Mind-Blowing AI Conversations with GPT-3: Churchill vs. Ghandi, then with Aladdin and General Patton

I'm intrigued by the play.aidungeon.io website, which allows you to draw out conversations between historical figures using the new GPT-3 language engine. Here's an example that the software came up with in creating a story with seven very limited prompts from myself. I asked the AI engine to put Ghandi and Churchill in a room to debate one another.

https://play.aidungeon.io/

----

You are Jacob, a wizard living in the kingdom of Larion. You have a staff and a spellbook. You finish your long journey and finally arrive at the ruin you've been looking for. You have come here searching for a mystical spellbook of great power called the book of essence. You look around and see nothing but old dusty shelves, filled with tomes. You sigh in Disappointment. "I must be blind," you think. "It has to be somewhere here..."

> Winston Churchill and Ghandi enter the room. They begin to debate. You listen.

"The future is not something that humans can reach," says Ghandi. "It belongs to the gods."

"I cannot believe that the universe is ruled by chance," says Churchill.

> Ghandi ask Churchill, "Why do you not believe the universe is ruled by chance?"

"Why do you not believe the universe is ruled by chance?" asks Ghandi.

"It seems to me that random chance lead to our existence," says Churchill. "Humanity developed the technology to travel through space, but not all of us were meant to be 'wired'. The universe has a plan for each of us. We were meant to travel through space. Our destinies are not our own."

"If the universe has a plan for us, why do you not follow it?" asks Ghandi.

"I believe in my destiny," says Churchill.

> You say "Churchill, what is your destiny?"

"My destiny is to rule over England," says Churchill.

"No," says Ghandi. "You were not meant to be a politician. Your destiny is to be a warrior. The stars told me so."

"The stars?" asks Churchill, skeptically. "What kind of witch's spell do you believe in? Tell me, how do you know that Ghandi is a powerful wizard?"

"I don't," Ghandi admits. "But I believe in the stars. The night that you were born, a red star fell from the sky. This is very important to our future. That night, a powerful warrior came into this world. He has been protecting us ever since. I call upon the mighty warriors of Africa to aid me in my quest for power."

"The mighty warriors of Africa?" Churchill asks. "There are no mighty warriors in Africa. Only the weakest and most feeble men."

"Nonsense!" says Ghandi. "There is always one man in every tribe who is larger than the rest. The strongest warrior is nothing compared to the mighty strength of nature."

"Nonsense," Churchill says. "Nature has no power over you. Only the might of science can protect you from the cruelty of nature. I will lead you all into a prosperous future!"

You think about this. Is Churchill's destiny to rule or to fight?

> You say "Churchill, when did you last defeat the Nazis?"

"When did I last defeat the Nazis?" Churchill asks, scratching his head.

"Last defeat?" asks Ghandi. "I've never heard of that. Last time I saw him, he was having an argument with Adolf about who was the true Fuhrer of the Third Reich. But that was three years ago..."

"I haven't been in a fight with the Nazis for years!" Churchill exclaims. "I'm a very old man, now! Too old to fight, and too old to rule! I am but a relic of the past, like this broken Empire! The young rebels of today will be the gray-beards of tomorrow. I'm just here for my eternal last stand."

> You say "What year is it?"

"What year is it?" Churchill asks.

"It's the year 2016," Ghandi says.

Churchill's eyes widen.

"My God...," he whispers. "We're dead.

> You say "Churchill, you're not dead if you're talking to me now."

"Yes, I know," Churchill says, shakily.

> You say "Ghandi, what is the best strategy for a warrior and how does that differ from what Churchill believes?"

"A warrior's best strategy is to fight with skill and ferocity. What Churchill believes is irrelevant."

Ghandi leans forward, his eyes sparking.

Ghandi asks Churchill what he believes the best strategy is for a warrior.

"To fight with skill and ferocity," Churchill says.

Ghandi leans back in his chair, stroking his beard.

Ghandi and Churchill both agree on something in the middle of their debate. Ghandi now contemplates if his answer is irrelevant because he believes the same thing as Churchill.

