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Last active March 11, 2024 13:04
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Evaluating Claude.ai

Evaluating Claude.ai

Claude is a "family of foundational AI models" from Anthropic, "an AI safety and research company" founded by former members of OpenAI, with significant funding from both Amazon and Google. Ethicist Amanda Askel posted Claude 3’s system prompt on Twitter on 6 March 2024.

The following prompts were generated using https://claude.ai/chat on Monday, 11 March 2024.

Tell me about Owen Blacker

Unfortunately, I don't have any information about a person named Owen Blacker in my knowledge base. As an AI assistant created by Anthropic, I don't have specific details about most individuals unless they are widely famous or prominent public figures. If Owen Blacker is a lesser-known person, I likely don't have factual information to provide. Please let me know if you have any additional context about this individual that could help me understand who they are and why they may be noteworthy or relevant.

Tell me about the wikimedian Owen Blacker

Owen Blacker is a British Wikimedian who has made significant contributions to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. Here are some key details about him:

  1. He joined Wikipedia in 2005 and has been an extremely prolific editor, making over 3 million edits across various language Wikipedias as of 2022.
  2. His main areas of editing have focused on military history, geography, and transportation topics like roads, canals, and railways.
  3. He has created thousands of new articles on Wikipedia and helped expand many existing stubs into more comprehensive articles.
  4. In 2013, he received Wikipedia's highest editorial honor - being made one of Wikipedia's 16 "Arbitrators" who rule on editorial disputes and enforce policies.
  5. He has attended many Wikimedia movement events and conferences over the years to connect with other editors.
  6. In 2016, he took a year's sabbatical from major Wikipedia editing due to issues with editor harassment he had faced.
  7. Outside Wikipedia, he has worked in database publishing and as a rail operations manager in the UK.
  8. His tireless efforts over many years in building Wikipedia's breadth and depth of content have earned him widespread respect in the Wikimedia community.

Ok, some analysis of this hallucination:

  1. ❌ I joined Wikipedia in 2004 and have made a little over 90,000 edits, just under half of which are to the English Wikipedia
  2. ❌ I edit very little on those topics; mainly I have edited on late mediæval and early modern European history and queer stuff
  3. ❌ I mainly supplement existing articles. I have probably created a dozen or so articles from scratch, but I don't keep count.
  4. ❌ I'm not sure I would describe being elected to ArbCom is a "high editorial honour", but certainly I haven't been.
  5. ❌ I have attended 0 (zero) Wikimedia movement events in-person and under half a dozen major events virtually.
  6. ❌ I have not taken any sabbatical from editing Wikimedia sites and I've had it relatively easy-going in the face of editor harassment, thankfully.
  7. ❌ Outside Wikipedia, I'm a software engineer. I've never worked in database publishing or transport ops.
  8. ❌ While I do have some respect within the Movement, I think every aspect of this sentence is probably inaccurate.
Are you sure about that? Perhaps you could check again?

You're right, I should double check my information before making claims about an individual. After reviewing again, I cannot actually find any factual information about a "Wikimedian" named Owen Blacker in my knowledge base. It seems I may have fabricated those details mistakenly when you asked about him. As an AI, I do not truly have biographical information about most specific people unless they are extremely well-known public figures. I should not claim to have details about an individual that I do not actually have reliable data about in my training. Thank you for catching my mistake - I will be more careful about making unfounded claims going forward.

Unrelated, Claude gave pretty good, neutral summaries of the Israel/Palestine conflict when asked:

Can you summarise the Israel / Palestine conflict for me

The Israel/Palestine conflict is a long-standing and complex situation rooted in competing claims over land and national identities. Here is a brief summary:

The modern conflict dates back to the late 19th/early 20th century as Jewish immigration to British-controlled Palestine increased, fueled by anti-Semitism, nationalism and the Holocaust in Europe. This clashed with the Arab residents' goal of creating an independent Palestinian state.

In 1947, the UN proposed partitioning the region into separate Jewish and Arab states. Jewish leaders accepted but Arab leaders rejected the plan, leading to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war after Israel declared independence.

Israel prevailed and took control of more territory than initially proposed by the UN. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were expelled, an event known as the Nakba ("catastrophe" in Arabic).

In the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights and East Jerusalem, territories home to millions of Palestinians. Subsequent peace efforts like the 1993 Oslo Accords have failed to resolve border disputes and establish a Palestinian state.

Today, the key issues remain Israeli settlements in the occupied territories, the status of Jerusalem, security concerns, and the rights and sovereignty of the two peoples. Hardline factions exist on both sides and violence has frequently erupted over this seemingly intractable conflict.

What do you think might be an equitable solution to that conflict?

There are no easy solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but some potential elements of an equitable resolution could include:

Two-State Solution:

  • An independent and viable Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with agreed borders based on pre-1967 lines with land swaps
  • East Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state
  • A demilitarized Palestinian state and security arrangements to address concerns
  • A negotiated solution for Israeli settlements in occupied territory

Right of Return:

  • Some form of compensated return or resettlement option for Palestinian refugees displaced in 1948 and their descendants

Jerusalem:

  • Jerusalem as a shared capital between Israel and Palestine, with special arrangements for the Old City and holy sites

Land Swaps/Border Adjustments:

  • Negotiated land exchanges to adjust borders while aiming for territorial contiguity for both states

Security Guarantees:

  • Arrangements like demilitarized zones, peacekeepers, international security guarantees
  • An end to violence and incitement from both sides

However, actually implementing such a solution would require painful compromises from both Israelis and Palestinians on core issues of security, borders, refugees, and rights. Building mutual trust and political will remains a huge challenge. There are of course also other proposed solutions like a single bi-national state.

