Up the garden path

I already published one of my "conversations" with ChatGPT here on LinkedIn to make the case that ChatGPT is not quite the productivity tool some might have expected it to be. Then there was the article in Slator's Weekly about ChatGPTs horrible translations that kind of proved my point. Well, here's another of my chats with the large language model..., and to be honest, I already knew at the outset that my request was going to lead ChatGPT up the garden path:

Me: How can the word "Main" be best translated into German in the following context. Let me explain. I am translating an application that consists of a Dashboard that connects any eCommerce platform with marketing data in real time. The Dashboard has a menu bar at the top with various main menus: "Main", "Marketing", "Sales", etc. How would you call the menu "Main" in German?

ChatGPT: In the context of a Dashboard menu where "Main" represents the primary or central menu, you can translate it to German as "Haupt". So, the menu options would be:

• "Haupt" (Main)
• "Marketing" (Marketing)
• "Vertrieb" (Sales)

"Haupt" conveys the idea of it being the central or primary menu of the application.

Me: The problem with your suggestion "Haupt" for "Main" is that "Haupt" means "head" in German. "Haupt" with the meaning of "main" only exists in compounds like "Hauptgang" (main course), "Hauptstra?e" (main road). I therefore think that "Haupt" in itself is not a correct solution. What do you think?

ChatGPT: You are absolutely correct, and I apologize for the oversight. "Haupt" on its own does indeed mean "head" in German, and it's typically used in compounds to convey the meaning of "main." In this case, "Haupt" may not be the most appropriate translation for "Main" in the context of a menu label.

A better translation for "Main" in this context would be "Start" or "Hauptseite," both of which can convey the idea of the primary or main page of the application:

• "Start" (Start)
• "Marketing" (Marketing)
• "Vertrieb" (Sales)

Thank you for pointing out the mistake, and I appreciate your understanding.

There you go. Apologies accepted, again :-)

I deem these conversations with ChatGPT extremely satisfying because they make me think that the artificial intelligence is undoubtedly smart, very smart, but no match to my translatorial skills.