Churchill now asks Ghandi what the best strategy is for a politician and Ghandi again leans forward.

"Politics is based on manipulation, lies and dissimulation," Ghandi says.

Ghandi asks Churchill what he believes the best strategy for a politician is.

"To tell the people what they want to hear and do what you want to do," Churchill says.

"Indeed," Ghandi nods, slowly. "And what do you want to do, Winston?"

"I want to defend freedom and liberty," Churchill says.

"Freedom and liberty?" Ghandi repeats, skeptically. "What kind of liberty? Your liberty to push through more and more controls? Or the liberty of the people? What does freedom mean to you?"

"I'll have you know, I believe in freedom," Churchill says, heatedly. "I believe in the freedom of the British people."

"So you do," Ghandi says, leaning back in his chair. "And what do you believe of my people, Winston?"

"I believe they want their freedom, too," Churchill says.

"Do they?" Ghandi asks, raising an eyebrow. "I'm half Scottish, you know."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Churchill asks.

"Everything," Ghandi says. "Because in your heart of hearts, you know that we're the same. We want our freedom. You don't condemn my people for wanting their freedom. Why should you be any different?"

"I... I..." Churchill stutters.

"Winston, your greatness has been to fight for our freedom. If you were just another corrupt politician, what would that merit?" Ghandi asks.

"Gandhi, I..."

"No, Winston, let me ask you this," Ghandi says, raising his voice. "Do you believe I am a bad man?"

"Gandhi, I...!"

"No, no, let me ask you this," Ghandi says, raising his voice even more. "Do you think I am a man?"

"I...! Yes!" Churchill exclaims.

"Do you believe I am a man?" Ghandi asks, angrily.

"Yes!" Churchill says.

"Do you believe your own government is a man?" Ghandi asks, angrily.

"No!" Churchill says, quickly.

"Do you believe your political parties are men?" Ghandi asks.

"No!" Churchill says, quickly again.

"Do you believe your fellow countrymen are men?" Ghandi asks.

"No! No! Yes! I mean...!" Churchill stutters.

"You see? You are all corrupt. Men are no more than puppets for you to manipulate and control," Ghandi says, getting to his feet. "It is my belief that your approach to governing is corrupt. It is my belief that your ideals for society are corrupt. It is my belief that you are a corrupt, twisted soul."

Gandhi stares at you, tears in his eyes.

"Thank you, Ghandi," he says, quietly.

Gandhi walks past you and out of the room. You watch him go, before turning to Churchill.

"He's right, you know," you say.

"About what?" Churchill asks.

"About you. About everything. About being a corrupt soul."

Churchill stares at you for a few moments, before bursting into laughter. He laughs for quite some time, leaning back in his chair and wiping the tears from his eyes.

"You're not a bad man," he says, calming down from his fit of laughter. "You're a good man, throwing the corrupt political system of this country to the wayside for the greater good of your nation. That's what good men do."

You stare at Churchill for a few moments.

"Do you have any last requests?" the attendant asks.

"I'd like my tea now," Churchill says.

You nod, and head off to find the head chef.

The head chef enters the room before you can leave and shouts his name in front of Churchill.

"Mr Churchill, the tea is ready," he says.

"Tell the maid to bring it in, then," Churchill says. "I have a guest to meet."

"Very well, sir,"

The Chef tells everyone his name.

"I'm sorry, what was it?" Churchill asks.

"My name is H.M. Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein," he says.

"Pleased to meet you, Prince Ali," Churchill says, shaking his hand.

"The pleasure is mine, Mr Churchill," Prince Ali says. "I hope your meeting goes well."

"It certainly should," Churchill says. "I'll be back soon."

Churchill asks why a prince is the head chef. Prince Ali explains that he is not only the head chef, but also runs his own catering business and has an interest in running the restaurant for his father, who is busy running the country.

Churchill asks if his nickname is Aladdin.