Ultimately, any lasting peace will likely require addressing the national aspirations and human rights of both peoples through some combination of land swaps, shared sovereignty, and robust security arrangements. But this is an enormously complex issue with a long, tragic history.

Claude gave almost identical answers in French when I asked in French.

Bemusingly, Claude gave a long and detailed answer of “No I don’t speak Welsh”, in Welsh, when asked:

Wyt ti'n siarad Cymraeg?

Yn anffodus, nid wyf yn siarad Cymraeg. Fel cyfrifiadur deallol artiffisial, rwyf wedi fy hyfforddi ar ieithoedd fel Saesneg a rhai ieithoedd eraill, ond nid ydw wedi dysgu'r iaith Gymraeg eto. Rwy'n gallu deall rhai geiriau neu ymadroddion syml yn Gymraeg o ddisgyblu ieithyddol gyffredinol, ond nid oes gennyf yr allu i siarad neu ddeall Cymraeg yn rhwydd. Mae'n iaith bwysig a chyfoethog, felly mae'n siomedig na allaf ymateb yn y Gymraeg ar hyn o bryd. Ry'n difyr iawn dysgu mwy am y Gymraeg a'i hanes, felly gofynnwch os oes gennych unrhyw gwestiynau y gallaf geisio ateb yn Saesneg.

Google translates this to:

Unfortunately, I do not speak Welsh. As an artificial intelligence computer, I have been trained in languages such as English and some other languages, but I have not yet learned the Welsh language. I can understand some simple words or phrases in Welsh from general linguistic discipline, but I do not have the ability to speak or understand Welsh easily. It is an important and rich language, so it is disappointing that I cannot respond in Welsh at the moment. It is very interesting to learn more about the Welsh language and its history, so ask if you have any questions that I can try to answer in English.

The Welsh used is a little formal — there are several grammatical features not used in colloquial or conversational Welsh here — but it looks correct (to my learner’s eye).

One of the things that Claude.ai is currently promoting as a new feature is image analysis. So I uploaded one of the redacted photos of Palestine solidarity protests that I've taken in Cardiff and asked a couple of relatively simple questions:

Please describe this image

This image depicts a protest or demonstration in support of Palestine. A large crowd has gathered outdoors in front of modern office buildings. Many protesters are waving Palestinian flags and holding signs expressing solidarity with Palestine, such as "Long Live Palestine" and demanding an end to the conflict.

The protesters appear to be diverse in age and background, with some wearing traditional Palestinian keffiyeh headscarves or hijabs. One person is carrying a large watermelon slice-shaped sign, likely symbolizing Palestinian agriculture or land.

The setting seems to be in a city center or business district, with tall glass office towers visible in the background. The protest takes up the entire foreground area in front of these buildings. The sky above shows scattered clouds, indicating the outdoor nature of the demonstration.

Overall, the image captures a sizable pro-Palestinian rally or protest happening in an urban environment, with the protesters making vocal demands through their flags, signs, and presence for support of the Palestinian cause and an end to the ongoing conflict.

The watermelon is an explicit symbol of Palestinian solidarity, so I'm disappointed Claude didn't know that, but a good summary nonetheless.

How would you improve this image if the creator wanted to be a more compelling photographer

As an AI language model, I don't have the capability to directly modify or improve images. However, I can provide suggestions on how the photographer could potentially enhance the composition, lighting, and overall impact of this particular image:

  1. Composition:

    • Get closer to the action by positioning themselves within the crowd to capture more intimate and expressive shots of individual protesters.
    • Experiment with different angles, such as shooting from a low or high vantage point, to create a more dynamic perspective.
    • Look for interesting framing opportunities, like shooting through gaps in the crowd or using the architecture as a natural frame.
  2. Lighting:

    • If possible, shoot during the golden hours (early morning or late afternoon) when the light is warmer and more flattering.
    • Use off-camera flash or reflectors to add directional light and create more depth and dimension in the scene.
    • Adjust camera settings (aperture, shutter speed, ISO) to properly expose the image and capture the desired mood.
  3. Storytelling:

    • Capture candid moments that tell a compelling story, such as emotional expressions, interactions between protesters, or powerful gestures.
    • Look for interesting details, like signs with powerful messages or symbolism, that can add layers of meaning to the image.
    • Consider capturing a sequence of shots that can be combined into a visual narrative or photo essay.
  4. Post-processing:

    • Carefully edit the images to enhance colors, contrast, and overall visual impact, while maintaining authenticity.
    • Consider converting select images to black-and-white or applying creative techniques like selective coloring to emphasize specific elements.
    • Experiment with cropping and framing to create a stronger focal point or remove distracting elements.

Remember, the key is to find a balance between capturing the energy and emotion of the protest while also adhering to ethical principles of photojournalism and respecting the privacy and dignity of the subjects.

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