myrmepropagandistFeb 20

Had a lot of fun with my stats students today. I gave them two data sets. One from a random number generator, the other was one I made up that was not random, but designed to look random. They were able to figure out which one was fake.

Then we had ChatGPT make the same kind of data set (random numbers 1-6 set of 100) and it had the same problems as my fake set but in a different way.

We talked about the study about AI generated passwords.

Show threadmyrmepropagandistFeb 20

There is something very creepy about the way LLMs willy cheerfully give lists of "random" numbers. But they aren't random in frequency, and as my students pointed out "it's probably from some webpage about how to generate random numbers"

But even then, why is the frequency so unnaturally regular? Is that an artifact from mixing lists of real random numbers together?

Show threadmyrmepropagandistFeb 20

The LLM is like a little box of computer horrors that we peer into from time to time.

I'm sorry but the whole interface is just so silly.

You ask for random numbers with sentences and it pretends to give them to you? What are we doooooing?

Show threadLeo Ré JorgeFeb 21
@futurebird the first time I had to go nuclear about LLM use in my department was when my boss was showing me her design for a major experiment where they were planting actual trees of different species in long term plots, and when I asked how did they randomise the distribution of species she said the post doc responsible for setting up the experiment had asked chatgpt to randomise it! (1/2)
Show threadKenneth

@LeoRJorge @futurebird It's always so important to have the right tool for the job.

https://beadleandgrimms.com/products/character-class-dice-the-game-master?srsltid=AfmBOorIzPMeS-3yAWry8HRT4u4OrgfH5lBhy5tpgh41KhH87srIVfdY

Character Class Dice: The Game Master

Feb 22 at 5:11pmWeb