Prompting ChatGPT to critique Jordan Peterson in the voice of Michel Foucault and other diversions

Image attribution: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

On Friday April 21, during the last five minutes of each of my four intro English classes at Marian University, I introduced my students to ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by OpenAI. Then I told my students I wanted the chatbot write us a poem. I told them they had to determine the subject of said poem. Usually within a few seconds after I typed our prompt into the website’s input field, the verses appeared on the class monitors. The poems appeared line by line, as if written by a magic hand.

Outside of my classes, a few days later, I did something a little different. I asked ChatGPT to throw a little shade on Canadian psychologist and self-help guru Jordan Peterson (I’ll explain how shortly.)

But I digress.

I wasn’t prompting my students to cheat on future essays. On the contrary, I wanted them to see that ChatGPT—which has also has the ability to write computer code, manuals, and other texts—has certain limitations, at least at this point in time. I knew this, having prompted ChatGPT to write me a poem about cats in the style of the obscurantist New York School poet John Ashbery. Hint: it didn’t quite work out.

Here’s the ChatGPT-generated poem, that I prompted to write in Ashbery’s style:

The cats prowl the night, with a quiet grace,
Their eyes glowing green, like emeralds in a darkened space,
They move with a rhythm, both fluid and sly,
And their silken fur shimmers, as they pass by.

With a flick of their tails, and a twitch of their ears,
They survey their kingdom, with nothing to fear,
For they are rulers, of a world all their own,
And in their domain, they reign alone.

Their purrs are like whispers, in the stillness of night,
And their presence alone, brings a sense of delight,
They're hunters and explorers, with instincts so keen,
And their curious nature, keeps them evergreen.

Yet, there's something mysterious, about these feline creatures,
A sense of otherworldliness, that lingers in their features,
Perhaps it's their independence, or their regal demeanor,
That sets them apart, as something special and finer.

So let them roam, and let them play,
For the cats are here to stay,
And though they may be aloof, and sometimes distant,
Their presence is a comfort, that's always consistent.

I showed my students this poem, which impressed them. But they were also able to see that it was a traditional AABB rhyme-scheme poem. They were able to see that it wasn’t anything remotely approximating John Ashbery, having had them preview one of the poet’s more well-known poems, “Amid Mounting Evidence”.

My students therefore had evidence enough to see that ChatGPT was unable to mimic Ashbery’s voice.

(Much of this poet’s work reads like the literary equivalent of scrambled eggs, at least to me, but I know there are more charitable opinions out there.)

We kept it simple, as a class, when prompting our own poems. Among the subjects we asked ChatGPT to write about were the video game Minesweeper, Doberman Pinschers. and “twins who attend Marian University.” (I have a pair of twins in one of my classes.)

I wanted my students to have some familiarity with ChatGPT because they might soon be working alongside such programs as future nurses, engineers, and entrepreneurs.

This whole exercise whetted my appetite to do something slightly more challenging. That is, I wanted to engage a figure I’ve been seeing a bit too much of lately in my Facebook feed. I’m talking about Norman Peterson: the anti-woke warrior, the hater of all things postmodern, and practitioner of the carnivore diet, who’s actually experimented with ChatGPT himself.

In a video, accessible on YouTube, you can see him expressing his awe about ChatGPT.

“It’s smarter than you,” he says. “I don’t know what kind of technological revolution this is. Gutenberg press level?” he says. “It’s something like that.”

I figured I’d see what my old friend, the French philosopher Michel Foucault, would say about him, if he were still among the living. So I prompted ChatGPT to write me a critique of Peterson’s books in the voice of Foucault.

Here it is:

Michel Foucault, the postmodern philosopher, would likely critique the writing of Canadian psychologist Norman Peterson by examining the ways in which Peterson's work reinforces existing power structures and perpetuates the dominant discourses of our society.