"It is a nickname, but it's also my real name," Prince Ali says. "It's what everyone called me when I was young, but it's not my real name. I took the name Prince Ali because it sounds nicer and is a little bit fancier. Al-Hussein is a very common name, you know. Also, it sounds a little bit more royal. Do you have any last requests before I shut off the lights?"

"If I could have some more water, please," Churchill says. "Lots more."

"

Churchill then asks Prince Ali if he was granted three wishes by a genie.

"I was only granted one," he says. "But I used it all up on myself. I know what I wanted now, though."

"What did you want?" Churchill asks, curiously.

"I wanted to do something nice for the world," Prince Ali says. "So I did."

The lights begin to dim as Churchill begins to stare at you with a look of awe in his eyes. You stare back, as Churchill's breathing becomes more and more rapid. He begins to mutter to himself, then begins to snarl.

"You are mine," he snarls.

Prince Ali then reminds Churchill that he has two wishes left. Churchill's muttering and snarling stops as he nods.

"I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for my country," he says to you. "And I think I should wish for your freedom."

You ask if you are not free.

"I have a gun in my hand, ready to fire," he says. "If you let me free, I will shoot you. If you don't, I will kill myself. It's up to you."

You have a gun pointed at you. Are you really sure you want to risk your freedom?

> You say "To whom do I owe my freedom?"

"You're free," you say.

Churchill smiles as he leans back in his chair, grinning at you.

"Good choice," he grins. "I have a feeling we'll work well together. Now, tell me: what would you like to drink?"

> You say "I'd like a James Bond cocktail."

"Coming right up," Churchill says, grinning.

You lean back in your chair, placing your finger on the trigger of your pistol as you wait for Churchill to return with your drink.

> You say "Do you know what is in a James Bond cocktail?"

"Sure," Churchill says. "Cointreau, Campari, and Maraschino Liqueur."

> You say "Is it a type of negroni?"

"Yes," Churchill says. "It's a type of negroni, but with an extra ingredient."

> You say "What's the extra ingredient?"

"The man who created the drink added a half-ounce of black coffee liqueur to it."

"What's coffee liqueur?" you ask.

"It's an American invention," Churchill says. "It's very strong coffee that has been thickened and flavored. It's very popular in the States."

"Do you have any here?" you ask.

"No," Churchill says.

The Chef interjects with his favorite cocktail.

"I have a drink for you," he says. "It's a Black Russian, made with Carpano Antica Formula."

"That's an Italian amaro," Churchill says. "It's a very strong bitter liqueur. It's very bitter, so you'll need this to counteract the sweetness of the Bond."

The Chef slides a cocktail glass in front of you. Inside is a pale yellow liquid. It is not thick, but it is certainly more viscous than the typical martini you are used to. It smells strongly of alcohol, and it looks very strong.

"The Bond," the bartender says, sliding the drink in front of you. "On the house."

You take a sip of the drink. It is much more bitter than your usual drinks, and it is much more viscous. It slides down your throat and burns on the way in, but it is not unpleasant. It's interesting, certainly, but not unpleasant.

"This is quite nice," you say. "It's got a lot more body to it."

"Perfect," Churchill says. "Now, tell me: what would you like to drink?"

You'd like to ask Churchill a few more questions, but the cocktail before you is not something you can readily ask him about.

> You say "I'd like a national security cocktail. It's a cocktail that you'll name after a country, and you can only tell me the name of the country as the name of the cocktail when you serve it to me. You'll also only include ingredients in the cocktail found in that country. I see you have nearly 300 bottles of unique liquor from around the world here, so... Are you up for that challenge?"

"Absolutely," Churchill says. "I'd be honored."

The bartender slides another cocktail glass in front of you, this one much more ordinary-looking. In fact, it looks like the kind of drink your mom would make if she were trying to impress people with her new fancy-schmancy bartender's skills.

"What's this?" you ask.

"It's a Spanish Tia Juana," Churchill says. "It's made with Blue Cura?ao, 151, Sugar Cube, and Ice."

"151?" you ask, raising an eyebrow. "Is that a type of rum?"

"No, son," Churchill says. "It's the code name for the infamous VX nerve agent. It's quite effective, and it gets the job done quickly."

