPT version is more mainstream as compared to the original and conveys the essence but it does lose the style that Rushdie’s original text has. There are shorter sentences, simpler words and bit of linear structure. Surprisingly the next version, of rewrite in Rushdie’s style has some of the elements of the original but is also more mainstream. Sentence structure is more linear and shorter though use of complex words has returned. Overall a very impressive performance by ChatGPT.

But be aware that if everyone uses ChatGPT to compose text, it will become very boring! Most times trust your own style, as it might have an essence which could get lost if you use ChatGPT to rewrite! You might lose your oomph!