Nothing Remains

Is a 404 the end of AI?

How does it come that ChatGPT dumps you?

Introduction

“When ArtXploder speaks, it means there’s something worth saying. He’s not just a scribbler digging for ounces of attention and filling readers’ screens with spam…” That’s more or less the gist of the letters I sometimes receive. I don’t write often because, honestly, everything worth saying is already said at my performances. There, you live as an avatar and become fully immersed.

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The Journey of Language

In the last ten years, my English has improved to the point where many say, “Your English is better than most native speakers.” Eventually, I came to agree with that, even after a self-critical comparison. But the confidence to keep getting “better and better” started to fade with the rise of Large Language Models, especially ChatGPT. Even before these technologies became mainstream, I felt that my progress in improving my language skills would eventually come to a halt once these systems emerged, as I would inevitably start using them. And so it went.

AI-Assisted Translations

In September 2022, I used DeepL, the first AI-based translation software, to translate my book “Begegnungen mit HWF” (Herbert W. Franke).

BACKLINKS (Amazon)

The result shocked me — and not just me. My U.S. publisher Jami Mills, who runs rez Magazine, and my editor Kisma Reidling both agreed, “The translation is really good.” By that, they meant, “The English text is fluid and by no means flat.” Kisma, whose novella “Beyond Atlantis” has been released as an audiobook on Audible, knows quality. Neither Jami nor Kisma speaks German, which makes their opinions unbiased.

First Step: Automated Translation

To speed up the process, I now write my English texts in German and let an AI translate them. I then read through it and tweak anything that doesn’t quite fit. This process is now more about intuition rather than hours spent flipping through dictionaries or using sentence structure tools. That’s the first level. But the second level comes right after.

Second Level: Stylistic Refinement

I pass the AI-translated English version to ChatGPT and tell it, “Improve my writing style. Make the text a pleasure to read.” Sometimes I add, “But stay close to the original.” There are also instances where I use an AI that I configured myself. At this point, “programming” is more like “configuring.” My configuration is called Signore AI. When I first introduced it in an article, it was more of an “idea” than a “product.” The birth of Signore AI can be traced back to the February 2023 issue of rez Magazine.

rez Magazine, February 2023

Dialogues with the Machine

In “Supercazzola” I wonder, “What would happen if I fed Signore AI the last words of Pope Benedict XVI?”

The resulting dialogues gave me pause. They were better than some of the discussions I had at the Institute of Religious Studies at Leipzig University, where I started studying Religious Science at 66. I wanted to add a divine foundation to my book “The Gods of Informatics” (2017). Additionally, I maintain a humorous blog in German on this topic, exploring the playful idea of “being a student of the last frontier of humankind touching God …” I view these studies more as an art project; at my age, I’m not expecting to change the world by earning a Bachelor of Arts at 70.

The Ephemeral Nature of Digital Dialogues

Now we’ve reached the destination. Conversations with AI like ChatGPT often get lost over time. I’ve experienced links that worked yesterday but not today. So, I’ve started to back up the wisdom of these conversations, copying them elsewhere. This raises questions: Are my questions and the generated answers stored somewhere, or have they transformed? Am I a guinea pig for AI? Am I a living or already a dead “404?”

WHAT IS BEHIND A 404 IN CHATGPT?

Interactive Programming with AI

ChatGPT sometimes asks, “What would you have preferred — Text 1 or Text 2?” For texts meant for pleasure, you can take that lightly. Let the machine think what it wants. But when it comes to code, like at the OSCC24 conference, which is produced from words (prompts), it’s a different story. The machine generates an LSL code, which I copy into an object and execute. The next prompt run incorporates the result. I say, “Code 1 has this glitch, and Code 2 has this other issue.” Sometimes one version just works, while the other doesn’t. That’s how the AI gets better at programming. We’re not talking about standard languages like Perl, Java, or C — we’re talking about the scripting language in OpenSimulator, derived from Second Life, originally from Berkeley.

OSCC 24 — CHAIN OF THOUGHT

Structuring and Creative Processes

My text is getting a bit muddled now; I should probably take a structured pass through it and organize my thoughts. Usually, I do just that and, after hours or even days, end up with a “peak text.” BTW — By The Way — that is the machinima for the introduction I included. Have you watched it? If not, do it now. You’ll see how “the machine” structures my actions and trains the puppet. Here is a different version, that comes closer to the point, leaving a virtual experience aside.

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“Chain-of-Tought” might be one of those “peak texts,” published in November/December 2024 in rez Magazine. Jami Mills often comments, “Flattered, great,” or “Art, your text reminds me of my philosophy major days, dealing with Wittgenstein.” That’s when I know: “It was worth it.”

Conclusion: What Is the Machine For?

Looking up at the title “Nothing Remains,” generated by ChatGPT in response to a broken link, I realize there’s more to be done. What is the machine really for? Let it restructure my text and create the “fun” readers love. So let’s send it through and see what comes out…

Final Thoughts

In a world where technology and human creativity increasingly merge, the question remains: What is left when the machine takes over? While AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepL make impressive strides, my experience shows that the human touch remains irreplaceable. It’s a dance between automation and personal nuance, and ultimately, “Nothing Remains” but the traces of our creative efforts.

Links: My humble beginning to write with ChatGPT “**Out of the Box” rez January 2023 — and more, like ***Let´s talk about Elon* on Amazon.