Some people see ChatGPT as a productivity or business tool, while others believe that it’s the precursor to an apocalypse. In any case, there’s one thing we can all agree on—ChatGPT is quirky, funny, and unpredictable. And, as a result, it’s a fantastic asset in creative projects.
Need an example? Just check out the AI-powered clock created by blogger Matt Webb. It uses an Inky wHAT E-Ink screen to display a short poem for every minute of the day. These poems are written by ChatGPT, and they’re an odd mix of heartwarming and hilarious.
Hand on heart I did not include this kind of motivational positivity in the prompt!
I did describe the room from its pov, so it sometimes refers to books or the rug, or its own self as a small e-ink screen
Tbh I can’t look away. I need to get lunch but it’s compelling & magical pic.twitter.com/KTlHIMi6Pc
— Matt Webb ??? (@genmon) March 17, 2023
Of course, the brains of this project is a Raspberry Pi computer and a simple ChatGPT prompt—respond to every minute of the day with two rhyming lines. Matt Webb also asked the AI to be “to be imaginative and profound,” which may explain the deeply motivational tone of this clock’s poems.
Matt Webb also explained the clock’s environment to ChatGPT. So, the AI knows that it’s sitting on a shelf, and it knows that there are certain objects in the room. It’s interesting to see how this information shows up in the clock’s poems. In one example, the AI starts a poem with “in cozy shelves, I do reside.”
This clock is very appealing. Not just as a project, but as a product. That’s why Matt Webb is interested in creating a commercial, “plug-and-play” version of the AI clock that anyone can buy. He also wants to provide resources for builders to create the clock on their own—there’s already some good stuff on Webb’s substack, including an invitation to get early access to the API.
Source: Matt Webb via Raspberry Pi Foundation
