Category: Commentary

Part I of III

There’s a good chance that during the past 60 days a new phrase entered the realm of your consciousness. Yes, I’m talking about… ChatGPT. It’s all the news. It’s all the rage. It’s all the future. So much that this is likely the last blog I’ll ever need to write. From here on out, it’s simply AI for this writer. I’ll save so much time.

Well, maybe not just yet.

While I am fascinated by what ChatGPT – and other artificial intelligence – could do for our productivity, we’re still in the infant stage. To test this, I asked it to perform four writing tasks from a single prompt. Although it took less than five seconds each time, the results were… well, judge for yourself:

First, ‘Write a 150-word explanation of what ChatGPT does’

“I am an AI language model here to assist users with their tasks and queries. My purpose is to provide useful and accurate information. I can assist with writing, research, language translation and much more. I am constantly learning and updating my knowledge base. I am also programmed to understand and respond to natural language, so users can communicate with me in a conversational manner. I am able to understand the context and meaning behind the users’ words, and respond accordingly. I am always available to assist with any task or question that may arise. I take pride in being able to help users and always strive to improve my abilities. I am here to help and make things easier for users, so don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any task or question you may have.”

Second, ‘Write a 100-word essay about astronauts, like a fourth grader’

‘Astronauts are brave people who go to space in rockets. They wear special suits and helmets to protect them from the cold and lack of air in space. They go on space walks and do experiments to learn more about our universe. They also live in a space station, which is like a big house in space. I think it would be really cool to be an astronaut and go to space one day.’

Third, ‘Write a 50-word answer to ‘Will AI destroy our culture?’

“AI has the potential to change many aspects of our culture, but it is not necessarily something that will destroy it. It can be used to preserve and promote culture through digitization, language translation, and even creating new art forms. However, it’s important to consider the implications of AI on the job market and society as a whole, and to ensure that it is used ethically and responsibly.”

Finally, ‘Write a joke about a golfer and a car’

“Why did the golfer drive his car to the golf course? Because he wanted to be sure he could get a hole-in-one!

Before the first prompt, I received this message: ‘That model is currently overloaded with other requests. You can retry your request, or contact us through our help center at help.openai.com if the error persists.’ I waited 15 minutes and it allowed me in to create.

So, it may take a while for ChatGPT and other initiatives to change your world. Perhaps the most important thing is to make sure your grandchildren don’t end up connected to it by a cable in the back of their necks. Although that might make for a good movie; just not any sequels, please. 

Chatting Up

Part II of III

Continuing my experiment with ChatGPT, I asked it to write a 400 word blog post on the challenges of faith. I then requested it to add a paragraph on prayer. Below is the output, achieved in less than 75 seconds. With the help of AI, I created and posted this in less than 10 minutes, a savings of about a half hour from the typical time.

Faith can be a source of comfort and strength, but it can also be a source of challenges and difficulties. In many ways, faith is a personal journey that requires us to constantly confront our beliefs and values, and to question whether we are living in accordance with our faith.

One of the biggest challenges of faith is maintaining a consistent belief in the face of adversity and opposition. When we are faced with personal struggles, doubt, and temptation, it can be difficult to hold onto our faith and to remain steadfast in our beliefs. This challenge is compounded by the many conflicting views and interpretations of religious doctrine, which can lead us to question our own understanding of our faith and to question the beliefs of others.

Another challenge of faith is finding balance between our religious beliefs and the secular world. In today’s fast-paced and rapidly changing society, it can be easy to get caught up in the secular world and to lose sight of the spiritual dimension of our lives. This can be especially difficult for those who are trying to live their faith in the public arena, where the pressures and demands of secular life can often be at odds with our religious beliefs and values.

In addition to these external challenges, we also face internal struggles in our faith journey. For example, it can be difficult to reconcile our faith with our doubts and fears, and to find peace and comfort in the face of tragedy and loss. Additionally, we may struggle with our own moral and ethical beliefs, and may feel conflicted about whether our actions align with our faith.

Despite these challenges, faith remains an important part of our lives, and it is through these struggles that we can deepen our understanding of our faith and grow in our relationship with the divine. By persevering through difficult times and remaining open to new insights and perspectives, we can strengthen our faith and find meaning and purpose in our lives.

Prayer is a powerful tool for overcoming challenges in faith. It connects us with a higher power, provides guidance and comfort, and helps build trust and faith through consistent and persistent practice.

In prayer, it is also important to listen, not just speak. This allows us to be open to the guidance and wisdom of the divine, and to deepen our understanding of our faith and our relationship with the divine. 

Titles are an important part of organizational design, helping clarify who’s in charge of what and providing a level of designated respect. Whether a direct reporting structure or dotted-line matrixed model, a clearly defined org chart let’s everyone know where to go for information, support and approvals.

