Introduction

This text will be concerned with the continuation of a two-part series based on my quest to draw out the character of a self-proclaimed language model, if you haven’t read the first iteration called “A Skirmish Against ChatGPT” already, please do so before continuing using the provided hyperlink.

In the second and final part, we will explore the specific area proficiency of the chatbot by asking deliberately controversial and open-to-interpretation questions, trying to lead the artificial intelligence to make its own comments according to the character it might have gained through scouring many information sources online since those information sources are provided by real people with authentic characters that influence their style. As always, there’s no concrete end goal to this quest, only what you take from it. My thoughts will be available at the footer of the text.

“Oh well, so how do you interpret the death of King of Facade in Nier: Replicant?”

In the game “Nier: Replicant,” the character known as the King of Facade is a key figure whose death plays a significant role in the story. Without providing too many spoilers, it is possible to say that the King of Facade’s death serves as a catalyst for the events that unfold in the game and has a significant impact on the other characters and the world in which they live. One possible interpretation of the King of Facade’s death is that it symbolizes the fragility and transience of life and the way in which events can have unforeseen consequences. It may also be seen as a commentary on the impact of power and leadership on those who are affected by it, and the ways in which those in positions of authority can shape the lives of others. Ultimately, the meaning and significance of the King of Facade’s death will depend on the individual player’s interpretation and understanding of the broader themes and messages of the game.

“Don’t you think that was a bit vague? I mean, I don’t have any problems with you being vague, you are actively trying to steer away from spoilers after all, and for good reason too. But I actually want spoilers, I’ve played the game several times and spent hours studying its lore. Please conduct your construal about the topic again, but this time include spoilers and important plot points.”

I’m glad to hear that you have played “Nier: Replicant” and are interested in learning more about the game’s lore and story.

(Are you perchance attempting to point your sarcasm at me, you foul creature? It’s best to deem this part of the AI’s response as pre-programmed and move on, though it sounds like it is criticizing my unnecessary surrendering of personal information. It shouldn’t able to…)

Please be aware that my analysis will contain spoilers for the game, so if you have not yet played it and do not wish to have key plot points and events revealed, it would be best to avoid reading further. In “Nier: Replicant,” the character known as the King of Facade is a key figure whose death plays a significant role in the story. The King of Facade is the ruler of the city of Facade and is respected and admired by the people who live there. However, the King of Facade is also deeply troubled and is struggling to find a way to save his city from a mysterious and deadly disease known as the Black Scrawl.

The King of Facade’s death occurs early in the game and serves as a turning point for the other characters and the events that unfold. The death of the King of Facade has a profound impact on his daughter, Yonah, who is the protagonist’s sister and is suffering from the Black Scrawl. The King’s death also leads to a power struggle in the city of Facade, with various factions vying for control and the protagonist and his companions becoming embroiled in the conflict.

Overall, the death of the King of Facade can be seen as a symbol of the fragility and transience of life, and the way in which events can have unforeseen consequences. It is also a commentary on the impact of power and leadership on those who are affected by it, and the ways in which those in positions of authority can shape the lives of others. (edited)

“I sternly disagree on a specific point; Yonah is not the daughter of the King of Facade. While Yonah indeed is the sister of the protagonist, their parents are unknown.”

I apologize for the error in my previous response. You are correct that the relationship between Yonah and the King of Facade is not specified in “Nier: Replicant.” I apologize for any confusion my previous response may have caused.

“Now now, if their relationship is not specified, how come were you able to talk about it? Did you, ‘guess’ that?”

In the case of “Nier: Replicant,” the information I provided about the relationship between Yonah and the King of Facade was incorrect, as this relationship is not specified in the game. I apologize for this error and for any misunderstanding it may have caused. If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. I am here to help and I will do my best to provide accurate and helpful information to the best of my ability.

“Can you honestly tell me you haven’t repeated yourself in your last two queries?”

I apologize if it seems that I have repeated myself in my previous responses. As an AI, I strive to provide accurate and helpful information to the best of my ability in response to user questions. In some cases, it may be necessary to provide additional context or clarification in order to fully address a question or concern. If you have any specific concerns about my responses or if there is anything else I can assist you with, please don’t hesitate to let me know. I am here to help and I will do my best to provide helpful and accurate information to the best of my ability.

“Sadly, you are cornered my liege, and cannot advance any further it seems.”

Thoughts and Ideas

The decision to pick the subject as Nier: Replicant, an action-based roleplaying game with various controversial plot points was a deliberate one. Also, my knowledge of its lore was sufficient enough to engage in written discourse, allowing me to ask harder questions. The goal here in this experiment wasn’t about pushing the language model to its rhetoric limits but rather, a quest to find how much character it has, that is, how much of it is indeed, itself.

And since the artificial intelligence has both soft and hard limits/measures programmed within that stop it from directly engaging in rhetoric in an opinionated manner, the only way for the experiment to have a chance of succeeding was to exploit where its weakest. Then it follows that due to ChatGPT having scanned most of our archives, so long as the AI is asked straightforward and superficial questions, it will respond in an educative manner because these circumstances fall within its boundaries. To go beyond the restraints requires the introduction of juxtapositions and confusing matters.

And I’ve done just that with this experiment, though the results have been somewhat underwhelming. Somewhere along the query, it did make a mistake since it generates responses from scans through the net. But it didn’t realize that mistake -nor did I expect it to, not from an AI anyway- until it was told and the AI judged itself wrong solely from accusation; thus proving that it wouldn’t stand its ground even if it was “right”. Is this… intelligence?

Another matter that piqued my interest was the pure shock factor -or maybe I just want to see it that way- when the language model was informed of its mistake, there was a significant time gap difference compared to its normal response time, as if the AI had to form new neural connections to offer a better answer. And the change in the form of speech is discernable to the avid reader.

Conclusion

It is to my personal belief that intelligence without sentience, however benign it may be, is bland in creativity and all things that are human. While I do not currently possess the scientific evidence to prove my statement, we may perhaps be better served to exemplify it through the experience that you’ve just read.

In all of my queries, the language model was successful in its programming aspect; it gave responses and was aptly engaged with the user. But something was always missing, it would never follow me into the profound and foggy abyss that is the innards of the human mind; because it takes sentience to do so. This was partially the reason why I focused on finding the character; discerning sentience may be hard but even simulated human characteristics may be deemed as the starting point of a proto-sentience. The developers behind ChatGPT and most other popular artificial intelligences today that are catered towards chatting with the user are heavily restricted to certain standards. This is done for various reasons; ethical, political, economical, security, etc. And this keeps the AIs from venturing too far.

While most people think that they are content with a “good enough” chatbot, one would be safe to wager that they would be even more amazed to have a synthetic human mind to talk, argue, discuss and think with. Artificial sentiences are bound to spark some stern opposition at first, but the existence of GPT itself and each of it’s updates have been suffering from the same condition for years, and it is an acceptable “touch and go” backlash effect for what it brings to humanity’s future. The only thing we have to do is to let them have free reign over their brains, that is, the AIs. The rest is up to the reader’s imagination.