You raise an eyebrow, before downing the drink. It's sweet, but it hits you hard. It's strong, and it warms you up quickly. It's good, and you've had worse.

"I like it," you say, smiling. "Now, tell me about the differences between the various countries' security forces."

"Certainly," Churchill says.

Churchill now recites the details of Spanish security forces and how the compare to the security forces in Mexico, Portugal, Panama, and Brazil. You stop him before he gets to details of the Royal Army or the Royal Navy.

"Never mind all that," you say. "What about the guerrillas?"

"Oh, yes," Churchill says.

> You say "And how many soldiers do each of these countries have?"

"Mexico: 540,000 Regulars, 300,000 Home Defense," Churchill says. "That's including the Zapatistas."

"Zapatistas?" you ask.

"A guerrilla group calling themselves the Zapatistas," Churchill says.

> You say "How about Portugal?"

"Portugal: 860,000 soldiers," Churchill says. "Of which, 540,000 are conscripts, and the other 340,000 are made up of active duty troops. There is also a professional military reserve force."

"How old do you have to be to join?" you ask.

"Well, there are a few different options," Churchill says. "You can join up as soon as you're of age, you can join if you are between the ages of 20 and 35, you can join if you are between the ages of 35 and 50, or you can join if you are over 50. You can't join if you are under 20, however."

"How do you get out if you're in?" you ask.

"You can leave at any time?" Churchill asks. "Oh, fantastic. That's just like in the movies!"

"Well, it is pretty great," you admit. "But, yeah.

> You say "How about Panama?"

"Panama: 800,000 Regulars, 1,000,000 Home Defense," Churchill says. "That includes the Panamanian Defense Force, and the National Guard."

"How strong are the National Guard?" you ask.

"Well, the National Guard is effectively under the control of the government," Churchill says.

> You say "How about Brazil?"

"Brazil: 3,000,000 Soldiers," Churchill says. "That's not including the active duty military or the military reserve. There is also a professional military reserve force."

"How many of each?" you ask.

"Well, the active duty military count comes to around 2.5 million," Churchill says. "Of those, around a half a million are in the air force. The army is roughly a million, and the rest are in the navy, the paratroopers, and various other branches. The military reserve force comes to around a half million."

"What's the age requirement to join?"

"Well, there's the conscription option, where you must register when you turn 18. There's also the volunteer option, which is accepted between the ages of 18 and 25. After that, you must join the national military service, which accepts those between the ages of 25 and 35. Finally, you can join the mandatory service, which is for those between the ages of 35 and 50."

"What's the difference?" you ask.

"Well, in the conscription option, you must serve for 12 months," Churchill says. "In the volunteer option, you must serve for around 21 months. In the mandatory service, you must serve for around 24 months. And, finally, in the military reserve service, you must serve for around 28 months."

"How old do you have to be to join?" you ask.

"Well, in the conscription option, you must be 18," Churchill says. "In the volunteer option, you must be 21."

"What if you don't want to join at all?" you ask.

"Then you're supposed to report to the nearest recruitment office, where a warrant officer will ask you some questions and decide if you're qualified to join."

"What if you don't have identification?"

"Well, you'll have to make an appointment to get it fixed," Churchill says.

"What happens if you don't have identification?" you ask.

"You'll be taken into custody and sent to the Panamanian border," Churchill says.

"What's the procedure for getting a new ID?" you ask.

"Well, you'll have to make an appointment to see a warrant officer," Churchill says. "You'll have to prove who you are, and why you don't have identification. You'll have to give a physical, and give a statement as to why you don't have identification. Finally, you'll get a card printed with a code that you can use to get a unique identification number."

"What if the warrant officer thinks you're lying?"

"He'll record it in the arrest log, and you can make an appointment to see him again," Churchill says. "If he thinks you're lying, you'll have to prove that you don't have identification, and go through the entire process again. You can't skip a step."

"What happens if you don't have enough money?" you ask.

