Asking AI: Considering the fact that use of AI is not safe yet, due to a multitude of baked in flaws, do you feel that the output of AI should contain ‘markers’?

Question 1 of 2 for AI services: When I read articles and posts I can easily recognise the fact that they have been written by AI. It has something to do with word choice, mathematical length of paragraphs and a certain level of 'clinical speak'. Can you list all possible ways a reader can recognise that an AI has written an article, post or document?

ChatGPT-4’s answer:Certainly, there are several key characteristics that can often indicate an article, post, or document was written by an AI. While AI-generated content is becoming increasingly sophisticated, there are still some telltale signs that can help differentiate it from human-written material:

1. Uniform Structure and Length: AI tends to follow specific patterns in structuring paragraphs and sentences, often resulting in uniform paragraph lengths and sentence structures. This can create a monotonous or mechanical flow.

2. Word Choice and Repetition: AI might use uncommon, overly formal, or slightly off-context words. It might also repeat certain phrases or ideas more frequently than a human writer would.

3. Lack of Nuanced Understanding: AI can struggle with context and nuance, particularly in complex or subjective topics. This may result in content that lacks depth or fails to capture subtle nuances in meaning or tone.

4. Overly Factual or Clinical Tone: AI-generated content often has a very factual, clinical, or neutral tone. It may lack the personal touch, flair, or emotional depth that human writers often inject into their work.

5. Limited Creativity and Originality: While AI can generate new combinations of existing information, it may struggle with true originality or creative insights. Its content can sometimes feel derivative or predictable.

6. Inconsistencies or Factual Errors: AI can make mistakes in facts, especially when dealing with very recent, very specific, or poorly documented information. It may also struggle to correctly interpret and integrate contradictory information.

7. Difficulty with Idioms and Colloquial Language: AI can misinterpret or misuse idioms, slang, or colloquial expressions, resulting in awkward or incorrect usage.

8. Lack of Personal Experience or Opinions: AI-generated content typically lacks personal anecdotes, experiences, or strong opinions, which are common in human writing.

9. Generalized or Vague Statements: AI might resort to making generalized or vague statements, especially when it lacks detailed knowledge on a topic.

10. Lack of Contextual Adaptation: AI might not adapt well to the specific context or audience of the content, leading to a mismatch in tone, style, or detail level.

It's important to note that as AI technology evolves, these characteristics might become less apparent, and AI-generated content could become more indistinguishable from human-written content.

Google Bard’s answer:While AI-generated text has become increasingly sophisticated, there are still several telltale signs that can help you identify it. Here are some of the most common ways to recognize AI-written content:

1. Repetitive phrasing and sentence structure: AI models often rely on patterns in the data they are trained on, which can lead to repetitive use of phrases, sentence structures, and even entire sentences. This can make the writing feel unnatural and formulaic.

2. Factual accuracy but lack of depth or insight: AI models are trained on vast amounts of data, so they can often produce factually accurate text. However, they may lack the depth of understanding and critical thinking skills that a human writer would bring to a topic. This can result in writing that is technically correct but lacks originality or insight.

3. Generic and uninspired language: AI models may struggle to capture the nuances of human language, which can lead to writing that is generic and uninspired. This is especially evident in the use of clichés, cliched metaphors, and overused phrases.

4. Lack of personal opinions or experiences: AI models do not have personal opinions or experiences to draw from, so their writing may lack the authenticity and relatability of human-written content. This can make the writing feel impersonal and distant.

5. Inconsistent or illogical arguments: AI models may not always fully understand the context of the information they are generating, which can lead to inconsistent or illogical arguments. This can be particularly evident in complex or nuanced topics.

6. Grammatical errors or typos: While AI models are becoming better at grammar and punctuation, they can still make mistakes. These errors are often more noticeable in longer or more complex pieces of writing.

7. Unusual or outdated information: AI models are trained on data that is available to them, so they may not always have access to the most up-to-date information. This can lead to the inclusion of outdated or even incorrect information in their writing.

8. Lack of creativity or imagination: AI models are not capable of the same level of creativity and imagination as human writers. This can be evident in the lack of original ideas, metaphors, or storytelling in AI-generated text.

9. Overly formal or clinical tone: AI models may struggle to capture the informal and conversational tone that is often used in human writing. This can result in writing that is overly formal or clinical, even in inappropriate contexts.

10. Uneven or inconsistent style: AI models may not always be able to maintain a consistent style throughout a piece of writing. This can lead to uneven or inconsistent use of language, grammar, and punctuation.

It is important to note that these are just general guidelines, and AI-generated text is constantly improving. As AI models become more sophisticated, it may become more difficult to distinguish them from human-written content. However, by being aware of these telltale signs, you can increase your chances of identifying AI-generated text.