That said, some titles create more confusion than clarity. What exactly is a ‘Wizard of Want’ or ‘Chief of Chatting’ or ‘Randomness Manager’? Those would be three well-known companies’ descriptions for their Marketing Director, Call Center Manager and Administrative Assistant.

The person you want to avoid in one organization holds the title ‘Dr. No’ – otherwise known as the naysayer who occupies the office of the CFO.

Some of the unique ones I like are Creator of First Impressions (receptionist), Chief Listening Officer (social media savant) and Crayon Evangelist (graphic designer). 

My all-time favorite is Minister of Culture; however, that’s probably because the role is filled by Matthew McConaughey at my alma mater. Perhaps I’m a little biased.

As for me, nearly 20 years into this career, it might be time for an upgrade from Coach. Some I’m considering are Chief Questions Officer, Director of Discovery and Change Guru. 

by Kelsey Handler

Part III of IV

Multiple people warned me to avoid Salem around Halloween. Apparently, the tourist destination is a madhouse in October and only grows more crowded leading up to the big day. That didn’t stop me and my friend Victoria from visiting the day before All Hallows Eve. 

This semester, I’m in a course called Archives, History, and Collective Memory. We are studying the collective memory of groups over space and time, and how archives contribute to or inhibit memories of figures and events. This has given me much to think about regarding Salem, and the way history is presented, embellished, rewritten, or capitalized on in the town.

Early in the morning on October 30, we caught a full train from Boston to Salem. We arrived in town around 10 a.m. and found the streets quiet. This would change by the time our pre-booked tour started at 11; Essex Street would be crowded and only grow busier throughout the day. When we later headed for the train station at dusk, streams of costumed people would just be arriving to start their festivities.

A favorite part of our daytrip was wandering the less crowded residential streets of historic homes. Each one had a plaque with the date of construction, a few that stretched back to the late 17th century. As in the oldest parts of Boston, you could feel the history under your feet and in the air. (I’m sure residents love that people walk by and gawk as they take photos of their homes, but I also know those homes cost more than I’ll afford in my life, so I don’t feel too badly for them.)

Another favorite part for me was the Salem Witch Trials Memorial Park. Situated next to Charter Street Cemetery (also known as the Old Burying Point), the memorial consists of a pathway surrounded by a stone wall. Within the wall are 20 stone benches, one for each victim of the trials. Names, method of execution, and date of death are engraved on each respective bench. Flowers and small offerings – coins, pebbles, and the odd Pokémon card – rested on the benches. These items stated, “I was here, and I remember you.”

As I was rounding the last row of benches, I overheard a mother telling her young child, “This is where they buried the witches after they burned them.” I refrained from opening my mouth and telling her every detail of that sentence was factually incorrect. 

1. There were no witches in the Salem Witch Trials. All victims were innocent of their bogus charges and legally exonerated decades – and in some cases, centuries – later. 

2. No “witches” were ever burned at the stake in North America; that was Europe. In Salem, nineteen people were hanged, and one was pressed to death. 

3. There are no bodies at the memorial. The victims’ bodies were buried in unmarked graves after their execution, as they were considered unworthy of Christian burial. However, the adjacent cemetery does contain the remains of certain judges and accusers from the trials.

A sign at the entrance to the memorial explained all this. I don’t want to single out a mother who didn’t closely read it while pushing her toddler in a stroller in a crowded area; it’s understandable how she got details mixed up. I also know many tourists to Salem generally aren’t concerned about the details of the real events. They want the fun, easily digestible version. But facts matter. Stories matter. How we learn, remember, and retell these stories matters.

Presenting fanciful tales as truth to children (and adults) is how we create cultures capable of witchcraft hysteria. 

by Kelsey Handler

Part II of IV

It took nine years and a pandemic layoff, but in 2021, I finally returned to school to get my Master of Library and Information Science… something that was a goal when I received my undergraduate degree in 2012. It’s been a virtual curriculum until now. This semester, I’m back in a physical classroom for the first time in a long while.

I was slightly worried being in person would cause some anxiety, but so far, that concern hasn’t manifested. Instead, it’s nice to be on a college campus again and see my professors and classmates without a computer screen between us. If there’s one thing I remember from my lifetime of schooling, it’s how to be a student in a classroom.

As an added benefit, Boston is a lovely backdrop to my studies. My campus, blocks away from Fenway Park, sits across the street from the Muddy River (which is actually more of a creek). It’s part of a larger greenway running though Boston called the Emerald Necklace. There are geese that roam the sidewalks and hardly bother to move for passersby. The trees are starting to show off in orange and red as we travel deeper into fall. Sweater weather has arrived, and I feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be.