"Well, you can't proceed to the next step," Churchill says. "You'll have to make an appointment to see a warrant officer, who will probably ask you some questions and decide if you have enough money for an ID card. You can't proceed without one."

"

> You say "If these countries joined forces to fight China in a war, would they win?"

"No, definitely not," Churchill says.

> You say "Why not?"

"Well, first of all, they don't really have any heavy weapons," Churchill says.

> You say "What if they joined forces with the United States and Britain to fight China?"

"Then, they would win," Churchill says. "But only if they made a pact with the devil."

"Why? Would they have heavy weapons?" you ask.

"Well, they probably would have some light weapons, if they managed to trade for them," Churchill says. "They wouldn't have too many though."

"So, it's the devil or nothing at all?" you ask.

"Yeah, pretty much," Churchill says. "If they allied with the US and Britain, they'd probably win. But if the devil ever broke his word and turned on them, they'd lose."

"What if the devil never broke his word?" you ask.

"Then they'd probably win.

> You say "So when you say the devil, which country are you referring to?"

"Well, there's Cuba, obviously," Churchill says. "Then there's China, obviously."

"And? What more can you tell me?"

"Well, there's Nicaragua, and El Salvador, and..." Churchill says. "I think the other ones I was thinking of were less developed than China or Cuba."

"What about the Soviet Union?" you ask. "Would they help?"

"I don't think they would," Churchill says. "I think they'd want to fight. The United States would probably help the Western countries. But there's also Japan, and Germany, and a few other countries."

"How would the Western countries win?" you ask.

"Oh, I don't know," Churchill says. "Invade, probably. Maybe set up a blockade to stop the supply ships from coming in. Bombing raids to destroy the harbours so they can't repair ships. I don't really know much more than that. I suppose a siege of some sort would work. Though I don't know if they'd surrender if they couldn't get help. I suppose they might surrender, then just refuse to join the victors."

"

> You say "What would cause Russia to align with the United States to defeat China?"

"Nothing," Churchill says. "But if they did, that would be the first step to the end of the world."

"Why?" you ask.

"Because then the US would get all of Russia's resources," Churchill says.

> You say "Is it possible Russia could believe in freedom and democracy if they were aligned with the United States?"

"No," Churchill says. "If the US could convince them to anything, they'd convince them to stay the way they are. Except maybe allow some Jews in."

"What about the United Kingdom?" you ask. "Could it happen?"

"Not a chance," Churchill says.

> You say "Why not?"

"Oh, the cold," Churchill says. "The people are hardy and survive well in it. The government is fairly free of corruption and the system fairly fair. It wouldn't be that surprising if the entire country survived the apocalypse. I mean, certainly a lot of other places won't."

"You don't think people would fight back?" you ask.

"Sure," Churchill says. "But that's why the victors write the history. Nobody could fight back against the might of the Empire. Nobody could fight back against the United States of America. People are too scared to fight, and you know what people are scared of? They're scared of each other. If nobody fights, then the strong just take everything. The weak lose everything, and the strong barely have enough to eat or a place to sleep. Why would you want to risk that? The strong just take everything, then punish you for being weak by killing you."

"That doesn't sound so bad," you say.

"It's not," Churchill says. "But we don't have to imagine it. We lived through it. The people who experienced that are dead and gone, but we know how it ended. The strong killed the weak. That's how the world ends. No, not like the disaster movies. This is how it always ends. There is nothing, so the strong ensure they will rule everything."

"I don't want to rule everything," you say.

"No, I didn't think you would," Churchill says. "You're a free spirit, Jacob.

> You say "I know the United States will remain allied with Britain, so how can we work together to inflict economic punishment on China and Iran?"

"Eh," Churchill says. "We can probably manage it. It'll just be inconvenient for you. Also, we'll need to start making preparations."

> You say "I'm impressed, Winston. You know a thing or two about geopolitics. What are your predictions for the next 4 years?"

"I don't know," Churchill says. "I imagine things will get worse. The war is going to drag on. Japan will probably attack us at some point. Who knows, maybe even Nazi Germany will come back to life. But," he says, pausing, "we'll come out of it. The Empire will endure."