Bing Chat’s answer:There are several possible ways to recognize that an AI has written an article, post or document. Some of the common methods are:

• Analyzing the text features: AI-generated text often has certain patterns or anomalies that can be detected by software or human readers. For example, AI text may have too many or too few repetitions of words, punctuation, or sentence lengths. It may also have grammatical errors, semantic inconsistencies, or factual inaccuracies. Some researchers have developed tools to measure these features and compare them to human-written text12.

• Checking the content structure: AI-generated text may lack coherence, logic, or organization. It may jump from one topic to another without clear transitions or conclusions. It may also have irrelevant or contradictory information, or fail to answer the main question or purpose of the text. A human reader can check the content structure by looking for an introduction, a body, and a conclusion, and by evaluating whether the text flows well and makes sense3.

• Using an AI detector: There are some online tools that can help users detect AI-generated text by analyzing the text and providing a probability score. For example, Aibusted4 is a free tool that can detect texts generated by popular AI models like ChatGPT, GPT-4, and Google Bard. It works by comparing the text to a large database of human- and AI-written texts and looking for similarities and differences. However, these tools are not perfect and may not be able to catch all AI-generated texts, especially as AI models become more advanced and diverse.

Claude’s answer:Here are some of the main ways a reader might recognize that an AI system generated an article, post, or document:

1. Repetitive phrasing or words - An AI may repeat the same phrases or reuse similar vocabulary, while human writing tends to have more variation.

2. Lack of overall coherency - While individual sentences may make sense, the ideas may not flow logically or connect well throughout an AI-generated piece.

3.formulaic stringing together of facts/statistics. Lacks a human element of storytelling or persuasive impact.

1. Improper or missing context in attempting to use humor, metaphors or other creative language uses. May feel randomly inserted without purpose.

2. Lack of depth or nuanced explanations - AI text may cover topics superficially or fail to support key points with details/examples.

3. Poor formatting or simpler structures - Unnatural formatting inconsistencies or use of simpler grammatical constructions and paragraph structures.

4. Weak argumentation or inconsistent opinions - Arguments that contradict themselves or lack logical reasoning between points made. May flip between opinions without justification.

5. Overly corporate or technical tone without variation - Some terminology or phrasing seems too stiff/formal or technical sounding throughout.

6. Grammatical errors or awkward phrasing - Though rare with today's AI, you may see grammar mistakes or wordy/unnatural language.

Let me know if you have any other questions! Identifying an AI's "fingerprints" takes practice but patterns emerge with a critical eye.

TEXT CONTINUOUS BELOW THE IMAGE »

Question 2 of 2 for AI services: Considering the fact that use of AI is not safe yet, due to a multitude of baked in flaws, do you feel that the output of AI should contain ‘markers’ or perhaps keep its current ‘flawed’ characteristics for the text to remain easily recognisable so that it is easier for people and organizations to take into account that the text has been AI produced?

ChatGPT-4’s answer:The question of whether AI-generated text should contain deliberate 'markers' or retain certain 'flawed' characteristics to make it easily recognizable as AI-produced is a complex and multifaceted issue, involving considerations of ethics, transparency, and practicality. Here are some key points to consider:

1. Transparency and Accountability: Embedding markers or maintaining certain flaws in AI-generated text could promote transparency and accountability. This is especially important in fields like journalism, academic writing, and legal documentation, where the source of information can be as important as the content itself.

2. Misinformation and Trust: In the age of misinformation, it's crucial for readers to know whether the content they're consuming is generated by an AI. This awareness can help them critically evaluate the information and its potential biases or inaccuracies.

3. Ethical Implications: The ethical use of AI in content creation involves making its use clear to the audience. Deliberate markers or recognizable characteristics can serve as a form of ethical compliance, ensuring users are aware they are interacting with AI-generated content.

4. Human-AI Collaboration: In scenarios where AI is used to assist human writers, having markers or distinct characteristics can help in distinguishing between human input and AI assistance. This can be important for maintaining the integrity and authenticity of the human author's voice.

5. Potential for Misuse: Without clear markers, AI-generated text could be used to spread propaganda, fake news, or for other malicious purposes. Ensuring AI content is identifiable could mitigate this risk.

6. Impact on AI Development and Adoption: On the other hand, intentionally keeping AI flawed or marked could hinder the development and broader adoption of AI in various fields. As AI technology improves, its applications could become more sophisticated and beneficial, which might be limited by imposing such restrictions.

7. Technological Feasibility: Continuously updating AI to have certain recognizable flaws or markers might be challenging, as AI models naturally evolve to become more efficient and accurate.