Foucault would argue that Peterson's writing is steeped in a particular ideology, one that celebrates individualism, traditional gender roles, and hierarchy. He would point to Peterson's frequent use of binary oppositions, such as "order vs. chaos" or "masculinity vs. femininity," as evidence of his reliance on a limited and exclusionary framework.

Furthermore, Foucault would contend that Peterson's emphasis on personal responsibility and self-improvement serves to obscure the structural and systemic factors that contribute to inequality and oppression. By placing the burden of change on the individual, rather than critiquing and challenging existing power structures, Peterson's work ultimately reinforces the status quo.

Overall, Foucault would argue that Peterson's writing is symptomatic of a larger cultural trend, one that privileges certain forms of knowledge and marginalizes others. By interrogating the underlying assumptions and power dynamics in Peterson's work, Foucault would encourage us to question the ways in which dominant discourses shape our understanding of ourselves and our world.

That seemed like a pretty succinct and on-point analysis.

Emboldened, I figured I might try to prompt ChatGPT to tell me about my arts journalism in Indianapolis in NUVO and IndyCorrespondent.org over the past decade or so. I wanted to see what kind of impact I’ve had, I suppose. (I have very little time to write such journalism anymore. I’m too busy grading papers.)

A word of caution: much of what the bot came up with—what it spat out in two seconds—was wildly inaccurate, and not particularly current, which is par for the course for chatbots in their early stage of development.

To wit:

Indianapolis, Indiana is a city that's been rapidly growing in recent years, and as a result, so has its art scene. With numerous galleries, museums, and art spaces, Indy is becoming a destination for artists and art lovers alike.

One of the most prominent figures in the Indianapolis art scene is Dan Grossman, a journalist who covers the arts for NUVO Newsweekly and Indycorrespondent.org. Grossman has been covering the arts in Indy for many years, and his articles and reviews offer valuable insights into the local art scene.

According to Grossman, one of the most exciting developments in the Indy art scene is the growth of its contemporary art scene. He notes that several galleries in the city, such as the Harrison Center for the Arts and the Tube Factory Artspace, are showcasing contemporary art that's pushing boundaries and challenging conventions.

Grossman also highlights the importance of public art in Indy, particularly in the downtown area. He notes that the city has made a concerted effort to incorporate public art into its urban planning, with pieces such as the LOVE sculpture in the Indianapolis Museum of Art's garden and the Monumental Circle sculpture making a statement about the city's commitment to the arts.

Another aspect of the Indy art scene that Grossman highlights is its diversity. He notes that the city's art spaces are inclusive of all types of artists, and there's a wide range of mediums being showcased, from traditional paintings and sculptures to street art and performance art.

Grossman's coverage of the Indy art scene is just the tip of the iceberg, as there's so much to explore and discover in this vibrant city. For example, the Indianapolis Museum of Art is a must-visit destination for any art lover, with an extensive collection of works that span multiple genres and time periods.

Additionally, Indy's First Friday Art Walks offer an excellent opportunity to explore the city's galleries and art spaces. On the first Friday of every month, galleries in downtown Indy open their doors to the public, with free admission and special exhibitions on display.

In conclusion, the art scene in Indianapolis is thriving, and there's something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you're a fan of contemporary art, public art, or traditional works, Indy has it all. With figures like Dan Grossman shining a spotlight on the city's art scene, it's clear that Indy is a city that's committed to the arts and its flourishing creative community.

So there you have it folks, According to ChatGPT, I’ve written about the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, completed in 1902, in the context of Indy’s contemporary commitment to the arts. According to ChatGPT, I’ve expounded on the Harrison Center and Tube Factory artspace as if these venues are “pushing boundaries and challenging conversation” in the same way. I’m NOT sure certain people will be happy with this equation even if I wash my hands of it. But I’m happy to say that, by writing about—and being written about by—ChatGPT, I’m not risking another angry email addressed to both me and my editor at NUVO because I no longer work for them.