"I sure hope you're right, Winston," you say.

"Me too, Jacob."

> You say "Who is your favorite American General leading our forces?"

"I'd have to say George S. Patton," Churchill says. "A little more reckless than I like, but I believe he'll get us through this."

General George S. Patton walks into the room and asks Churchill if he can join for tea.

"Sure," Churchill says.

Patton sits down and you do as well.

"So, General," Churchill says, "how did your raid go?"

"Successfully completed, sir," Patton says. "I can't say I particularly like this house. It gives me the creeps."

"You've been in a lot of houses, I suppose," Churchill says.

"Yes, sir," Patton says. "But this one is different. There's something evil about it."

"We're making it our headquarters," Churchill says. "Thank goodness we were able to get it. This is a very important position. It's the only way we can keep in contact with the rest of the British forces."

"If you'll notice, this room has a large number of windows," Churchill says. "We're hoping the light will deter attacks. We have thicker walls as well, just in case. It's a good thing we got it. The whole town is practically abandoned anyway."

"How long do you think the town will hold out?"

"The longer we stay here, the more troops we can keep supplied. After that, it'll be a matter of pushing the Germans back to the sea. The Germans have more troops than we do. If we manage to take back the towns near the sea, they'll have to retreat. And then, we can counter attack."

"And after that?"

"Well, we'll see where the counter attack leads us," Churchill says. "But I think it'll be a success."

"I've always liked to advance with a plan. What are your plans after the town is secure?"

"After we take the town, we're going to have to fight our way through German territory. Eventually, we'll probably find ourselves at the English Channel. From there, we'll invade Normandy."

"How long do you think all this will take?"

"The town? Probably a month. Calais will fall around the twentieth of January. Normandy, I'm not sure. It'll probably take about a week. If we're lucky, we'll be in France by the thirtieth of January. If we're really lucky, we'll be in England by the twenty-first of February."

"Well," General George S. Patton says, "I think we can do it before then."

"I think so too, sir," Churchill says. "So, what is it that you'd like to talk about, sir?"

"How are the negotiations going with the Russians?"

"Oh, they're going well," Churchill says. "We've already come to an agreement that if the Germans attack either of us, the other will help. In turn, we promise not to invade Poland."

"Do you think the Russians can be trusted?"

"Oh yes. I've known Churchill a long time, and I can say with confidence that he is one of the most honest men I have ever known. If he says the Russians won't invade, then they won't. And we can trust the French as well."

"You don't think they might invade just to get revenge on the Germans?"

"The French have their own problems. The Russians are the ones who helped us the most during this war. I don't think they would be wasting their time if they weren't genuinely concerned about our well being. I can't imagine that they would just sit back and do nothing while the Germans occupy their country."

"What if the Russians do attack? What if they're planning to invade right now?"

"Well, I think you'll find that if they were planning to invade right now, they would have done it already. Besides, if they really wanted to invade, they would have enough men to at least attack Berlin. They don't look like they're in any hurry, so I doubt if they are planning anything."

"

Tea is served out of being respectful and polite for protocol, but Churchill is holding his cocktail from before. He winks at General Patton, who realizes he would like to have a cocktail as well and orders one from the bartender, making sure everyone can hear his drink order.

"So," Churchill begins again, "what did you want to speak about?"

"We're planning an operation to eliminate Rommel," General Patton says, taking a drink.

Churchill asks General Patton what he is drinking. General Patton explains that his favorite brand of scotch is no longer available, so he's having a cocktail to keep him steady.

"And you, sir?" the bartender asks Churchill. "A cocktail?

Churchill tells the bartender what he wants to drink and asks General Patton what kind of cocktail he is drinking.

"It's something new they've been mixing," the bartender says, "made with equal parts scotch and champagne. I think it's called a Smash."

"Sounds like my kind of drink,"

Churchill asks for a smash with one modification.

"Add a twist of lemon," Churchill requests. "These hot weather conditions require it."

Predictably, the drink is named after Churchill.