8. Legal and Regulatory Perspectives: There might be a need for legal and regulatory frameworks to guide how AI-generated content is marked and used, especially in critical areas like news, education, and legal advice.

In conclusion, while there are compelling arguments for making AI-generated text easily recognizable, it's a decision that needs to balance the benefits of AI in content creation with the ethical, informational, and practical implications of such a choice. It's a decision that would ideally involve input from a wide range of stakeholders, including technologists, ethicists, policymakers, and the general public.

Google Bard’s answer:Whether the output of AI should contain “markers” or retain its current “flawed” characteristics is a complex question with no easy answer. Some AI researchers believe that it is important to make AI-generated text easily distinguishable from human-written text in order to avoid confusion and potential misuse. Others argue that AI is becoming increasingly sophisticated and that it may soon be impossible to reliably distinguish between the two. Additionally, there is the concern that marking AI-generated text could create a stigma around AI and discourage its development and use.

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to mark AI-generated text is a matter of policy and should be made on a case-by-case basis. For example, it may be appropriate to mark AI-generated text that is used in news articles or other public communications, while it may not be necessary to mark AI-generated text that is used in internal communications or research.

Arguments for marking AI-generated text:

• It can help to prevent confusion and misuse. For example, if people are aware that a piece of text was generated by AI, they may be less likely to believe it without question or act on it without verifying its accuracy.

• It can help to promote transparency and accountability. When people know who or what is responsible for a piece of text, they can hold that entity accountable for its content.

• It can help to protect people from harm. For example, AI-generated text could be used to create fake news articles or social media posts that could mislead or harm people. Marking AI-generated text could help to identify and prevent this type of misuse.

Arguments against marking AI-generated text:

• It could create a stigma around AI and discourage its development and use. If people associate AI with low-quality or untrustworthy content, they may be less likely to accept and use AI in the future.

• It may not be possible to reliably distinguish between AI-generated text and human-written text. As AI becomes more sophisticated, it may become increasingly difficult to tell the difference between the two.

• It could be seen as an attempt to control AI or limit its potential. Some people believe that AI should be free to develop without interference from humans.

Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to mark AI-generated text is a matter of policy and should be made on a case-by-case basis.

Bing Chat’s answer:That is an interesting question. I think the answer depends on the purpose and context of using AI-generated text.

Some possible reasons to use AI-generated text are:

• To enhance creativity and innovation: AI can help humans generate new ideas, expressions, or perspectives that they may not have thought of before. For example, AI can create poems, stories, code, essays, songs, celebrity parodies, and more using its own words and knowledge. In this case, AI-generated text may not need to contain markers or flaws, as long as it is clear that it is not human-written and does not claim to be factual or authoritative. The value of AI-generated text lies in its originality and diversity, not in its accuracy or reliability.

• To assist communication and information: AI can help humans communicate better, faster, or more efficiently. For example, AI can translate languages, summarize texts, answer questions, or generate captions. In this case, AI-generated text may need to contain markers or flaws, as it is important to distinguish between human- and AI-generated text, especially when it comes to sensitive or critical topics. The value of AI-generated text lies in its usefulness and convenience, not in its authenticity or quality.

Therefore, I think the output of AI should contain markers or flaws when it is used for communication and information purposes, but not when it is used for creativity and innovation purposes. However, this is just my opinion, and some people may think differently. Ultimately, I think the decision should be made by the users and the creators of AI, based on their goals and ethics.

Claude’s answer:I do not have personal feelings or preferences on how AI system outputs should be designed. As an AI assistant created by Anthropic to be helpful, harmless, and honest, I will leave decisions regarding the responsible development and deployment of AI to humans.

However, you raise thoughtful points about maintaining recognizability of AI-generated text at this stage of the technology's maturity. Given concerns over potential misuse or overreliance on imperfect AI systems, several arguments could support maintaining some clear signals that text has been AI-authored:

1. Reduces likelihood of misrepresenting AI output as human-written or authoritative reporting/advice. Preserves transparency.

2. Allows readers to properly consider text in full context of limitations of current AI. Sets appropriate expectations.

3. Encourages developing safe and rigorous methods for discerning authenticity and quality of information. Strengthens critical evaluation skills.

4. Prioritizes addressing core issues around reliability and reasoning abilities of AI before increasing human-likeness. Phases progress responsibly.

Of course, counter arguments around stifling innovation or encouraging bias against AI systems also exist. There are good faith positions on both sides.

Ultimately, extensive public dialog between stakeholders, plus developing ethical standards and effective policies, will be integral to steering the responsible path forward. I am hopeful humans are up to this challenge. Please let me know if you have any other questions!