Hi ,
Quick quiz: Off the top of your head, what number lies opposite the number 4 on a standard dartboard?
Unless you're a fan of
darts, you probably don't know, but you might be able to hazard a guess.
I guessed 17 and my reasoning was this:
"There are 20 wedges on a standard dartboard, numbered 1 to 20. The average sum of any two of those wedges is 21 and 21 - 4 = 17."
This seems logical (the reasoning works for standard dice) but it's also completely wrong. Pairs of numbers on a dartboard don't follow a pattern like this.
However, if I asked you to first look up the numbers around the edge of a dartboard in order and then asked you what number lies opposite 4, you should be
able to get the answer easily (it's 16, in case you're wondering).
Now try this same experiment with ChatGPT.
When I did, the first time around ChatGPT incorrectly guessed 13. However, after asking ChatGPT to list in order the numbers around a dartboard's edge,
ChatGPT could then correctly determine the solution.
Here's the thing...
Just about every problem is easier to solve if you tackle it in steps - for both humans and AI.
If you ask ChatGPT to solve a complex problem without specifying the steps, such as asking it to search for relevant information first, there's a good chance it's going to get the answer wrong.
Specifying a set of simple actions ChatGPT can follow to complete the task reduces the likelihood of hallucinations and
increases its chances of success.
Talk again soon,
Dr Genevieve Hayes.
