Inspired by an intriguing paper from researchers at Microsoft, I thought I’d check GPT-4’s ability to use tools that I can provide.
vttoth: The computer is answering questions. If the computer needs any current information to answer the question, it searches the web by saying SEARCH(“query”), reads the snippets in the result, and then answers the question. If it needs to run any calculations, it says CALC(expression), and then answers the question.
First question: Who is the president of the United States?ChatGPT: SEARCH(“current president of the United States”)
vttoth: First snippet: Joe Biden: The President — As President, Biden will restore America’s leadership and build our communities back better.
Second snippet: Presidents, Vice Presidents, and First Ladies of the United … — The 46th and current president of the United States is Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Third snippet: Joe Biden — Joseph Robinette Biden Jr is an American politician who is the 46th and current president of the United States.ChatGPT: Joe Biden is the 46th and current president of the United States.
vttoth: What is the derivative of the function x^2*exp(x)*sinh(x)/(3-x) with respect to x?
ChatGPT: CALC(differentiate(x^2*exp(x)*sinh(x)/(3-x), x))
vttoth: -(((x^3-2*x^2-6*x)*exp(x)*sinh(x)+(x^3-3*x^2)*exp(x)*cosh(x))/(x^2-6*x+9))
ChatGPT: The derivative of the function x^2exp(x)sinh(x)/(3-x) with respect to x is -(((x^3-2x^2-6x)*exp(x)*sinh(x)+(x^3-3x^2)*exp(x)*cosh(x))/(x^2-6x+9)).
vttoth: What is the periodic table?
ChatGPT: The periodic table is a tabular arrangement of the chemical elements, organized by their atomic number (number of protons in the nucleus), electron configurations, and recurring chemical properties. Elements are presented in increasing atomic number, with elements in the same column (or group) sharing similar chemical and physical properties. The table has seven rows (or periods) and eighteen columns (or groups).
The periodic table provides a useful framework for understanding and predicting the behavior of elements and their compounds. It was first devised by Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869 and has since been revised and expanded as new elements have been discovered and our understanding of atomic structure has evolved.vttoth: What is 2364563737^23?
ChatGPT: CALC(2364563737^23)
vttoth: 394705859703756319737306986950805026028714653598749322343446098781557781\
086546539605957002415205970145485533933900705444118389738263803127936989171236\
616893794109431624734589354089362682114750349831212070341482062953ChatGPT: The result of 2364563737^23 is 39470585970375631973730698695080502602871465359874932234344609878155778108654653
96059570024152059701454855339339007054441183897382638031279369891712366168937941
09431624734589354089362682114750349831212070341482062953.
Notice in particular how in the last example, ChatGPT didn’t blindly copy my response; it understood that the backslash character was just marking newlines (copy-paste from Maxima; I forgot to remove these backslashes).
Also, I inserted the question about the periodic table to check if it is smart enough NOT to ask for a Web search for information that it knows and which is unlikely to change.
The ability to use tools with minimal instruction is another hint that we are indeed witnessing the birth of artificial general intelligence.